Although we got to see a lot of interesting sites on our South Dakota trip, for us the big three were Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, and the Badlands. The Badlands is such an interesting area, because every view is somewhat different. You drive around it for upwards of an hour, and around every bend and at every scenic pullover, it’s different. This is another one of those places where pictures don’t do it justice. But here are some anyway!
On the same day we did the drive around the Badlands, we also stopped at a nearby national historic site – the Minuteman Missile Site. If you are at all interested in the Cold War and how it manifested in the US, this is a really interesting place to visit. Again, our loosey goosey trip planning technique did not serve us well in getting tickets to actually tour the launch control facility. However, we did listen to a talk from an Air Force veteran who had been stationed there and had interesting stories to tell. There are also interesting exhibits throughout the visitor’s center. Highly recommend!
Later that afternoon we visited a park on Skyline Drive in Rapid City – Dinosaur Park! This park is at a high point in town, so you get a lovely view of Rapid City. The park itself is a WPA project, so it is extremely well built with some lovely stonework and ironwork. It also contains some of the dorkiest and most charming dinosaur statues I have seen in my life.
10/10 – no notes!
Quite A Yarn 
Dinosaurs! Your pics of the Badlands are stunning!
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Thanks! It really is beautiful! Those dinos cracked me up 🙂
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This is a part of the country I’ve never seen.
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It’s really beautiful! Definitely check it out if you get a chance to go 🙂
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Great destinations. How was the weather in South Dakota? Bill and I did a similar trip in a recent summer. It was hotter than Oklahoma! I agree about Badlands. I found it very inspiring.
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They really are! It was warmer than WI when we went. It might have been cooling down somewhat because we were there in September 🙂 Yes, beautiful country for sure!
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The Badlands looks like a fascinating site. Such variety!
Goofy dinosaurs are the best dinosaurs.
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Definitely go there if you get a chance – beautiful and unique! A different view around every turn
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I’ll keep it in mind!
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Oh yes! It takes forever to get through the park as you have to keep pulling over to jump out and take more photos and gawk! And the photos does not do the place justice. Glad you got to see it!
I am envious of the dorky statue dinosaur park – that would have been fun 🙂
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You are right – it does take a long time! But you just have to stop and look and wonder at it all 🙂
The dorky dinosaur park was pretty good – check it out if you every get back there!
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