Badlands National Park
By maezee
@maezee (41985)
United States
July 18, 2020 8:38pm CST
I knocked this one off my list, Badlands National Park located in the western side of South Dakota. I had been there as a kid, but I was so young I didn't really remember it.
Badlands National Park boasts of 75 million year old fossils, many archeological finds, large rock/badland formations that are millions of years old, that occurred due to deposition and erosion. Per the pamphlet given to us at the park boundary, within the badlands used to be a temperate rainforest, including water. Now it is a dry formation of rocks creating waht look like valleys. The rock formations are made up of sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, calystones, limestons, volcanic ash, shale, etc.
There were only a few short trails near the south end of it that I saw, and they looked extremely busy so we decided to just stop at overlooks, look around, take pictures and drive through it just to say we did. We were on our way anwyay to Fort Collins, so we didn't have all that much extra time anyway.
It was nearby the city of Wall, which we wanted to stop by to just see the infamous "Wall Drug" but as we pulled up to Main St, it was extremely busy with HUNDREDS of people lining the sidewalks and blocking the entrance to shops, WITH NO MASKS ON - with signs and flags (and lots of Trump paraphenelia) with a PARADE going down Main Street ..... Some places just do NOT care about the COVID scare and just want to keep on keeping on like nothing has changed. I get that, but we need to be adaptable. Let's hold off on the parades, and wear masks! Period! But that is just my personal opinion.
Have you been to this one? What was your experience like?
8 people like this
7 responses
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
19 Jul 20
I've visited many countries but never the US and it is somewhat doubtful I ever will.
My number one dream destination/holiday is a horse riding and camping trip to Yellowstone National Park.
If I could do that I'd die a happy man
PS...I was in Cuba for quite a while and had the option of being taken across to the US but decided against it.
I regret that so much as the worst that could have happened would be the boat sink or get there and be deported...the boat looked sound so deportation was the worst option...and that would have been ok as I don't think you pay for your ticket
PS...I was in Cuba for quite a while and had the option of being taken across to the US but decided against it.
I regret that so much as the worst that could have happened would be the boat sink or get there and be deported...the boat looked sound so deportation was the worst option...and that would have been ok as I don't think you pay for your ticket3 people like this
@FourWalls (86698)
• United States
19 Jul 20
Most of us are friendly. The problem is, there aren't any stickers or badges one can wear that says, "Don't be afraid of me, I'm a good American."
1 person likes this
@maezee (41985)
• United States
19 Jul 20
Yellowstone looks amazing. I am more interested in going to Olympic, Glacier, Red Woods, and some other parks. But Yellowstone is on my list.
You should come over at some point just to say you did. Then again I have only been to Europe once (Sweden) because it’s so expensive and time consuming to go international.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
20 Jul 20
@myklj999 if I was ever let in I'd take the full time allowed on the visa which I think is 3 months
@amitkokiladitya (171988)
• Agra, India
19 Jul 20
I haven't visited any such place ever and this pandemic has taken away all the further hopes as well
1 person likes this
@amitkokiladitya (171988)
• Agra, India
19 Jul 20
@maezee yes..but day by day the level of hope. is going down
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
19 Jul 20
It sounds a lovely national park. I live in England so I haven't been there yet. Sorry the was a parade of people without masks. Such an event with people so close together was very foolish indeed. At least earlier you saw the rocks and appreciated their beauty.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86698)
• United States
19 Jul 20
That's one park -- and state -- I haven't made it to yet. Hopefully this fall, after the heat calms down.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86698)
• United States
19 Jul 20
@maezee — I’m sorry, I misstated that. It’s ONE of the states I haven’t been to yet. I’m missing 12 states (and all of the territories). (Moral of this story: don’t do laundry and myLot at the same time. 
)
I think getting out of the car, spending over an hour, and spending money constitutes “visiting” a state. I haven’t been far into Kansas yet, and I want to go back mainly to visit Coffeyville (you can thank the Eagles’ Desperado album for my interest in the Dalton gang). Just driving across the state line doesn’t count to me.
No question about Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and Hawaii: I lived in those states.
)
I think getting out of the car, spending over an hour, and spending money constitutes “visiting” a state. I haven’t been far into Kansas yet, and I want to go back mainly to visit Coffeyville (you can thank the Eagles’ Desperado album for my interest in the Dalton gang). Just driving across the state line doesn’t count to me.
No question about Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and Hawaii: I lived in those states. 
@maezee (41985)
• United States
19 Jul 20
There were not a lot of people in the park, believe it or not. I think this is one of the less popular ones and one that people spend less time in. When I have been to other parks, like Grand Canyon, in the past-they have had tons of people.
1 person likes this
