Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota

We left La Crosse early in the morning, and crossed the mighty Mississippi River into the state of Minnesota. The views from the Minnesota side are really spectacular (if only we stopped at the welcome center)! The interstate from there climbs up to the rolling farmlands of southern Minnesota, plenty of cows to be seen. Late in the morning we cross into South Dakota, past the city of Sioux Falls. Again, much of the countryside is farmland to just beyond Mitchell, SD (home of the corn palace). From there the corn and dairy farms change into vast prairie lands, going right to the horizon.

Here is a photo from a lookout looking north to the horizon, and another photo looking back at interstate I-90 in the East, with a glimpse of the badlands of South Dakota. The views just seem to go forever! It was also very hot out here (about 106°F, or about 42°C).



Driving futher west along I-90, we were able to see more of the hill formations that are characteristic of the Badlands National Park. Below are a few photos, where the sedimentary layers of rock are very clear.



When we were approaching the Cheyenne River Valley, it almost seemed that we were driving over the edge of a massive pit! Here is a shot heading into the valley, not quite capturing the full effect of the illusion.

After the river, the interstate continued into more of the seemingly endless prairie, until we reached the outskirts of Rapid City, where the Black Hills suddenly appeared on the horizon. We took US highway 16 into the hills, covered with pines and other conifers, eventually getting to our lodge in Keystone, just around the corner from the famous landmark, Mt. Rushmore. Here are some views of the hills near the lodge. If you look closely at the left edge of the rocks, you should be able to see a president or two!
We enjoyed a very nice dinner at the Powder House restaurant (super steaks, friendly service). They even had buffalo and elk on the menu! We finished the day with a drive-by of Mt. Rushmore, which we'll see early next morning.