When I started planning our trip to Anchorage I knew one thing, I wanted to explore as much as the midwest as possible. I was little disappointed when I entered the addresses into Google Maps only to find the quickest way to Anchorage was up through Minneapolis and across North Dakota. I had high hopes of seeing Mt. Rushmore and states like Wyoming and Montana. Andrew then pointed out that we would only add a couple hundred miles to our trip – what’s a couple hundred when you are driving over 4,000 miles? I was thrilled with the possibility of seeing Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln’s faces encased in granite. As I started doing research on Mt. Rushmore, I kept hearing about the Badlands – especially from my Grandmother and mother.
Since I have never heard about the Badlands, maybe you haven’t either. Below is a brief overview/history on the Badlands:
Badlands National Park is a national park in southwestern South Dakota that protects 242,756 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. The park’s highest point is at 3,340 feet high. There are nine different formations that make up those beautiful peaks and valleys, some formations are believed to dated back 83 million years ago.
For 11,000 years Native Americans have used this area for their hunting grounds. From the top of the Badlands Walls, they could scan the area for enemies and wandering herds. If hunting was good, they might hang on into winter, before retracing their way to their villages along the Missouri River. Those descendants live today in North Dakota as a part of the Three Affiliated Tribes.
- Start: Sioux Falls, SD
- Destination: Keystone, SD
- Distance: 426 miles | 5.16 hours
- Lodging: Mt. Rushmore’s White House Resort
Andrew’s Hotel Situation:
Hello friends and family, this is Andrew and I will be making a few cameo’s here and there throughout this blog. I have a story for you.
When Katie and I arrived in Keystone, SD yesterday she went in to grab the room keys and check-in at the front desk while I got the dogs out. When she was finished getting everything she came out to grab some stuff out of the car while I went to put the dogs in the room we were assigned at the front desk. I slid the key into the electronic door lock and opened the door and found something (or someone) pretty surprising. There was a man laying on the bed in the room that we had JUST gotten the keys for. I quickly shut the door and stood in the hall absolutely dumbfounded at the situation. When the guy then opened the door I was staring at a very large man with a jet-black skull and crossbones bandana that was holding his shoulder length hair back from his eyes. We stood there staring at one another for a second where I noticed a few more things, there was also a skull on his shirt, he had 2 rings on each hand with skulls that had pastel red eyes, and a skull tattoo on his neck. In my head, I was wondering if I had just discovered the secret identity of The Punisher and I had to stifle a laugh when he noticed me eyeing him strangely. He asked how I got a key to his room (which I thought was a pretty stupid question, I obviously got it from the front desk) and I explained to him what was going on. Lo and behold, this guy was pretty friendly … we walked up to the front desk and since Kate and I had reserved the room first he was asked to move to another room. So, remember the next time you unlock the door to the hotel room that you had just been assigned to, I recommend you be prepared for anything.
– Andrew
The Fox Adventure 
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