We started our day at Wall
Drugstore eating donuts for breakfast.
They are so delicious. I’m going
back tomorrow morning. Or today…
Yesterday I drove past the three
churches in Wall to get a feel for them and check their start times. The United Methodist Church started at 10:00
and had a sign saying visitors welcome, so that’s where we went! It was the first church we’ve attended on our
trip. I didn’t really mean for that to
happen. We had planned to visit
churches, but due to our traveling schedule, or being in the middle of nowhere
on Sundays, or oversight, this was the first:
United Methodist in Wall, SD. It
was nice – very much like Brad’s parents’ church in Town Creek, AL. We felt very comfortable there.
I don’t feel obligated to attend
church while we are traveling, but I like the way it marks our week. All the other days can run together, but I
like to notice when it’s Sunday. We have
done that with our own family worships, but it was nice to join in with
others.
Today was a triple Jr. Ranger Day
for the girls! We left church and went
straight to the Buffalo Gap National Grassland VC in Wall. They quickly completed their Jr. Ranger
program and received a pin and a bag of goodies (Smokey the Bear stuff –
pencils, sharpener, comic, etc.). Then
we went back to the campground to change clothes and have lunch. We watched rhythmic team gymnastics. It is the last day of the Olympics. After lunch, the girls played on the
playground and I dozed in the camper while Brad talked on the phone. Good Sunday afternoon!
Then we headed to Badlands NP. We stopped on the way at the Minuteman
Missile VC so the girls could turn in their JR books. They received badges there.
As we entered Badlands, we stopped
to climb a little and have a look at the landscape. We hiked a short trail (Cliff Shelf Trail .5
mi). Then we went on to the VC. The girls started their JR books. We saw the museum, the fossil prep lab and
watched the park movie. Then we ate
supper at the picnic area right next door against a beautiful backdrop, which
the girls insisted on climbing like a jungle gym. Then they had me climb it!
After dinner we went on our “big”
hike. The Medicine Root and Castle Trail
Loop. This was a 4-mile hike out among
the grasslands and the rock formations.
We started about 6:30 and finished at 8:15. It was perfect weather, nice and cool. We saw the sunset and lots of beautiful
scenery, but no animals. I thought that
was odd, but it turns out the animals are in the wilderness on the other side
of the park. Oh well. We’ve seen buffalo and prairie dogs. They are probably all the same.
To cap it off, Audra and I attended
the evening program at the campground amphitheater (Myths, Legends and Ghosts
of Badlands) and Brad and Carmen joined us for the star program afterwards. This was a highlight as there is so little
light pollution out here you have an amazing view of the stars just with the
naked eye! The Milky Way was so bright. Bonus* - There is a meteor shower going on
(with tomorrow being the best viewing opportunity) so we kept seeing meteors
zoom across the sky. Add to that perfect
weather – not a cloud in the sky. And
for the grand finale, we got to see a nebula and Saturn through
telescopes! Wow!
It was a late night and we are
tired. Tomorrow has been declared a
resting/swimming/laundry day. And I
think we’ll have donuts for breakfast.
P.S. (Next morning): I just looked through my
photos from yesterday and I almost cried.
That hike was breathtakingly beautiful.
Sometimes the beauty of our planet almost makes my heart hurt. I want to wallow in it … like the buffalo. Sorry for including so many pics. It was hard to choose!
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