We left Pierre and drove through the prairies of South Dakota towards Mt Rushmore.
Through the bus window it was green rolling plains for as far as you could see.
Suddenly there were sandstone spires, castles and walls rising up out of the prairies.
We were in the Badlands N.P. French trappers, who explored the west in 1800's called the area "bad land to cross". The Dakota Indians called it "mako sica" meaning "land bad"
We went for a short hike through the area it was like a moonscape.
The area was originally under the sea. The land pushed up and drained. Volcanic deposits fell in layers and hardened. The softer parts have been eroded away and the harder bits are still standing but they are being continually eroded today. The walls are actually soft and sandy. A weird eerie landscape.
A weird experience happened to us as we were standing at this lookout/overlook a guy gathered his family around him and then proceeded to scatter the ashes of
grandma a loved one over the edge. Just then a gust of wind came and blew some of the ashes back at us. We brushed
grandma the ash off and continued.......
............looking over the edge and admiring the unusual scenery.
It reminded us a little of the Bungle Bungle ranges in the Kimberly area of north west Australia, which also has the different coloured layers.
Great shots of the Badlands, Diane! It does look like a moonscape. I have never been there and now I would like to go.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful though. Thank you for posting, I'm taking my trip reading about yours:). Feels like travelling.
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible landscape! But 'the Badlands' is so evocative of something dark and sinister, it's a surprise how interesting and varied it is!!
ReplyDeleteDon't those badlands look good. That is a huge trip you took. I'm envious.
ReplyDeleteWondering if that was an eerie place to be.... very interesting.
ReplyDeleteLove, Jan
What an everchanging landscape. Very dramatic in the last few photos.
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange encounter, getting someone's ashes blown over you ... !!
Boy do those pics take me back! There's an area in North Dakota where it is so flat, you can see the curvature of the earth. I loved those states. I'd go back to North Dakota right now if all the planets lined up right. Really nice people there. And the whole state is as smaller in population than the Phoenix area so that I would just love.
ReplyDeleteOh - - and one more comment about grandma's ashes. Up in Idaho my sister owned a mortuary where I used to go up there and do whatever in the summertime. We got in the car one day to go up to Sun Valley but first we had to stop at the post office and pick up a box of ashes that were being shipped in for disposal over Fish Creek which was on the way to Sun Valley. I held the box of ashes in the car and found out then that they don't cool off during shipment in a speedy manner. We got to the creek where the lady wanted her ashes spread. We each took about half a sack full. I decided I'd do it the easy way and just upend the sack into the creek. Why toss just a few at a time. Just at the time the ashes came out of the sack, a strong breeze came up and swooshed all of them right back into my face, mouth, hair, down my shirt - everywhere. I was spitting and sputtering - they were laughing - ! Finaly got it done but I gotta say ---- that woman went a lot further than Fish Creek that day. She went to Sun Valley and points all around. When I got home at the end of the day I still had part of her still hanging on to me. Anyway- it was funny.
ReplyDeleteHee hee not for the feint hearted.
ReplyDeleteYou were VERY blessed that there was green for contrast. That is extremely unusual for the badlands. Again, thanks for the memories! Sherry
ReplyDeleteWouw, what a trip, I would like to join.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
We saw similar badlands in Arizona at the Petrified Forest National Park, although there wasn't as much green in Arizona as you saw. You got some marvelous pictures.
ReplyDeleteDiane, the badlands remind me of my own body with this insidious cancer behaving like a volcano 'erupting' daily and spewing out its poison.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Interesting!
Love your photography
Now this is one place that IS on my bucket list. Wonderful pictures.
ReplyDeleteSherry, That is interesting , Sherry. They had a lot of rain this year I guess that is why it was so green.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like bad-land country Diane - the sort of terrain depicted in early American cowboy films where there were always baddies hiding out waiting for the stage-coach to pass!
ReplyDeleteI have been to the Badlands in North Dakota but not in South Dakota. It looks a lot more dramatic down there, and a place I would love to see. As for grandma, phew, that's a story to tell. Great pictures. Gregg and I are really enjoying your travels across the US.
ReplyDeleteTerrific pictures, Diane. I laughed at Grandma's ashes. George and I want our ashes strewn over a waterfall ---so let's just hope the wind isn't blowing that day...ha ha
ReplyDeleteI'm doing a similar post on Friday--in a different location (Cedar Breaks -Utah)....
Love seeing your pictures.
Hugs
Betsy
OH NO!! Some of grandma's ashes got deposited in the bus seat and washed down the drain when you took your next shower! Well, hopefully Grandma liked to travel to different places.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are gorgeous!
Pretty {weird!} land! My daughter and her family just got back - they loved it. I must plan on going someday :-)
ReplyDeleteWe enjoyed our time in that area. That was a weird thing getting acquainted in that way with Grandma (oops) ashes. How funny.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pix and its quite hard to take good pictures of big country like that -- yours are great!.
That second shot does indeed remind me of sand castles having been washed gently over by a wave.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful shots!
I hope 'Grandma' is now resting peacefully. Just a tad creepy though.
A very special landscape. I had a great laugh with your experiences with grandma's ashes!
ReplyDeleteLoved your photos and descriptions Diane. Strange things happen unexpectedly. When scattering ashes, I'll be careful of wind direction.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many weird and wonderful landscapes here in the USA...and in Australia too. You certainly saw a lot on your visit.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fascinating and marvellous pictures to accompany your tale.
ReplyDeleteStill giggling over grandma's ashes ;)