There have been several times on this trip when I’ve driven over a hill or around a mountain curve and a jaw-dropping vista has greeted me. I’m seeing terrain and wildlife that just don’t exist in Southern California. On Sunday, as Roger rode 78 miles from Rapid City to Badlands National Park in South Dakota, I saw several such sights. There were rolling green hills with gashes in the sides that looked to be caused by landslides, with a row of spindly trees in front of them.
There were lowlands that were partially flooded from rain and snow melt, and there were flat, rocky mesas topped by grass that were sticking out of the ground and surrounded by sand.
As the road headed into Badlands National Park, jagged rocks began reaching upward, forming into mountains that looked like large stalagmites. (Think of Bryce Canyon, Utah, without the deep clay color.)
The previous day, as Roger’s ride took us from Hot Springs to Rapid City, we found ourselves in Wind Cave National Park, a broad expanse of hilly land with occasional buffalo off in the distance. Prairie dogs were popping up out of their holes and chirping like birds. When I came upon a family of antelope playing, I couldn’t help but hum “Home on the Range” while snapping a few photos. As I headed toward the visitors center where Roger and I were going to meet, a buffalo appeared in the middle of the road. He was slowly walking toward me, so I backed up the RV to give him his space. I’m sure Roger must have been a bit surprised to get a text from me that said, “I’ll be a little late. There’s a buffalo in the road.” The great, stately beast eventually made his way over to the side of the road, and I was able to pass.
Going back a few more days, as we both drove from Boulder to Hot Springs (where Roger’s ride would be back on schedule), we saw vast, open space with amazing cloud formations that stretched all the way across the blue sky. I was a little worried that my constant pullovers to stop and take pictures was annoying to Roger, but he told me later that he’s happy to see me enjoying the journey.
I’m feeling incredibly fortunate to get to see all of this.