by Amy | Jul 14, 2016 | Blog, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Living
This is kind of a scary day. Probably not for you. And really, it hasn’t been a scary day for me either. Until this point–at 4:30pm in a small town close to the surface of the sun (that’s what I’ve taken to calling this place)–when I sat down on the loveseat in a long-term hotel suite to write this post.
The loveseat’s upholstery is covered in all kinds of Southwestern designs…eagles and lizards and the kind of stuff that makes you think of cave murals, Mayan art and adobe dwellings…all in muted, ugly hotel colors: mauve, tan, a different tan, dirty green and dusty blue. Classic tapestry colors. It’s not hideous. But I miss my couch and my pretty house and the general Nordic theme of Practically Canada.
Panda is here too. And because our current dwelling is comprised of limited space, I never forget her presence. Not because she’s overly snuggly and showering me with attention. No, I’m afraid she saves her cutest acts and best snuggles for Derek. After all we’ve been through, I’m old news….the person she goes to when she’s desperate {like in the middle of the day and Derek is working}. But definitely not first choice. No, no, no…I always know she’s here because no matter how much I clean–or how often a maid comes in–the air always smells a little bit like cat litter. Just a little.
Now I could open a window–if I were anywhere else. But on the surface of the sun, that’s just not possible. Because of the Skin Melt Factor–or SMF, for short.
Oh! That’s right. I got into this whole, “I’m scared,” thing and never bothered to mention exactly what’s happening. Isn’t it annoying when people start talking at you and you have no clue what they are going on about? Well–stop the smiling and nodding because I’m about to fill you in. {And waiting this long was an artistic choice. In high school they taught me to draw a reader in with an air of mystery and a good hook.} So, for those of you who haven’t hit the “back” button to return to browsing your Facebook feed, here goes.
In brief, today is scary for me because I’m doing something I haven’t done in a long, long time. Writing. I remember the day I stopped. I’d written a devotional on prayer. Prayer has consistently changed my life and worked miracles in my day to day. I love praying regularly with my church family–openly, honestly, with structure and purpose. I was learning about prayer by being surrounded with people who were more mature in their spiritual walks. I was becoming more passionate about prayer and I was seeing how the Body of Christ was supposed to work together. In turn, this was all fueling my private prayer life and walk with the Lord.
That evening I got a comment on Facebook that rocked me. It was negative and hurtful. I was walking a hard road anyway, and all of a sudden I was incredibly gun shy. I didn’t want the things I wrote to cause controversy, or something I loved doing to cause me fear and anxiety about how people perceive me or the strength of my faith. I was in a fierce battle with insecurity and up against raging spiritual warfare. When I sat down to write I was griped with fear. What if instead of glorifying the Lord, I was turning people away from faith? Who am I to be writing and teaching on Biblical truth? Who reads this stuff anyway? No one really wants to hear your lame stories. That was well over a year ago.
I might have written a few posts after that, but pretty much I stuck to showing only photo previews and businessy stuff. I’m not bummed that it happened, because it’s been nice to literally go days without looking at a computer or checking Facebook or getting a comment and wondering if with was nice or mean.
But here I sit on the surface of the sun–homeless except for this room–writing again. And I actually plan to continue. I’ve spent more than a year weighing this out. And I’ve come to the conclusion that more good and happy things have come from writing than, painful things. I don’t like to write about controversial things–I like to write about quirky things that help people learn and encourage folks to see the humor and beauty in the places they find themselves. I like to do this, I’ve prayed about it, so…here we go.
We are in New Mexico. The Minot episode{s} in my life have all but ended, expect for a guest starring role every now and then. My house has sold and someone new is calling it home. The movers kidnapped all my stuff and hauled it to a storage center in the desert. And I’m here. In a different dessert learning that just because heat is “dry” doesn’t mean it’s not miserable. According to the heat index, the dryness of the air means it actually feels less hot that the actual temperature. So when it’s 104˚F, it really only feels like 100˚. That’s why I developed my own index: The Skin Melt Factor. It’s the amount of heat radiated off of and reflected back from every available surface {rocks, asphalt, cement, bricks, wood…there is no grass here to soak it up} and the degree to which it makes my skin feel like it’s melting off of the bone. The SMF is very high here. It’s about a 10 at 7am, skyrockets to an alarming 37 by 2pm, and drops to a manageable 5 by 8:30pm.
Anyway, Derek’s been here since March. I just arrived at the beginning of the month. I stayed back in Minot to sell the house, wait for closing, enjoy one last Practically Canadian Summer. He’s here training until September. So despite the SMF, I’m very happy to be here. All kidding and sarcastic comments aside, I’m so glad to be here. I’m excited to be exploring the Southwest. I’m happy to be finding some local gems. I’m happy to have time to write and pray and workout and…most importantly dunk around in the pool. Mostly, it’s really nice to be back to adventuring with Derek and Panda.
I’ll see you tomorrow.
Amy
by Amy | Jul 13, 2015 | Blog, The Art of Adventure, The Art of the Moment
Once upon a time when I was new to Practically Canada I was strolling through our local bookstore. For the first time ever, I laid eyes on one of the Ghosts of North Dakota photo books. Instantly, I was captured. Naturally I gravitate toward desolate, creepy things–it’s a quirk that leads me to long walks in cemeteries and a love of all things fall. {But now I’m getting off topic.}
Ever since that first peek at Ghosts of North Dakota, I’ve thought a session in one of the Practically Canadian ghost towns would be simply the best. I also knew it would take a very special senior to pull off such a sweet spot…it would also take a special senior to want to trek out to a ghost town with me for their senior portraits.
Maddie is that special senior. While eating Easter dinner with her family {they were kind enough to take Derek and me in for the holiday} we started chatting about photos. She told me she wanted something really different. She likes vintage, she’s got timeless beauty, and for some reason enjoys my company enough that she and her mom didn’t mind spending an hour in the car with me en route to our location. She was perfect for this location. I’m so glad she was game for a ghost town and I’m so excited to share this preview with all of you tonight.
(more…)
by Amy | Jan 28, 2015 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
Tonight we are going over the second half of our big, fat, American road trip. Derek and I went across the country on a trip from Minot to Orlando. It was a long haul, but incredibly fun. If you missed our first two stops–check out yesterday’s post.
The third leg of our trip took us from the Kansas City to Memphis, TN. We left Kansas City right after our late lunch at Jack Stack BBQ and drove down to Memphis–only about six hours. We arrived around 10pm and decided that we should put our “tired” aside and venture down to Beale Street. {Which, according to USA Today, is America’s most iconic street.} I mean…how often do we go to Memphis? Besides, we were only spending the one night there. If we were going to take in some live music, it was now or never. It was cold. It was off season. It was late and places were starting to close up. But we went anyway.
The lights were lovely and the live music was even lovelier. We ended up sitting in the B.B. King Blues Club. We heard the last few songs of their house band’s set. So good! {Image below from the BB King Blue’s Club website.}
The following morning, we kept with our musical theme. First we drove past Aretha Franklin’s childhood home. {It’s still there!} Then we hit up the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, to learn about the heart of the Memphis music scene. The museum was interesting, especially for folks with a pulse on the music scene. For me, it was a little hard to pay attention…because there were lots of songs playing from lots of different directions and I had a hard time reading. But that’s probably due to my own sometimes stunted attention span. At any rate, we listened to some great music and looked very hipster doing it.
Then we hit up the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, to learn about the heart of the Memphis music scene. The museum was interesting, especially for folks with a pulse on the music scene. For me, it was a little hard to pay attention…because there were lots of songs playing from lots of different directions and I had a hard time reading. But that’s probably due to my own sometimes stunted attention span. At any rate, we listened to some great music and looked very hipster doing it.
After the museum we ate soul food at the Four Way–which the locals told us was the best around. Indeed it was.
We wrapped up our time in Memphis travels with a swing past Graceland. We didn’t have the time to tour, but we did walk past the home of the king…where I insisted that we each try to dance like Elvis. We gave it our best shot, but I’m pretty sure Elvis would be embarrassed.
The next leg of our trip took us down to New Orleans. Since we were mostly there for a wedding {which I was photographing} we only did the basics. Strolled the French Quarter, ate red beans and rice, coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde.
We also had the second best breakfast of my life at the Ruby Slipper. {The absolute best was the Friendly Toast in Portsmouth.} But, like I said, the main event was the wedding. More of these photos coming soon!
From NOLA, we reached our “final” destination–Montgomery, AL. The main reason for road tripping was the drive to Montgomery, where Derek had to attend a training course. It was a relief to get out of the car for a bit. We stayed in town and out of the car for a full week before packing it back up to head south for the long MLK Day weekend.
We drove down to Pensacola, where we had a lovely dinner at what is perhaps my all-time favorite restaurant–Dharma Blue. Photo below via the Dharma Blue Facebook page.
The following morning we ate breakfast at one of our favorite haunts–Ace’s in Milton, FL {we used to live in Milton.} The food was great…but catching up with our friends who still live in Milton/Pensacola. I love these ladies!
Finally, it was another long haul from Milton down to Orlando! There we got to see another Milton friend and I made all my Harry Potter dreams come true!
Since my back pain was flaring up {maybe all that time in the car had something to do with it…} we decided to take in Universal Studios instead of Islands of Adventure, since there are fewer roller coasters at Studios. Coasters aside, it was amazing!! Oh my. I just don’t even have words. Sure, Universal Studios was fun. But Harry Potter World–Diagon Alley–blew. my. mind. Blown. The butter beer. The Gringott’s dragon that breathes real fire. The shops. The food. Amazing.
Our friend Angel was selected to have Olivander select a wand for her. We ate the best amusement park food I’ve ever had at the Leaky Cauldron. And made a thrilling Escape From Gringotts. {Who knew melding 3D video and a roller coaster could be so fun?!}
Of course the other parts of the park were fun too…but it all really paled in comparison to how great Diagon Alley was.
From Orlando, we trekked back to Montgomery for the duration of the journey. {If you are in Montgomery, you should definitely have some rockin’ Cajun food at Uncle Mick’s and participate in Trivia Night at the Irish Bred Pub–get the Irish Mac ‘n’ Cheese while you’re there.}
We had an awesome time…but after all that travel it’s been really nice to be back home, back in a routine. I’m sure this is just one in many, many adventures that 2015 will bring.
by Amy | Jan 28, 2015 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
You can say a lot of things about Derek and me. But you absolutely cannot declare that we don’t know how to road trip. Seriously. We are so good at it. This month we took a cross country road trip. It was one of our longest road trips of all time…and one of the best. So sit back, get comfortable, and remember to avoid caffeinated beverages {no pee breaks}…because we are embarking on Road Trip 2015.
The map above shows our route. It’s pretty darn far. Today we’ll get all the way to Kansas City! I’m excited to tell you about the trip stop by stop, but first–here is a list of in-car things that kept us occupied through all those hours of driving.
Audio Book–Boys in the Boat. I love this book. You should read it or listen to it soon. It’s amazing on audio. And read by perfectly voiced by the late Edward Herman. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry for joy, you’ll cry for sadness, you’ll learn, and you’ll want to take up rowing. It’s a 12-disc, or 13 hour listen.
Audio Mystery–Serial. If you are in to Dateline mysteries, you’ll totally dig Serial, a audio documentary from This American Life. The podcast investigates a murder case from 1999. The case is closed, but the man convicted has maintained his innocence all these years. The series looks in to the case and trial and will leave you wondering if they really did lock up the wrong man. Because it’s a little street-wise…there is a bit of language {including a few F-Bombs} and some talk of drug use. I still found it to be a fascinating listen. It’s 12 episodes ranging form 25-55 minutes.
Colossians. We spent a good long time reviewing the verses we already had memorized and added new verses {we are at the end of chapter 4!} Reciting the whole thing takes a good 25 minutes, and learning a new verse takes about 15-20… so this was a good time eater for us once a day.
Trivia. I downloaded a new app called Quizoid. It works without a data connection or wireless.
Now…the trip. Leg one took us from Minot to Omaha. It was by far the longest part of the journey. And while we really wanted to stop to see Corn Palace…we decided the extra two hours it would add onto the trip wasn’t worth it.
In Omaha we visited Joslyn Castle. Because it’s off season, we were the only visitors and enjoyed a private tour of the Castle. It’s gorgeous. It’s fascinating. I wish I lived in Omaha so I could attend the lots of super-cool events they hold here. {Murder mystery dinner anyone?}
The Joslyn family also donated funds for an art museum. And…since Derek had never in his life laid eyes on a real Monet…we just had to go. Not to mention, it’s got free admission. As far as I’m concerned, the Joslyn Art museum rocks. Good layout. Lots of awesome works. And an amazing interactive level. Some may say it is the “kid’s area,” but who says grownups can’t enjoy making stop-motion movies and virtual paintings? Here is a stop motion video we made. {They email it right to you!}
After the Joslyns showed us all they had to offer, we headed to the Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. It. Was. Amazing! I was skeptical about going to the zoo in January, but it totally paid off. We were there for three full hours–just on the indoor exhibits. They’ve got the world’s largest indoor desert. {Which features the world’s cutest creature–the klipspringer!}
They’ve also got a mind-blowing “kingdoms of the night” exhibit filled with night-dwelling creatures, and a way creepy-but-cool insect pavilion.
But my favorite, favorite part was the aquarium. Stunning. I liked it even more than the Shedd in Chicago. And that’s really saying something. I love the Shedd aquarium. It had a HUGE aquarium tunnel. It’s like you are right in the tank! There were penguins and puffins and weird looking fish and a swamp habitat. Simply awesome.
From Omaha we went to Kansas City, MO. Recently I’ve gotten really into learning about WWI. Mostly because I picked up an audio series that NPR put out in honor of WWI’s centennial. You can see the series here. As I listened to the discs {there’s only three} I heard a short snippet about our country’s only WWI museum…in Kansas City, MO. The piece made it sound so cool and we were going to be so close…I begged Derek to take me. {Because I’m really that lame.}
So we went. And I was so impressed! Really, one of the best museums I’ve ever been to. Ever. It made the material easy to understand. It was well laid out. The design was beautiful. The exhibits were fascinating. It’s interactive and techy and traditional–all at the same time. I learned a million things. {Photo below from the museum’s Facebook page.}
I love interactive portions of museums and this museum had some great interactive exhibits. There were “listening booths” that let you play music, writings, and diary entries from the war years. There were also tables of touch-screen games, plans, photo albums, and DIY propaganda posters.
When you are done with your creation…you can email it to yourself! Here are our masterpieces. I’m pretty sure I’m on my way to being a sought after propaganda artist.
After hours at the museum, we ate an amazing lunch at Jack Stack BBQ. It’s delightful for the taste buds and they eyes. The decor is so lovely. Seriously, one of the best meals we had on our trip! {Photo from the Jack Stack Facebook page.}
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the second half of our road trip–Memphis, NOLA, Montgomery, Pensacola, and Orlando! Okay, so…technically, it’s more cities…but we didn’t do nearly as many touristy things in those places. So it’ll be less of a read. I’ll see you back on the road tomorrow!
Amy
by Amy | Dec 11, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Gathering, The Art of Living
This year I’m celebrating my golden birthday. 28 on the 28th of December. I know it hasn’t quite happened yet…but with a birthday that close to Christmas, I’m usually worn out, full of over eating, or on the road driving cross country on the actual day. This year, this golden year, I was determined to make sure my birthday rocked.
I told Derek the only thing I wanted was tickets to the White Christmas Ball in Denver. Yes, that’s an extravagant request. But I wanted it so bad. And, Derek is amazing. So we went. And it was fabulous. The best party I’ve ever been to. The best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.
{It should be noted that photos being shared in this post were mostly not taken by me…as I was determined to enjoy the moment instead of documenting it. You can click the images to go to their sources. Most of them are from the fabulous Sheila Broderick Photography. The ones that look really cruddy were–no doubt–taken on my phone.}
You might be wondering what the White Christmas Ball is and how I came across it. By now, you should know that I’m an expert at finding really fun things to do. It’s just a knack I have. When something amazing in mentioned to me, I file it away in my beady little brain and pull it out at just the right time. In this case, I heard of this little ditty from a friend while we were shopping at Minot’s city wide garage sale. She saw a 1940’s military cap and said it’d be perfect for the 1940’s Ball. I have that moment, and Google to thank for getting me to Denver last weekend.
This event is actually an off shoot of the 1940’s Ball. A non-profit summer event in Denver that celebrates the Greatest Generation with a…1940’s themed ball. The White Christmas Ball is the winter side of things. The 1940’s Ball is a nonprofit organization, whose proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Project and the Spirit of Flight Center in Colorado.
Okay, back to the ball. I think the thing I love most about this event is that it is attended by participators. People who are willing to commit to the theme, come in era-appropriate dress, and have a great time. As soon as we walked in to the venue, the atmosphere started to swallow me up. The Christmas decor, the lighting, the 1000 guests all beautifully dressed, and the amazing live music threw off an aura of warm, cozy, Christmas fun just waiting to be had.
The even staff does a great job of making sure there is lots to see and do. There is a vintage vendor fair, touting retro clothing and nostalgic memorabilia. Food trucks with some of the best mac ‘n’ cheese I’ve ever consumed. A huge dance floor. Continual live music, only occasionally broken up by live entertainment. Attire contests. Photo stations. Beautiful pro-photos from Cake and Knife Photography. And when your feet are tired of dancing {or for those of us still nursing a somewhat bad back…} there was a movie theater that played White Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, and The Glenn Miller Story.
{via Sheila Broderick}
{via Sheila Broderick}
My second favorite thing about this event is that it’s full of people who know how to have a good time. They dance because they like it, not because they are peer pressured into it. And no one needs to be drunk to make their way to the dance floor. Was alcohol available? Sure, but it wasn’t the center of the party. I respect that. I like that. As a girl who never mixes drinking and dancing {my dancing is plenty crazy without the extra influence}, I love being surrounded by people who can have an uninhibited great time–and this party was full of them. There were even a handful of WWII vets cutting a rug with pretty girls on the floor. That’s an image I’ll never forget.
For those that weren’t up for dancing themselves, there were several great live performances to watch. And wish you could move like that. The group below, 23 Skidoo, rocked my world.
{via Sheila Broderick}
{via Sheila Broderick}
And what’s a White Christmas party without a few numbers from the movie?
At one point we stopped to take a photo with a Christmas Story vignette and a gal from 9News saw us. She took this photo and put it up on the station’s website along with others from the night.
{via 9News}
I really cannot say enough good things about the bands that played. Amazing! Just amazing. Toward the end of the night Rat Pack impersonators did a set with the The Hot Tomatoes Dance Orchestra. Hands down my favorite music of the night. These guys were so perfect it was trippy.
{via Sheila Broderick}
{via Sheila Broderick}
The only thing that was a little off was this large, mustached man who appeared on stage with “Bing Crosby” and introduced himself as “Danny Kaye.” I’m thinking there must have been some last minute change of plans…because he looked nothing like the limber, leggy, ginger we all know and love.
But really, who cares? Because while they were on stage they did a balloon drop!
{via Sheila Broderick}
Seriously this was an amazing night. A night so good it made up for every disappointing, lackluster New Year’s Eve I’ve ever spent. This is the greatest party I’ve ever been to. And I’m convinced it’s the closest I’ll ever come to the real Columbia Inn in Pine Tree, VT. So, thank you, thank you, thank you to the 1940’s Ball team for putting on such a great event.
And outside the venue–the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum–was a bedazzled B-52. So…yeah…
by Amy | Oct 10, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
I’d probably be a more successful blogger if I narrowed my writings down to one specific topic. But, like my life, my career and my choice of ice cream flavors…I just cannot seem to pick just one thing that I like best. Life if just too interesting, not to discuss and write and dream about. So, I guess that’s how it’ll continue to be around here. A grab bag of stories and odd moments, of life and art and work, all rolled together.
One reason I simply cannot bring myself to write only about work or daily devotionals is that Practically Canada is such a bizarre and fascinating place.
click for source
It’s no secret that Minot is on the small and isolated side of the city scale. But once a year they put on a festival that is the crown jewel of Practically Canadian living: Norsk Hostfest. Practically Canada is chock full of residents sharing Scandinavian heritage. During Hostfest these folks, as well as other Scandinavians from around the globe {seriously, the globe} flock to the North Dakota State Fair grounds here in Minot for five days of Scandimonium celebration.
What is Hostfest? That’s a very reasonable question.
It’s a five day festival that encompasses the entire state fair grounds complex. Inside are vendors selling handmade items using old-fashioned Scandinavian techniques, Scandinavian food {Lutefisk anyone?}, cultural music, entertainment, and nightly concerts. It’s kind of like a fair, but held indoors and everything has to do with Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, or Iceland. There are imports for sale and Norweigen wool sweaters and viking drinking horns.There are free stages with entertainers from those countries {magicians from Sweden, tenors from Norway, etc.}, cultural cooking demonstrations, and speakers. Bigger concerts take place at night and feature well known artists like Bill Engvall, Josh Turner and Jennifer Nettles–they perform in the Great Hall of Vikings {#obviously.}
There is a lot to see and do. A lot is even very fun. But the whole event {at least to an outsider} has a very Dwight Schrute-ish quality to it. You know how, on the Office he talks about his weird German farm traditions like they are completely normal and everyone else is crazy because they’ve never heard of it? That’s kind of how Hostfest feels.
With highlighted games like “Ring the Trolls Antlers” and “Knock the Fleas Off the Black Plague Rat” you can really help feeling like Belsnickel is around every corner ready to ask if you’ve been “Impish or admirable.”
There are people who walk around in a Dala Horse costume. Yes, that’s people in there.
click for source
There are men in traditional dress roaming the halls playing the accordion. And wooden trolls to have your photo with.
click for source
There are tons of people and hoards of married couples come in matching his and hers Nordic sweaters. {#wantonesobad}
click for source
But, for me {and Derek} the prize of prized is Viking Village, where people exhibit viking craftsmanship {blacksmithing, silver hammering, wood carving, weaving…} Everyone is dressed in period costume. Outside they do demonstrations of viking battle techinques. This year we were lucky enough to catch a demonstration of viking games. Simple, family friendly games like these.
Tug of war. Put two people in a loop of rope. Have them wear it around their waist. Then they get down on their hands and knees and start crawling away from one another. Whoever gets dragged across the line loses.
If that’s too tame, have the participants wear the rope around their necks. {Notice the sweater in the spectator section.}
Or what about this one. Sandwich a person between two people. He wins if he can get out of the sandwich.
Or there’s this game {which we didn’t see in person, but I’ve saw featured in an ad for the Hostfest Pre-Event}.
click for source
It’s crazy. It sounds crazy. But it is fun. Like I said, people come from all over. Lots camp out in their RV’s for the week, in the parking lot, so they don’t miss a moment. There are about 1,000 RV lots available. Tickets to the festival plus camping fees will cost you upwards of $700. And although that includes free coffee and a polka jam session with Minot’s accordion club, I’m not sure it’s worth it. It’s fun…but maybe not that fun.
Until next year, Hostfest…
by Amy | Sep 19, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Living
I love it here. Northern Indiana, that is. It’s just the best. I loved it here when I lived here. And I love it more now that I’ve been lots of places. It might not be the most flashy of places. There are no mountains or canyons or vast deserts. But there are trees {I’ve lived in places with very few trees}, there are lakes {everyone knows someone with a lake house}, and all kinds of wonderful things are close at hand.
I love it here. I really, really do. Here’s a few reasons why. And a few photos from great photographers and visitor sites to show you why. Because, I love it so much, I get totally caught up and forget to take any photos of my own. Maybe some day I’ll change that…
There are small town things to do.
Image via
And city things to do.
image via
And Lake Michigan.
image via
And the weather is perfect. It’s just what you want from weather through the year. Hot and humid in the summer, crisp and cool in the fall, snowy in the winter, and a spring that comes in slowly and lasts through April and May. The summers aren’t so hot they force you to stay indoors. The winters are just mild enough that you can play outside and enjoy the season.
Image via
I could go on all day. But I’ll stop and just tell you that I love it here. When I’m here my mind lets go a little. I breathe a little easier and a little deeper. Call me crazy, but I truly am convinced that this is the best.
by Amy | Sep 11, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
I love parks. Especially national parks. Especially now more than ever. My favorite of favorite things is hiking deep into the back country, to experience wilderness and solitude and beauty that you just can’t access any where else. For now, I’m still sidelined from that. But that’s the beauty of parks.
As Teddy puts it: “…the edges of the wilderness lie close beside the beaten roads of present travel.” I find that especially true in the South Dakota Badlands, at Badlands National Park. You drive out into the prairie, miles and miles and miles. Then, suddenly it all comes to a stop, the grass and green falls away–and all that’s left is stone. You don’t have to trek out 20 miles to get there. It happens right beside the car window and all you have to do is squeeze the breaks and pull off.
Lots of people overlook the Dakotas, writing them off as a bit of a no man’s land. Which, I guess in a few ways, that is true. But that’s also kind of the charm, the beauty of this wilderness. And to Theodore Roosevelt, the Dakotas were the most inspiring place on earth.
There are only eight marked trails in Badlands National Park. Something that really sets it apart from its counterparts across the country. That’s because in the Badlands you can roam, horseback ride, or hike anywhere–unless marked otherwise. Just don’t lose your way.
Some of the trails that are marked are done very loosely. A couple walk along boardwalks over the rocky terrain to an over look. The others are mere suggestions of places to head. You move from one small marker to the next…until you find yourself at the final vista. There has been no cutting of stone or rolling out of asphalt. How you get there is true “choose your own adventure” experience.
It’s unlike any other place I’ve ever been. {Well, except the North Dakota Badlands at Theodore Roosevelt National Park…they’re comparable.} The only way I can describe it to you is to say that is it other worldly. The texture, color and sheer vastness of it all confuses your depth perception.
The sky is huge and vibrant over the monotone rock formations. We arrived to only a few cloud in the sky, but about an hour into our visit we could see big storms blowing up in the distance. It was incredible to be able to see the sky be so angry and fierce in one direction and so sunny in another. To see a wall of rain falling miles away, sweeping across the Badlands at the same time puffy clouds floated lazily somewhere else.
It’s a unique kind of wilderness. It make you feel like the foreigner, like you are standing on Mars, or inside a Star Wars movie. Or, like you are driving along the bottom of the ocean.
If you drive the Badlands Loop Road, you’ll get amazing views of this rugged creation–along with plenty of opportunities to get out of the car and take in the sights at overlooks and trail heads. Be sure to drive the whole road for the full effect, you’ll be glad you did.
If you visit:
Like I said, drive the Loop Road.
Know that the visitor’s center isn’t right inside the gate. You’ll have to drive a bit to get there. Be sure to take the map they offer you at the entrance gate. Pull off to overlooks, stop, and hike along the way to the visitor’s center–don’t plan to go there first then do the other stuff because you’ll only end up backtracking.
Stop at the visitor’s center and see paleontologists at work in the fossil lab. Real paleontologists. Cleaning real dinosaur bones. That they found in South Dakota. It’s seriously cool.
If you don’t hike anything else, at least check out the Door, Window or Notch trails. They are short and even a girl with a bad back can do one of the three.
Take water. It’s bone dry.
Bring binoculars.
Get dinner, lunch or breakfast at Wall Drug. It’s a roadside attraction to add to your road trip. You can miss it. There are a million signs. {Actually, we counted 56 from Rapid city to Wall…it’s a 45 mile drive.} The donuts are awesome, the coffee is cheap, and the souvenirs are plentiful.
