South Dakota Romp

Wall, South Dakota

43 59.665 N 102 14.47 W

We are doing very well finding B level national attractions. We skipped Mount Rushmore but found the nearby Cave of Winds. Saturday, we took the one hour guided tour of the cave.

The Cave of Winds has 120 miles of passages mapped so far. Experts estimate that is 5-10% of the total. It was a very fun, very different experience.

What was it like down there? It was a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. It was a little twisty maze of passages, all alike. It was a maze of little twisty passages, all alike. It was ... you get the idea.

My flash camera took poor pictures in the cave. The best I could do was to buy a post card and photograph that. Please forgive the poor quality of at picture too. Libby's iPad takes lousy pictures. Especially beautiful was the "boxwork" formations on the ceiling.

 

But the best part of Cave of Winds National Park was the prairie. Libby wanted a nap, so I explored alone. I found miles and miles of rolling hills covered with lunch green grass. There were also numerous bison (pictures later). This true prairie area is wonderful.

Today badlandsm and then on to a Corps of Engineers camp site at Lake Sharpe on the Missouri River.

Passing through Rapid City, SD, we saw signs for a free air and space museum, so we stopped. It wa Elmsford AFB. I thought it was very cool, and Libby tolerated because it is Father's Day. We saw a B1, a B52, Miniteman Missiles, Nike Missiles, and a Hound Dog nuclear cruise missile, plus assorted other nuclear weapons. I have a dramatic close up shot of The "Launch Key" from the minuteman battery. For those who don't know, minuteman missiles were retired about the time John and Jenny were born.

On the way to The Badlands, our map directed us to the tiny desert town of Wall. Surprise; when we got there we found an institution called Wall Drug. It is a tourist trap of the worst kind, but it manages to be absolutely charming despite itself. Read their story here, the story is almost as much fun as being there.