Visiting the Land of Teddy Roosevelt

We enjoyed our time in South Dakota and didn’t really want to leave this magical place. So we decided to head northwest to North Dakota and visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This way we were staying in the Dakotas and Badlands. It was a beautiful day for a drive although it was probably the windiest day that we experienced on the trip. I was happy that the van was not a high top van during this drive. The wind was really pushing me but I was able to maintain it and enjoy the drive.

One thing we learned on this drive is that there are quite a few dirt roads in both of the Dakotas. Google maps initially took us west on the interstate and then as soon as we exited we were on a very bumpy dirt road that signage indicated was a county road. I think we had at least 20 miles or so of this type of road until we hit a state road that was paved. Whew, that really bounced the van around more than the wind!

After the state road, we hit a US Highway that was pretty nice and easy driving for the rest of the trip except it was fairly desolate. We saw lots of cows and tall grasses along the way. On this route, it was important to stop when you hit a town as it would be many miles before another. So pretty much everyone traveling that route stopped at the same gas station to fuel up, get some food and use the restroom. It was funny to see restroom lines in a gas station in a small town.

We saw a few signs for historic markers so had to make a stop and learned that we were following the Western Trail. This trail was used to drive cattle from Texas to Canada. I didn’t realize that the cattle drives went that far. You can read the details in the picture below.

The US Highway eventually hit interstate 94 and we headed slightly west to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. There is an overlook and visitors center just off the highway that provides some great views of the badlands. We decided to make a quick stop and take in the views before heading into Medora to find a hotel. I am really glad we did. Even though it was very windy, the sun was shining and the views were fantastic.

There were quite a few signs about being careful around the bison as you walk along the cliffside trail near the visitor’s center. I was happy that we didn’t see any because it appears they hang out right on that trail. There were piles of bison “patties” everywhere beside the trail. Tim took Trent back to the truck just in case the bison were around as I took in the views and took pictures.

Afterwards we headed to Rough Riders Hotel in Medora, ND and luckily they had rooms available. Medora is another historic small western town. After checking in, we wandered around the town and checked out the local scenery. There were a couple local bars/restaurants and we stopped at one that appeared to have a musician setting up. We hoped to hear some music and relax while we ate dinner. Unfortunately, he set up and then disappeared. We ate, then Tim took Trent back to the hotel to feed him while I had a drink and kept our table. The musician still didn’t start after Tim returned so we gave up. Our entertainment had to be a walking tour around the town.

this theater in town looked like a cool place to see a show. unfortunately, we were too early in the summer for a show.

this is the smallest catholic church i have ever seen

Unfortunately, the next morning was cloudy with rain expected. Upon hearing that there were more hills on the drive through the badlands in the park, Tim decided to skip it and stay in town. I headed to the park and have to say that I highly enjoyed the drive, even in the rain. Yes, it started raining after I crested the first hill. It was a light misty rain that added a foggy appearance to the badlands. The pictures didn’t turn out as good as I would like but it was pretty cool driving through it and provided a different perspective of the badlands. It made them look even more ominous.

I actually saw quite a few bison on the drive although I couldn’t really get pictures of most of them. I would be climbing up a windy road and come around a bend an one would just be standing there at the edge of the road. I don’t think I saw any groups of them; just individual bison hanging out on a little strip of grass in between the rocks.

this one was across from a parking lot so i was able to get a picture

After the drive, I enjoyed the displays at the visitors center and learned quite a bit about Teddy Roosevelt. I wish we could have visited the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library but it wasn’t open yet. We were there a couple weeks too early. He was a fascinating man and a great president. I really liked learning about how he helped to preserve this area and others in this area of the country. He believed in saving the lands for all future generations to enjoy.

Afterwards, I picked up Tim and we hit the road to start heading east. Yes, it was time to start heading home although we did find a few more places to visit along the way. On this part of the trip, we found some pretty cool roadside attractions. You know, the kinds that you only seem to find in the USA.

The first was at our stop for the night. We had hoped to get back to South Dakota, but I was tired after driving all morning at the park then driving a few hours eastward across I-94. That was the most boring drive of the trip. It was truly very flat plains with not much scenery along the way so it made me tired.

We stopped in Jamestown, N.D. for the night and discovered that we could see the worlds’s largest buffalo there. So of course, we headed out to see it. It truly is huge and was located in a small historic park that included a set up of an old western town which provided a nice place to relax and take in some history as we wandered around.

The next day, it was back into the vehicles for another travel day. We headed east, then south through the eastern side of South Dakota to Minnesota. Look for our Minnesota stops in the next blog post.

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Visiting the Land of Teddy Roosevelt

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