Bad Lands and Close Encounters

Off we go to the Badlands.

I'd like to begin by apologizing to those sensitive individuals that frequent my site. We made a wrong turn and ended up lost on an Indian Reservation where this sign caught my eye.

All I can say is....... Got Milk?

This lone Buffalo was on the edge of a cliff...luckily Coral was able to talk him out of the suicide attempt.

After 20 hours a driving around in circles....we made it to the Badlands!

This place was really cool!

I was expecting a waste land but this place was interesting.

Ralph takes a hike.....

Ralph make it into the desert when he realizes that his Ba Ba is empty.......

Got Milk?

Ralph has a bad hair day.....Einstein look?

Ralph and Coral at the Limo....I mean Saturn.

Off we go to Devil's Tower National Park and our close encounter!

As we approach Devil's Tower we are met by aliens!!!!! Harley riders from Sturges!!!

Ralph scared stiff as he has a close encounter of the Harley kind.

Ralph and Coral at the visitor Center.

Bikes everywhere!

Ralph pushes through to get to Devil's Tower.

A view from the Visitor Center.

The story goes like this........Once when some Crows were camped at Bears House, two little girls were playing around some big rocks there. There were lots of bears living around that big rock and one big bear seeing the girls alone was going to eat them. The big bear was just about to catch the girls when they saw him. The girls were scared and the only place they could get was on top of one of the rocks around which they had been playing.
The girls climbed the rock but still the bear could catch them. The Great Spirit, seeing the bear was about to catch the girls, caused the rock to grow up out of the ground. The bear kept trying to jump to the top of the rock, but he just scratched the rock and fell down on the ground. The claw marks are on the rock now. The rock kept growing until it was so high that the bear could not get the girls. The two girls are still on top of the rock.

The tower is composed of 5-7 sided polygonal pillars.

Ralph and I decide to take the 1.5 mile hike around the Tower.

Here is a view from the other side. The park is celebrating it's 100th anniversary.

It's hard to imagine that this is a popular climbing site.

This a picture from the half way point around the tower. I'd like to say that the batteries went dead in the camera at this point but the truth was that I was too weak to push the button any more. Thank goodness that Ralph is only 84 years old and able to carry me the rest of the way........Thanks Ralph!