What a wonderful day we had! When we first started planning this summer's journey, I had serious hesitations about driving all the way across North Dakota just to visit the park, but I'm so glad we did. The landscape was incredible and the wildlife will not be forgotten.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park covers 70,400 acres of the North Dakota Badlands. In the South Unit is a 36-mile scenic loop through the Badlands. The drive featured so many different views, as well as great wildlife.
"Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison in September 1883. During that first short trip, he got his bison and fell in love with the rugged lifestyle and the "perfect freedom" of the West. He invested $14,000 in the Maltese Cross Ranch, which was already being managed by Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield seven miles south of Medora. That winter, Ferris and Merrifield built the Maltese Cross Cabin. After the death of both his wife and his mother on February 14, 1884, Teddy Roosevelt returned to his North Dakota ranch seeking solitude and time to heal. That summer, he started his second ranch, the Elkhorn Ranch, 35 miles north of Medora, which he hired two Maine woodsmen, Bill Sewall and Wilmot Lam, to operate. Teddy Roosevelt took great interest in his ranches and in hunting in the West, detailing his experiences in pieces published in eastern newspapers and magazines. He wrote three major works on his life in the West: Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and The Wilderness Hunter. His adventures in "the strenuous life" outdoors and the loss of his cattle in the starvation winter in 1886-1887 were influential in Theodore Roosevelt's pursuit of conservation policies as President of the United States." His love of the Badlands in North Dakota never faded.
Our drive there was a great preview of what was to come:
Theodore Roosevelt National Park covers 70,400 acres of the North Dakota Badlands. In the South Unit is a 36-mile scenic loop through the Badlands. The drive featured so many different views, as well as great wildlife.
"Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison in September 1883. During that first short trip, he got his bison and fell in love with the rugged lifestyle and the "perfect freedom" of the West. He invested $14,000 in the Maltese Cross Ranch, which was already being managed by Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield seven miles south of Medora. That winter, Ferris and Merrifield built the Maltese Cross Cabin. After the death of both his wife and his mother on February 14, 1884, Teddy Roosevelt returned to his North Dakota ranch seeking solitude and time to heal. That summer, he started his second ranch, the Elkhorn Ranch, 35 miles north of Medora, which he hired two Maine woodsmen, Bill Sewall and Wilmot Lam, to operate. Teddy Roosevelt took great interest in his ranches and in hunting in the West, detailing his experiences in pieces published in eastern newspapers and magazines. He wrote three major works on his life in the West: Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and The Wilderness Hunter. His adventures in "the strenuous life" outdoors and the loss of his cattle in the starvation winter in 1886-1887 were influential in Theodore Roosevelt's pursuit of conservation policies as President of the United States." His love of the Badlands in North Dakota never faded.
Our drive there was a great preview of what was to come:
The scenery was incredible all the way through the scenic drive. From green hills to landscaping more reminiscent of another planet, every turn gave us something new to admire.
One of my favorite parts was seeing all the prairie dog villages. Those little creatures remind me so much of meerkats. What great little goodwill ambassadors!
We turned a corner and ran into the giant ambassadors of the Park - the buffalo! I'm used to bear jams, but we got right into a buffalo jam. We were lucky to be at the front and see the entire herd go from one side of the road to the other. They also love to lay on their backs and rub into the dirt, just like Chacho does. Speaking of Chacho, he had a blast sitting on Daddy's lap and looking at the buffalo from the safety of the front seat.
Another part of the differing scenery...