The Adventures of Reba

Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota was the site of the cattle ranch where he went to heal when his mother and wife died within hours of each other (and just days after his first child was born). We visited the Maltese Cross Cabin and heard a ranger talk on Roosevelt’s history with this place. And we drove most of the South Unit loop (what we could drive in the RV with part of the loop road closed), taking in the beautiful landscapes all around us. We saw tons of grasshoppers, prairie dogs, and some bison on a hill. (Recommend sound on for the first video)

Here’s a few more from our time at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument back in January 2022! The park sits right along the border, offers dry camping sites, and showed off incredible landscapes and beautiful sunsets!

Flashback to our first national park together (with Reba), Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona! January 2022

Rocky Point State Recreation Area in South Dakota, a lovely place to spend a few days before heading to North Dakota. Our spot was right by the reservoir and the temps have thankfully been much cooler than at the Badlands!

We drove the Badlands National Park loop yesterday, enjoying the amazing rock formations and viewpoints along the way. We also stopped at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and the Delta-09 Missile Silo. On the way to our next campsite we ran into an intense rainstorm that had us pulling off the road because of visibility and standing water. Glad Beau was back in the driver seat for that one! 🫣 (me)

Sunset to sunrise, the Badlands has been putting on a show!

Boondocking in the Badlands. It was 100* yesterday and I thought we might bake overnight. Eventually the wind shifted and now it’s gusting to 50, thankfully much cooler than yesterday. The views here are incredible!

We saw a couple of bighorn sheep crest the cliff right beside us, which seemed unbelievable until we saw them heading back down again later. We also saw cows and a bunny, and heard Say’s Phoebe (birds) and some other creature calling into the night. The world really is a wondrous place…

Also, when in SD, Wall Drug, of course 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yesterday was a busy day, we visited Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. I also went for a bike ride at Custer to see some sites, like the summer White House, and do laundry. Ran into several animals, which I think are pronghorn (anyone know)?

Custer State Park. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…

So much to experience and explore! We’ve seen burros, more than a dozen deer, prairie dogs, bunnies, and a bison (they have a large herd here at Custer State Park, but they were probably hiding from the heat 🥵). This huge state park is a must see if you’re ever in South Dakota!

This is my first time in the Dakotas, and so far I’m enjoying it. I’ve been doing most of the driving lately, which gets a little less anxiety provoking each time (mostly I hate wind and reverse). We’re here all week, looking forward to seeing more, and maybe catching up on laundry!