Midwest
South Dakota
Badlands National Park is in my opinion, one of the most underrated national parks in the United States. Its kind of in the middle-of-nowhere in South Dakota but its all worth making the trip down. My favourite thing is the ease of access to the park’s sights – there are dirt roads, mini side detours and main paved roads. This allows a visitor to see as much of the sights as they are willing to go see. The Badlands’ beauty is also hard to miss. From its many hues of brown, and its innumerable layers of rock, sand and silt, this national park has plenty to offer.
The fact that there are free, gorgeous and amazing campsites right next to the entrance is also my favourite part of my visit here. There are public lands nearby allowing someone to camp out the night and visit as much of the park as they want. It also doesn’t hurt that the views of the free campsites are absolutely astonishing. Its not for the faint of heart as some of the spots (mine included) are right at the edge of the cliff and staring down the near vertical fall into the badlands.
Black Hills National Forest – Mount Rushmore – Crazy Horse Memorial
The iconic Mount Rushmore is situated in the Black Hills National Forest. I wanted to see this in person due to its iconic status – a country’s leaders and their faces sculpted into a mountain is something I cant miss. However, the fees to see the damn thing up close is an absolute highway robbery. When I had arrived to the monument, there was about 30 minutes left until closing time and the parking lot alone would have cost me 10 USD. I know these are inconsequential figures in the grand scheme of things, but there was no way I was gonna pay 10 USD for a parking lot and more for a ticketed entry.
So, with a heavy heart, I drove on to my free campsite in the National Forest. Luckily for me, I found a spot where I could actually see it from the road. I merely wanted to have a glimpse of it anyways so this worked out perfectly for me.
Another very cool spot nearby is the Crazy Horse Memorial – its still heavily under construction and in its early stages but man, is it a sight to see. I did not take any pictures as I only saw it from far during my drive out of the National Forest. Even in its early development, it is still quite amazing. I would highly recommend going to see this monument.
Iowa was a very nice drive-through state. The roads were decent, the drivers on the road knew what they were doing and it was an overall pleasant experience. So when it comes to driving through, who doesn’t love a good old gas station stop? Iowa 80 is the ultimate gas station stop – it is apparently the world’s biggest truck stop. I’m not sure how accurate that statement is but after visiting and seeing the ridiculous size of it and the amenities it provides, I would not be surprised.
They have everything you need here – free wifi, clean bathrooms, a food court, auto shop, car part retailers, truck services, dentist, barber, massage therapist and so so so sooo much more. Its like a mall but a gas station.
My drive through Indiana was not full of excitement. I was in a rush to get to the west side of the country to greener pastures and rockier mountains. On the drive through however, I camped and stopped by Dunes National Park. It was honestly a very nice stop by; it was great to rest my fatigued body on its sandy shores. It was incredibly quiet, beautiful and peaceful. There was hardly any body there in the early morning that I visited.
Travellers Pursuits 