Hi everyone! Thanks for being so patient as I figure out this blog thing! My goal is to find wifi and update the page once a week, but we'll see how that works (you all know how I am with technology). 😂 Without further ado, let me recount my last week with you all!
Let me tell y'all, van life ain't no walk in the park, and I have a very fancy van (thanks Mom!). I have a huge bruise on my arm from god knows what, I've almost run out of gas with no station in sight, I've slept in almost 90 degree weather (at night in a hot metal box) with no AC, and yesterday, on the Fourth of July, I spent the night in a Walmart parking lot (hey man, anything for free parking). But although it's only been five days, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world! I've already been to five states (CO, MT, ND, SD, and WY), three national parks (Wind Cave, Badlands, and Theodore Roosevelt), and one national monument (Devil's Tower). Traveling is a gift and I am so excited to be exploring this beautiful country!
A fitting quote that comes from our very own Teddy Roosevelt goes as follows: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
This quote has been relevant for me this week, as I am reminded to be grateful for what I have, whether it's at home in Utah, Colorado, or my tiny home on wheels.
I'm still deciding on how I want to organize these blogs, so for this first one, I'll categorize them by state. Please enjoy!
Colorado
As most of you may know, Colorado is my mom's home state and where I began my journey five days ago. I've explored this state a lot within the past year, and thus I decided to pass straight through the state on this leg of my journey.
Wyoming
I spent a night in Wyoming at Devil's Tower National Monument, and it was awesome! Devil's Tower was America's first national monument, and it's no small wonder why. In the middle of the flat plains of western Wyoming, the large monolith looms over the land and is visible for miles around. A sacred site to the Northern Plains Indians, Devil's Tower is formed of a rare igneous rock called phonolite porphyry, and is the largest example of columnar jointing in the world. It's still a mystery as to how the tower was formed exactly, but it is widely agreed upon that magma formed the monolith. I stayed at the base of the rock at the Belle Fourche River campground, which had bathrooms, potable water, and trees for shade. In the morning, I woke up and went to the visitor center, where I saw people geared up for climbing. I did some research, and it turns out that Devil's Tower is one of the best places around for traditional crack climbing! My time in Wyoming was short, but definitely worth it.
South Dakota
I visited two national parks in South Dakota. On the first night of my journey, I slept at Elk Mountain Campground in Wind Cave National Park. It was a large and beautiful campsite with bathrooms. We arrived after dark so the following morning, Milo and I woke up early and drove around the park to get our bearings. We saw prairie dogs galore (which Milo wanted to eat) and we came across a herd of bison (which Milo also wanted to eat).
Afterward, I took a tour of the Wind Cave itself. Tourists can only enter the cave by purchasing a tour, and I decided on the Fairgrounds tour, which was the longest and most "strenuous," though I found it to be quite easy. Wind Cave is not for the claustrophobic. At times, the passageways get quite narrow and dark, though the cave has light fixtures distributed throughout. Wind Cave is known for its boxwork, which is essentially unique to the cave (about 95 percent of boxwork in the world is found inside Wind Cave). Wind Cave is also the densest cave system in the world, and one of the longest caves as well. Around 150 miles of the cave have been explored, but our guide mentioned that scientists believe that that may only be 10 percent of the cave system's total mileage. In other words, Wind Cave was extremely impressive.
The other park I visited in South Dakota was Badlands, another unique and impressive park. Its rock formations were otherworldly (as you can see for yourself below) and stretched out for miles upon miles. When I visited, it was about 105 degrees outside, so Milo and I opted out of any hikes that we had planned and instead drove the scenic loop around the park. The loop has many stops and overlooks, so I felt like I was able to get what I came for from the park even though I didn't do much exploring outside of my car. There were, of course, more prairie dogs, which excited and agitated Milo. I saw one lone bison (the rest were likely sheltering from the heat) but overall, the views and pinnacles were what took my breath away at this park.
North Dakota
I was in North Dakota for a grand total of about 4 hours. The landscape is quite similar to South Dakota, with lots of plains, farms, and a few rock formations. I visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the Fourth of July, which was a total accident and not an act of patriotism. Nevertheless, I loved my brief visit there! In my time at the park, I saw so much wildlife, including more prairie dogs (Milo's favorite), a coyote, and wild horses. It was also very interesting to learn about Theodore Roosevelt, who was a naturalist ahead of his time. Most Americans in the late 1800s believed that natural resources were inexhaustible, but Roosevelt still sought to protect wildlife and public lands regardless of public opinion. And although I have mixed feelings about Roosevelt's decision to hunt for sport despite his advocacy for protection of the wild, I am appreciative that he took initiative as president to protect around 230 million acres of public land. You can read more about President Roosevelt's conservation efforts here.
Montana
I am currently in Billings, Montana parked at a Starbucks for the free wifi! After I left Roosevelt National Park yesterday, I drove straight to Billings to get a head start on my long drive to western Montana. I'm excited to see more of this huge state!
One Last Note: Traveling with Milo
Traveling with a dog is never easy, but Milo makes it all worth it! He is the bestest boi ever and doesn't mind the long car rides (he just sleeps the whole time). I'm glad to have such an awesome companion!
Until next time! -Elle
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