Today we started out in the Badlands of South Dakota. It was amazing to see the landscape. On one side of the road there were mountains with nothing (why the Indians called them the Badlands) and on the other side there was grassland as far as you can see. We went from a temperature in the low 50's last night, to the mid 90's today. It is definitely warm, but they have nothing on a Florida mid 90.
I didn't realize that I looked like a guy with this hat on. Nobody in the family told me until it was too late.
Mountains of the Badlands
Prairie across the road from the mountains. 
There were grasshoppers EVERYWHERE! Al squished a couple. All the prairie dogs were eating them, that is the ones that weren't eating the food people were giving them. We walked down a short trail, and they were literally flying out of the way with every step. 
I was amazed how they sit back on their tail to eat. This one was eating part of a sandwich someone gave it. We read that you're not supposed to feed them because they don't drink water, so it messes their metabolism up... they were everywhere, so they must survive somehow.
Encouragement to stay away from the prairie dogs :)
The girls on a boardwalk through part of the Badlands where fossils were found.
We were on the way to Custer State Park and saw this truck with antlers in the back. We talked to the ranger who was driving it, and he said they found these elk that died from fighting. Al was so impressed with the size of the antlers. The ranger thought they would score about 405 Boone and Crockett. It would have made the record book for sure!
Buffalo are everywhere out west. This is in Custer State Park. They are auctioned off in the fall every year from this park. People from all over the U.S. and Canada come to buy them for their land, breeding, or for slaughter.
The biggest white tail deer we saw in South Dakota. Don't know why they would run away, maybe because Leah had half of her body hanging out the back window of the van??! Click on the pic to see their horns better.
An elk that would make any hunter excited. Al loved it when we saw these.
This is the monument from the Wounded Knee Massacre. The U.S. Army killed over 200 Indians after taking their weapons from them when they were attempting to surrender. This monument is in the center of a rectangle that holds those bodies. This was in the Indian reservation. It must be a harsh reminder.
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