SoDak The Third: Bad Bad Leroy Lands

When last we saw our heroes, they had just escaped the clutches of the nefarious Satan/Bear/Devils and his shock inspiring Spire/Lodge/Tower of dread! (Can you tell that I've been reading the original X-Men comics?)

So, then we went to the Badlands.  They have been aptly named.  There are signs everywhere warning you to watch out for rattlesnakes.  Rattlesnakes!  Did you know rattlesnake venom is poisonous?  It can kill you!  Why do people live near/go to places where they might be killed my poisonous wildlife?  I cannot get my mind around that.  There are plenty of places to live/visit that are not populated with poisonous creatures.  Why not live there?  Seems like kind of a no-brainer to me.  But there I was, in the middle of venom country.

We chose the perfect day to go because it was about 103 degrees and that just seemed perfect for a visit to a crazy desert cliff field lined with rattlesnakes.  Right?  Anyway, I didn't get a whole lot of pictures as I was a bit preoccupied with surviving.  You'll have to excuse my thoughtlessness.

This is a picture of a cactus flower.  I've never seen one in real life.  It was neat.  So, since I was with two boys, they of course wanted to hike through the poisonous snake area.  Obviously.  I asked that we not go more than a mile and my wish was granted.  There were about three trails that fit the bill but they were super excited about the one with the rope ladder.  That's right.  Because if you are going to see a poisonous snake, it really helps to be danging from the side of a cliff on a rope ladder.

You think I'm exaggerating, don't you.  Well take a look, smarty pants.

 

Yeah.

But the best part is that we got to climb up it and then back down!  Because this trail was a straight line.  No, circling back for this trail!

Did I mention I almost died?  Because I did.  About eleven times.

I also scared the crap out of myself with my water bottle.  We were just starting the hike and I was all eyes on the ground, eyes on the ground.  To the left, to the right, up ahead.  Searching for snakes, like a sane person.  My water bottle bumped into my leg and I gasped and jumped about thirty feet in the air.  Then I laughed for about half a second and then I went back to searching for snakes.  It wasn't until we were home that the husband told me he got it on video.  Nice.

The last two pictures were taken by my friend Karl.  Some of these rock formations were so bright and strangely colored that they almost looked airbrushed or spray painted.

After the hike we went to the Badlands Museum/Information building and they had air conditioning, bless their hearts to death.  The museum was pretty neat.  They also had a short film about the Not So Great Lands in a tiny little theater.  Some of us who were Eagle Scouts fell asleep during the film.  Others of us didn't.

As a treat to ourselves for making it out of the Snake Pit alive, we stopped at Wall Drug.  If you haven't been there I'm not sure I can describe it accurately.  It's got signs for thirty miles in every direction.  At least.  Billboards big and small advertising their famous free ice water and 5 cent coffee.  So, it's a little restaurant.  There is also an ice cream parlor.  An actual drug store area, lots of crazy dioramas, a T-Rex, fake singing cowboys, a chapel, a second restaurant, a western wear shop, a toy store and tchotchke heaven.  The husband got a koozie what looks like a western outfit, complete with belt buckle.

This is the husband and I in the back yard area.

So, in summary:

I'm A Lot Like Indiana Jones

Wall Drugged