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Tipis and Telescopes in the Badlands One of the best places to see the night sky is Badlands National Park. Not only are there no city lights to obscure the glow of the stars, but there aren't any trees to narrow the visual range. I remember sleeping outside in the Badlands as a youngster and seeing for the first time a satellite make its way from north to south along the amazing dome of star-filled darkness. This summer, Badlands National Park is getting serious about its night sky.
Daily Commute: Coffee, Check. Music, Check. Elk… Check.
When most people commute to and from work, they have to deal with traffic, the inevitable fender-bender, and probably a line at their favorite coffee joint. In the Black Hills, you don't have much of that. Instead, we've got elk. No, not the kind that elect exalted rulers every year (though we have a few of them, too). I'm talking about the kind that grow antlers and bugle.
Trails Day — Take a Hike! The first Saturday of June is celebrated as National Trails Day. And today there's a second reason to celebrate: It also marks the 40th anniversary of the National Trails System Act. Forty Years ago, President Lyndon Johnson and Congress approved the act that created the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail and other well-known pedestrian byways were created. To mark the anniversary, I think we should all take a hike – preferably in the Black Hills if you’re around here.
Not exactly a welcome sign The sign pretty much says it all. The French Creek trail – well, sort of a trail – in Custer State Park is one of the toughest hikes in the Black Hills. But it’s also one of the most rewarding.
Travel writers, photogs get an eyefull
(Journalist Katy Koontz of Knoxville, Tenn., grabs a snapshot of Thomas Jefferson's nose from a rare vantage point.) I had a chance on Saturday to hike to the top of Mount Rushmore with members of the Society of American Travel Writers for a rare view of the national monument. SATW’s Central States Chapter was in Rapid City for its annual meeting. Despite some wind, it was a glorious, sunny South Dakota day when two dozen of us headed up the mountain. Huffing and puffing – they weren't used to the altitude and I'm just out of shape – we climbed the steep slope.
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