The Wall, the Stars, and the Beauty of the Badlands National Park, SD

Present time, Monday, October 27

The need to feel my fingers typing on my laptop writing my journal, is like being thirsty after climbing a mountain. My days at home are full of joyful moments, yet with little time to immerse myself in writing.

Writing about my travels that happened a few weeks ago feels like reflecting on a distant past. I am grateful for my notes, recordings, and photos that help me engage my memory and capture my emotions and experiences as they were.

Thursday, September 25

I notice that when I return to a place I explored in the past, I no longer feel that same grip in my heart for the landscape as I did the first time. And that is absolutely wonderful, as the first time is always so magical and special. I love for it to stay that way in my heart.

What I feel the second time, or when I revisit a place several times, is a warm sense of belonging and nostalgia. A magic in itself.

That’s how it feels traveling on the road to Badlands National Park, the same bluebird skies as last time and a seamless horizon where the greens blend softly into the blues.

I plan to drive along the scenic route and make a few stops. It is the end of September, and it is still very hot, which is not my favorite condition for hiking. So I chose a short one: the Notch Trail. As I recall, I enjoyed this trail last time. It involves climbing a ladder, but by now I am an expert. :) (almost)

Halfway through, as I try to figure out where the trail continues, another couple joins the puzzle. That section is a bit confusing, but as a team, we find our way. Shelly and Rob are traveling in an RV for the month. I love conversations that involve traveling; sharing experiences and learning about new places.

What fascinates me most as I travel, is how unique and different each place is, how each state has its own feel and culture. How we all live under one roof, the United States of America, with such beautiful diversity on all levels. There is so much richness.

I stop at the Yellow Mounds overlook to soak in the incredible, endless emptiness. I find it difficult to describe this vast landscape of mountains — the beauty they hold and the stories they tell through their gentle layers and wrinkles.

Badlands National Park is one of those places you must experience with your own eyes to truly appreciate the gift and talent of God’s creation.

I am excited for my “home” tonight! Through my research the first time around, I learned about “The Wall.”

The Wall is a scenic boondocking area that sits along the edge of a dramatic canyon overlooking Badlands National Park.

I can’t wait to park and feel the thrill of the edge from the comfort of my minivan. This edge, at least, I can control the distance of my comfort from it. When I arrive, I discover that things have changed in the past two years. Parking along the edge is no longer allowed. Now vehicles must park about twenty feet away, on the other side of the road. I can still take my chair and sit as close as I feel comfortable to enjoy the view as the night takes over.

It is finally a warm night,  I bundle up and sit beneath the starry sky. The Milky Way stretches wildly across the darkness, fading magically into the vast emptiness like the canyon beneath her. The gentle wind howling into the void seals another day for which to be grateful.