After our defeat and escape from the swarming mosquitoes in St. Croix National Scenic River, we hoofed it to North Dakota. Wow, what a drastic change in geological surroundings. Mind you, all around the Great Lakes we had been surrounded by lush greenery, lots and lots of waterways and passing Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, the waterways became even more intense. It was remarkable to witness such a distinct demarcation between where the glaciers once were and where Mother Nature stopped the glaciers. Check out the pics on Ms. GPS. All those blue spots are waterways due to the glaciers retreat leaving behind lakes, rivers, pots & kettles. Do you see where the blue areas stopped? All of a sudden we were in the midst of miles and miles of grasslands. Interesting, huh. |
Theodore Roosevelt, a conservation hero, placed over 230 million acres of timber and mineral lands under the protection of the Federal forest service. Roosevelt came to the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison and credited his Dakota experiences as the basis for his ground-breaking preservation efforts and the shaping of his own character. Under his Presidency, he worked with Congress to create 5 national parks, 18 national monuments, 150 national forests, and dozens of federal reserves. Theodore Roosevelt National Park was not the great man’s own creation. It was established in 1947 as a national memorial park to honor him. If not for his efforts, many iconic American treasures like the Grand Canyon, the Yosemite Valley and Mesa Verde would have been mined, timbered and robbed of their cultural artifacts. |
As we toured these Badlands, we came across many bison herds. However, the very first bison we came across was in a sad way. He was emaciated and we were able to see his pelvic bones sticking out. I can’t help being saddened to see such a magnificent animal wasting away, dying. But, Allan reminded me that it is Mother Nature’s way. He has separated himself from the herd and is ready to die. We did see the rest of the herd and they are indeed healthy. Still, very sad! |
The cutest thing we saw were the hundreds of prairie dogs trying to munch away, dig, and just look cute. Even the large dog in the bed of the truck in front of us was mesmerized. We were surprised that he didn't leap out of the truck.