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Mountain Road Travel

Badlands: The one that got away.

Garden of the Gods
Mysterious to the point of feeling eerie, the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs will also take your breath away. This little gem is accompanied by an excellent Visitors Center. Well worth the side trip.

To a great extent I stayed focused on my “12 Great Hikes” trip. Tempted to visit the Grand Canyon, I avoided it. Drawn toward Zion, I repelled it. Pulled upon by Arches, I steered clear. It was emotionally difficult but my days were numbered and I had a goal to achieve. Where I slipped was in the Badlands.

With its long-eroded formations, Badlands National Park has a different character throughout the day. The first time I visited was in the late afternoon and early evening where the affect of the setting sun left me with a feeling of awe. I took pictures galore and enjoyed tootling around very much. In a place with so much character I was yearning to see it in the morning light … and that’s exactly what I did this time.

By spending the night just east of the Badlands I was easily able to reach the park in early morning. Better still, I was approaching from the east which meant I could assess what I saw with the sun behind me which allowed me to see its dawn character. Just as important, I arrived at the Visitors Center when it opened at 8:00 AM to learn details about the park. Meandering through this park was right in line with my drive to the Rockies so I could easily justify the detour in my mind. Of course I could!

No, this wasn’t a national park in the western mountain ranges.
No, I didn’t take the time to experience one “great hike”.
No, it couldn’t justifiably be added to my trip blog.

Yes, it’s an impressive park and I’m glad that I saw it by dawn’s early light.

Badlands is the national park that got away from the game plan.

Badlands Home Page

Badlands Park Planner Brochures

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By TravisGood

Speaker. Maker. Writer. Traveler. Father. Husband.

MakerCon Co-Chair (MakerCon.com)
Maker City San Diego Roundtable Member
San Diego Maker Faire Producer (SDMakerFaire.org)

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