Badlands KOA Campground
Just south of Badlands National Park, South Dakota
August 1st

We left Pipestone, Minnesota, a day early, ahead of a weekend town "Hiawatha Pageant" that took all the campsites (it reminded us of the "Grecian Urn Pageant in the Music Man!). We arrived here in the Badlands about 2:30 Mountain Time after an all-day drive across the prairies of South Dakota. Thank goodness for air conditioning--outside temperatures hovered around 100F by mid day, and hung at 102F when we got to our campground. But as you can see, we got a shady spot, the prairie breeze is steady, and our camper's air conditioner is working well. And as the Westerners say, "it's a dry heat!" I say 102F is 102F.

Very interesting to see the change from corn and soybean fields to wheat and livestock pasture as the land became progressively drier as we drove west.

We plan some sightseeing and museum visiting tomorrow and will stay here a second night before pressing on toward Yellowstone.