On my return home from Minnesota, I wanted to travel the back roads of South Dakota and visit the state capital, Pierre. Despite several trips to the state, I had never been to Pierre, and I do like to photograph the various state capitol buildings whenever convenient. The roads I traveled were in good condition with little traffic, allowing me to make good speed. Alongside the highways, large fields of corn and pasture land were pretty much everywhere, with the exception of sunflower fields. I stopped several times to attempt getting photographs of the sunflowers, but it was difficult to find fields where a large expanse could be seen. The best opportunities came when the field was located on a hill rising from the road. Even then, the sun's direction and objects in the scene made it a challenge to find the right perspective.
Pierre, a city of less than 15,000, was founded on the site of Fort Pierre, named for an early fur trader named Pierre Choteau. He must have been a popular individual in those days, because I know of a small town in Montana also named after him. Upon arriving, I went straight to the capitol and took several photos, not only of the building, but also of the memorials to SD military veterans situated next to the lake below the capitol.
It would have been nice to stay longer and tour the capitol or explore the town a bit more. However, I had a goal of reaching Badlands N P in time for sunset, and to stay there overnight for sunrise the next day. Having visited Badlands twice before, I knew it can be very hot in the middle of a summer day, and that a good sunset or sunrise can add quite a bit to the photo opportunities.
As it turned out, I arrived at the park in plenty of time to get a few shots before sunset. There was even time to have a steak dinner at Cedar Pass Lodge in the park before going out again.
The Badlands were formed about 75 million years ago when the area was located in the tropics near the equator. Sand and silt were deposited by an inland sea and subsequently by rivers and streams after the entire area was uplifted. In the past 500,000 years, erosion has sculpted the spires and pinnacles we see today. The place is different every time you go due to continuing erosion by wind and rain. The park has been one of the richest fossil excavation areas in the country, with such animals as alligators, camels, three-toed horses and many others having been found here.
Heavy cloud cover prevented the kind of spectacular sunset I was hoping for, but there was just enough color in the sky to warrant a few photos.
I got a room in one of the motels just outside the park and went to bed early, hoping the sunrise would be better. However, the photos from the following day will have to wait for the next travelogue.
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