Looking back on June 10–15, 2020
Our summer vacation was supposed to take us to the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Then COVID-19 arrived, and we canceled the trip.
As summer approached and places began reopening, we started thinking about a different adventure. South Dakota seemed like somewhere we could drive to, and the replacement trip came together in about a week.
On June 10, bapierson, LEGOexplorer and I headed west. I had a camera, a geocaching app and a family willing to explore with me. That was a promising start.
First, a waterfall worth stopping for
Our route west included finds in Iowa and Nebraska before we reached Sioux Falls. At "Skope It Out" (GC7P378), the container was missing its log, so we added one with what we had available. An impromptu road trip apparently did not excuse us from a little cache maintenance.
Falls Park was a much grander stop. The Big Sioux River tumbles over the hard Sioux quartzite that gives the falls their shape. The city’s history starts with that same river and rock.
The Sioux Falls (GC1MVFA) and Old Beach, New Beach - Falls Park (GC10RT1) brought together the waterfall, geology and the old mill site. My logs were enthusiastic about all three.
Corn, water and a landscape that does not look real
On June 11 we visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell. Inside, corn murals, basketball hoops and the shop displays shared one enormous room. It is a combination that makes perfect sense once you are standing in it, and sounds slightly less plausible when you try to describe it afterward.
Then we continued west toward the Badlands. The formations look like somebody has folded, sliced and rearranged the landscape, leaving green prairie along the edges.
Anatomy of a Badland (GC78JMW) and Mako Sica (GC2M90E) were excellent excuses to stop and take it in. The Badlands’ layers were laid down in earlier environments and later exposed and carved by erosion, as the National Park Service explains. There is a lot of time in that view.
At Buffalo Pie - Badlands National Park (GC10RRP), I could hear a couple of sheep below. That detail made it into my log along with the scenery.
Wall Drug supplied the roadside-attraction portion of the trip, complete with its famous free ice water.
National parks, geology and a cup of water with advertising on it. We were covering a respectable range of interests.
A Wyoming detour with a very large landmark
June 12 took us into Wyoming and to Devils Tower, where our finds included Devils Tower National Monument II (GC22DD), Tower Geology (GC3T8QC) and Devils Tower (GCZD8H).
The Tower is igneous rock that cooled underground and was exposed as the surrounding material eroded away. The National Park Service describes its formation and the columns left by cooling. It is not the cone of an extinct volcano, however tempting that shorthand might be.
It is also a sacred place for several Native nations, with names and traditions that extend far beyond its familiar appearance in photographs. The park’s account of those connections is part of understanding the place.
My own log was less elaborate: I loved Devils Tower. Sometimes the short version is perfectly adequate.
Deadwood, Rushmore and the Black Hills
Back in South Dakota, our June 12 finds included Deadwood and Right, Centaur, and Rear (GC8DF2). Then came Mount Rushmore, with Mount Rushmore ⛰️ National Memorial (GC7B844) and Granite Rushmore (GC33JW4) adding history and geology to a familiar view. Seeing it in person was still impressive, however many times I had seen the photograph.
On June 13, our exploring at Wind Cave National Park (GCZQ5H) stayed above ground: the cave was closed to tours, with its elevators out of service. We also visited Crazy Horse Rocks! (GC2C5RG).
One of the more interesting cache experiences was Minuteman Missile (GCG3YM). It took a couple of visits to gather what we needed. LEGOexplorer and I also enjoyed the Air Force Museum, even though the buildings were closed. We could still appreciate what was outside.
A ladder, a hike and a different way home
We were back among the Badlands on June 14. All three of us climbed the distinctive log ladder on the Notch Trail—a rather more hands-on way to appreciate the scenery than standing at an overlook.
There was also Old Homestead (GC59EC), a hike to homestead remains in Buffalo Gap National Grassland. I wrote that I enjoyed getting off the beaten path. After the big landmarks and roadside attractions, that quieter walk belonged in the trip, too.
Our return-day find on June 15 was Wow! That's a Big One! (GC7Z9B3) in Iowa. By then, the family photographs and the cache logs had filled up considerably.
Looking back, visiting Roberts Prairie Dog Town along Sage Creek Rim Road in Badlands National Park stands out as another fun family stop.
South Dakota started out as Plan B. Once we were out there together, it stopped feeling like a consolation prize.
Field Notes
| Detail | Trip record |
|---|---|
| Adventure | June 10–15, 2020 |
| Companions | bapierson and LEGOexplorer |
| Recorded cache credits | 68 — 67 Found it, 1 Webcam Photo Taken |
| Adventure Labs | Not included in the GPX count; no verified trip-level stage total. |
| Record | Original geocaching logs and trip photographs. |
Recorded cache credits by type
My Finds GPX: Found it, Attended and Webcam Photo Taken only. Adventure Lab locations are outside this total; a missing Adventure Lab count is not zero.
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