"No really, you should visit some day.." My favourite spots - ch 1

I've been around as they say, not a whole bunch, but enough to have seen my fair share of the world. I'm no globetrotter and I'm not one of those guys and gals that lives the travelling life, doing their travel blogs and whatnot with the world as their home. No me, I'm just a restless little comfy ass that can't stay the same time too long and who on top of that, is way too lazy to live the big ol' nomadic lifestyle that I dreamt of when I was younger, but I've been around yes I have.
I've seen all continents on our wonderful globe except Antarctica and South America, but I'll get there eventually, so no sweat, it'll all come around in due time.

Here on steemit we have some amazing people, making a living of travelling and producing amazing posts about one wonder after another, and I want to do the same - not living of my travelling - but sharing the wonders I've seen with you guys, whoever it is that bothers reading my babbling.
I'll post a new place every week, try to make it about the lesser known spots that I think travellers like me and you will appreciate to experience, but honestly, I've no clue right now where this will go, so for now I'll just lay back and go with the flow.

Chapter 1: Badlands - USA

This amazing place is located in Northern part of the US in the state of South Dakota and is a huge protected national park that covers more than 900 km2. It's a unique geological and archeological zone that also houses a multitude of various animals, from the small prairie dogs to the big bisons in between it's twisted, colorful and dramatic landscape.

Awesome poster by me

Where is it again?

Badlands National Park is located in the South-Eastern part of South Dakota, just East of Rapid City and right below the city of Wall along Interstate 90. Even though the National Park seems huge (like everything over there) it's dwarfed by it's neighbouring park the Black Hills National Forest that fits the famous Mount Rushmoore - you know, that place where someone thought it would be an amazing idea to chisel out four former US presidents in the mountain!

Right, so what's there to see?

Badlands is covered partly in green flat prairies stretching out into the horizont and partly by amazing geological formations that's made up by a soft sedimentary rock that has been heavily eroded away by rain and wind over millions and millions of years. The rocks in Badlands are usually what people come here to marvel at and hike through and they are, in lack of better words, breathtaking. Laying sprawled out over the prairie, looking fierce with their rigged profiles, but yet so enticing with thei multitude of colors on display in the exposed layers in the rocks. Seriously, it kinda looks like nature was on a groovy acid trip when it decided to make this place and I often think about, that while the native Americans obviously had lived here for ages in harmony with the place, the settlers moving west must have been awestruck coming to this place in their caravans (and slightly cursing everyone and everything, realising that they either had to go around or find a way through that strange looking landscape).

Welcome to the badlands!

When you first arrive at the park it's a good idea to head by the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to catch up on park rules (do's and don'ts), the program for planned activities and to maybe catch up on some park history if you are into that kind of thing. The National Park has a lot of great hiking trails that you can do if you are the active kind of person and if you on top of that also likes the outdoors there are two official campsites you can throw your things, and yourself, down in. We didn't have a whole lot of time in Badlands sadly so we did most of our sightseeing by car, and honestly, just driving through the park was really cool in itself.

Amazing layers in the rock formations

Of course we had to go out and have a closer look at all this natural splendor, so we parked the car in a parking lot along the road (of which there are many) and did our own little improvised hiking tour. Badlands is famous for the amount of fossils recovered from the soft soil and rock and getting out there among the formations was just incredible, add on a vibrant animal life and you just can't ask for more.

A small selection of the animals we encountered on our visit
from colorful spider to grazing bison

In the middle of the park there is a small town called "Scenic" - definitely worth a visit, the most beautiful city ever or.. or.. or not at all! Scenic is a fun little acquaintance but don't expect too much from it, the name of the "city" is rather deceiving. There is however one reason to visit Scenic and that's the cosy little bar called Longhorn Saloon

Enjoy a drink or two on tractor seats and sawdust floor, a must when in Scenic

I could put up tons more pictures but I'll save some for later, I'm happy if this gave a little inspiration in case you find yourself somewhere in the Northwestern part of the US and want an unique and amazing nature experience or if you have any plans to visit the states in the future.. or just wanted a nice little read. I was on a roadtrip from New York to LA when visiting and unfortunately only had a one- one and half day in the park but I can recommend putting a bit more time into exploring, both the nature, the archeological trail and sites and the history of the Badlands. Hope you enjoyed reading my post as much as I did creating it, please leave feedback and thoughts in the comments below.

That's all for me this time, tune in next week for a new favourite spot!

The Wandering Danish

Badlands sunset