Saturday (day 26) was unanimously declared a rest day.  We attended to details and our to-do list, stayed out of the sun and heat (mid 90’s), and got brave enough to venture out on a shopping trip.  We stocked up on the essentials – Gatorade and more Gatorade, fresh veggies, toilet paper *blush*, and road snacks.  Then we splurged on an upgraded model of our latest refrigerator.  We bought one that uses electricity instead of ice!  Who woulda thunk it?  Once we returned home, we began a marathon cooking event to use up the defrosted meat we had.  Bill grilled salmon, steak, and pork tenderloin, I made meatloaf and caribou chorizo to use for tacos and spaghetti.  Meal prepping like pros!

We finished up the day with a glorious thunderstorm and house rocking wind.

Sunday dawned bright and sunshiny.  We had breakfast at the campground diner – pretty good fare.  Temps were forecast to be in the mid 80’s, and we were ready to head out exploring.  We targeted the Badlands and the Minuteman Missile Site.  The Badlands are always beautiful.  I love driving into the park, seeing the green rolling landscape – and just like that – it drops away to reveal the stunning geological formations.  There is a part of the park that reminds me of the importance of awareness of surroundings.  As you drive, on one side of the truck – all you see is the green fields with yellow flowers.  Just like outside the park.  It lulls you into the monotony of “seeing the same old thing” and becoming numb to your surroundings.  Look out of the window on the other side and you see the gorgeous landscape of rock/soil/erosion filled with patches of green growth, flowers, valleys, crevices, caves, and peaks.  I value this reminder to be aware of my surroundings and see the beauty.  Focus on the details and at the same time, see the whole big picture.

We did make a quick stop at the Minuteman Missile Site Visitor Center – but they have short hours, so did not get to see the Delta 9 site.  We did get a history brush-up on the Cold War and enjoyed the information that was presented.  Horror of horrors – we drove right past Wall Drug!  We did visit a Dairy Queen though, to stave off the effects of the heat.

Even with temps in the mid 90’s again (a little off from the forecast), we enjoyed the pool area at the campground before supper.  The evening thunderstorm presented itself with thunder, lightening, wind, and heavy rain before moving on to new territory.