New G A L L E R Y update!
I called Rebekah on the phone en route to South Dakota, and she said, "You have to go to the Badlands." It wasn't on my list. I was grumpy and car sick and I was pissed off at nature. Nature had given me a searing sunburn on my left shoulder through the window and aching miles of absolutely nothing but bleached pavement. Badlands? Could it get worse than this?
But we could drive through and it was on the way. So.
It was around seven PM and the sun was starting to sink. As we rounded the corner of parched earth, I saw tips of the canyons peaking through. I couldn't fix my eyes on them. I couldn't tell how big they were or how far away. In minutes we were surrounded by them. I parked, jaw hanging open, and walked to the edge of the most strangely beautiful landscape I had ever seen in my life.
Shea and I silently parted and began to explore. I sat down in the dry dirt in my blue linen dress and my head spun at the sight. I felt like I was sitting on an alien planet. My bare feet were buried in the sand. The wind raced across the open plains behind me. Far away, a coyote howled cinematically and Shea and I turned to each other and smiled.
The sun was dragging itself down in a fit of tangerine and magenta when we got back in the car. Both of us were speechless. We drove through the Badlands National Park, twenty miles of curving roads blanketing the perfect landscape. Shea was waist-height out of the sun roof taking panoramic photographs of the sunset. It was easily two of the best hours of the long trip.
Thanks for the tip, Rizz.
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