DrewE's Alaska Trip Travelogue
I returned about a week ago from a marvelous ten-week trip to and through Alaska (and back) with my dear mother. I went in a 32' class C, actually about 35' overall with a bicycle rack on the back, w...
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September 8th - 9th -- We headed towards Theodore Roosevelt National Park (the southern unit, on I-94). Both my mother and I had driven by this park at least once or twice, but neither of us had really visited it. I guess I got the closest in that I had stopped at the rest area overlook visitor's center once, briefly.
It was getting towards late afternoon or evening when we arrived there, and the park campground was full already. We decided to go around the loop and worry about finding a place to camp afterwards. Ultimately, we ended up at Red Trail Campground, one of the commercial RV parks in town. It was also pretty crowded; I never imagined just how much of a tourist/camper mecca Mandora was, at least on the weekends. This campground seemed to be pretty nice, though we didn't spend a lot of time exploring it. The sites are rather close to each other, but given that we might not have had one if they were more spacious, I can't complain in the least. They did have an air hose with a tire chuck outside the office, an amenity I have not seen elsewhere and one that I heartily approve of.
In the morning, we returned to the park and went the opposite direction around the loop at a somewhat more leisurely pace (i.e. stopping to explore more). We also spent some time looking more thoroughly at the visitor's center. The pictures are from both days, and not arranged at all chronologically.
The park consists of grassy badlands, and has a loop road that traverses around with some hiking trails and opportunities for more backcountry recreation. It's a pretty area, for sure, and home to lots of wildlife: some extensive prairie dog colonies, bison herds, deer, and wild horses, among others.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Prairie Dogs as far as the eye can see (well, nearly so)....
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A decent herd of bison
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
I've long been taken with the badlands; the landforms intrigue me. The ones in the park have neat striations and occasional varied colors.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Wind Canyon, so named because (unusually) the formations are eroded primarily by wind rather than by water, due to the local topography. (There's a little free bonus lens flare, too.)
Click For Full-Size Image.
Another part of Wind Canyon
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Should I be concerned that I can look at rocks all day?
After leaving the park proper, we continued east (stopping at the rest area overlook for a little while) and spent the night at Fort Abraham Lincoln state park, in Mandan, ND, arriving rather later than we would have preferred. The historical buildings looked as though they might be rather interesting to visit, but unfortunately we didn't get a chance to do that.
It was getting towards late afternoon or evening when we arrived there, and the park campground was full already. We decided to go around the loop and worry about finding a place to camp afterwards. Ultimately, we ended up at Red Trail Campground, one of the commercial RV parks in town. It was also pretty crowded; I never imagined just how much of a tourist/camper mecca Mandora was, at least on the weekends. This campground seemed to be pretty nice, though we didn't spend a lot of time exploring it. The sites are rather close to each other, but given that we might not have had one if they were more spacious, I can't complain in the least. They did have an air hose with a tire chuck outside the office, an amenity I have not seen elsewhere and one that I heartily approve of.
In the morning, we returned to the park and went the opposite direction around the loop at a somewhat more leisurely pace (i.e. stopping to explore more). We also spent some time looking more thoroughly at the visitor's center. The pictures are from both days, and not arranged at all chronologically.
The park consists of grassy badlands, and has a loop road that traverses around with some hiking trails and opportunities for more backcountry recreation. It's a pretty area, for sure, and home to lots of wildlife: some extensive prairie dog colonies, bison herds, deer, and wild horses, among others.
Prairie Dogs as far as the eye can see (well, nearly so)....
A decent herd of bison
I've long been taken with the badlands; the landforms intrigue me. The ones in the park have neat striations and occasional varied colors.
Wind Canyon, so named because (unusually) the formations are eroded primarily by wind rather than by water, due to the local topography. (There's a little free bonus lens flare, too.)
Another part of Wind Canyon
Should I be concerned that I can look at rocks all day?
After leaving the park proper, we continued east (stopping at the rest area overlook for a little while) and spent the night at Fort Abraham Lincoln state park, in Mandan, ND, arriving rather later than we would have preferred. The historical buildings looked as though they might be rather interesting to visit, but unfortunately we didn't get a chance to do that.
