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| Washington's newest AmeriCorps State employee and SD VISTA Carrie, both Clemson graduates |
About ten years ago, I went back to school after a 7 year hiatus. It was difficult. I was older than most of my classmates and I hadn't been living in my home town for a while, so I didn't know anybody. There was one girl in my photography class, though, that said she recognized me from being friends with my sister in high school. Turns out, we lived in the same neighborhood, too.
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| A postcard shot of the Needle's Eye if ever I saw one: I caught the sunlight bouncing off a cloud through the eye! |
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| Sylvan Lake |
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| a buffalo |
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| a bighorn ram |
Over the next decade, we traveled different roads but kept in touch (loosely) and even attended Clemson together. My friend Kristi graduated in May and got a job with AmeriCorps State in Wenatchee, Washington doing direct service which is different from what I do as a VISTA. Kristi stopped by to spend a few days in the Black Hills to explore and see what South Dakota has to offer. She started while I was at work with Dinosaur Park and the Journey Museum, then, with fellow VISTA Robbie, we hit up the Badlands and Wonderland Cave (by far the best location on our tour). Then on Saturday, in 97 degree dry heat, we drove Needles and Iron Mountain Road. We saw Rushmore and Crazy Horse. We dipped our toes in Sylvan Lake and took pictures of buffalo and big horn rams. Later, we enjoyed Beau Jo's Pizza with Robbie and Emily, who was also visiting this weekend. The Black Hills are amazing and I'm glad Kristi stopped by, but also, I'm glad I'm here so she had someone to show her around on her long drive to Washington State from South Carolina. Clemson Girls Rock!!! And AmeriCorps lets us represent our school across the country!
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| Even fuzzy, this badlands sunset is spectacular. |
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| Carrie enjoying Hole in the Wall picnic area and little cave |
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| In Wonderland Cave, some of these formations seem vaguely human. |
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| Wind Cave claims to possess 98% of the world's boxwork formations. Jewel Cave claims to have the rest. Wonderland Cave had plenty, though. |
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Flowstone is an interesting looking formation. It looks like a slime pool, frozen.
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| Kristi takes advantage of the touchable flow stone area. Wonderland designates two places in the cave where visitors can touch the formations. |
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| This dogtoothspar is one of my son Max's favorite formations. |
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| Max explains his theories on rock formations to Robbie and Kristi. |
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| This is part of a curtain of formations. |
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| Another section of curtains. |
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| I forget what this formation is called, the part where it's curving upward. The water comes down through a tube and when it's exit is blocked, it sometimes pushes outward from various other points in the formation creating interesting tentacles. |
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| Max drinks the holy water, blessed by the mountain itself and collected for the tours. |
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| drip drip drip through the rocks to create a cave of wonders |
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| A bat!! |
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Rapid City from Dinosaur Hill
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| The Badlands |
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more Badlands
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still more Badlands
Robbie lookin' good in the Badlands
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