The edge of the Badlands, where lush prairie meets a desolate landscape. We could have detoured an extra 4 hours to drive all the way through it, but we needed to continue our drive through South Dakota, Nebraska, and back to Colorado.
This area is similar to the Grand Canyon, except it's not quite as deep and there is little color variation in the layers of the rock. Your depth perception plays tricks on you looking into this canyon.
The kids had fun posing for pictures here. Although it may look dangerous, they are not very close to the edge. My guess is that many lives, or cattle, have been lost here over the years. If you do accidentally fall down, it's all gravel, and too loose to climb back up.
One last family picture (without the photographer, of course). There were a few local Indians selling trinkets at the top of the hill, but we didn't bother them to ask for a full family photo. It was time to hit the road for a long drive back to Colorado.
But the kids were troopers with all the driving. As the little one would fall asleep, we enjoyed peace & quiet for a few hours. Then, when it was time to wake her up, we played "Call Me, Maybe" through the car speakers and a little voice would start singing under the blanket. Precious!
