Day 3 - The Badlands

Day 3 - We headed out of Waterloo, IA and got back on the road. Today, we were traveling 582 miles - approximately 8 hours and 31 minutes to Interior, South Dakota. It did take us a little longer than that, but nothing like yesterday! I was very particular about the campgrounds we staying in. The Good Sam book I ordered was huge and quite daunting but any one who knows me, knows I lived by the ratings. Anyway, at most National Parks, there is camping but it is dry camping - meaning no water and no hook up - sewer or electricity. As much as I love a good rating, I am totally sold out to having water and power. In some places, finding those "full hook up" sites were a challenge. The first two nights, we camped at KOA's, so everything was neat and orderly. Let's just say camp number 3 was quite a wake up. The people were very friendly, it was just a bit run down and there were no smoking rules. We came out of the shower smelling worse than when we went in. But, like every other site up until now, we just barely passed through. The Badlands were amazing. So far, it has been some of my kids very favorite. It was rough, rugged, beautiful, raw and untamed. As soon as we pulled in, the kids hopped in the van and headed over. They ran and explored until night fall. It was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.