Events of Wednesday, August 4, 2010

                Driving, driving, driving, driving, and even more driving. After this much, it still is interesting—quaint towns, large farms with hay rolls, and cool sights. We left this morning bright and early, intending to make it to North Dakota. After hours of progress, we reached our goal: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit. Surprisingly, this area is similar to the South Dakota Badlands; more vegetated and just as fantastic. Why the “Badlands”? Understandably, the sandstone and clay deposits weren’t great for farming. But the “Badlands”? Why not the “Not-so-great-for-farming-but-still-gorgeous-lands”? Just because it is inhospitable doesn’t mean it is all bad! Along the14 mile scenic loop drive, we saw awesome formations known as “cannonballs”, where chunks of harder rock which had resisted erosion stick out of the rock. Along the rest of the loop, we saw more fantastic rock layers, including a layer of lignite coal. The colors were fantastic. They are mixtures of pastel maroons, greens, and even blues interspersed with the tan sandstone. It is like a giant sandwich.

After this great drive, we headed on south to Medora, a little town bordering the south unit of the park. We had heard about the famous Medora Musical. With some research, we found out on Wednesdays and Sundays, anyone under 18 gets in for free! We decided to purchase tickets to the outdoor show. We drove to the amphitheater, had dinner in the parking lot, and then found our seats. The show was fantastic for music lovers, but not great for theater fanatics. It was mostly singing and dancing. The highlight of the show was probably the second act. After intermission, we got to see a “Cowboy Wedding”. Next was the featured act, a magic show performed by a hilarious Jay Mattioli. Our favorite line was, when he asked a young volunteer his age, he replied, “No Way! When I was your age, I was seven, too!” His tricks were very well executed and it was all very well done. After the magic came the story of Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, a group of soldiers who won San Juan hill (in Cuba) during the Spanish-American War. With horses, gunshots, and great acting, this was spectacular. This little snippet made the whole night worth it. As we made up our beds on the road at 11, we were eager to get to sleep for a new adventure tomorrow.