Mimi and Maumau, Martine and DD Return! Or the Denver-Denver Loop of the 4 Friends (page 4 of 17)

Yellow mounds







Conata basin Homestead OVL Burns Basin

Panorama point



White River Valley

There you go, last stop at the Badlands OVL done. We continue toward Cedar Pass Lodge, driving past the Fossil Exhibit Trail without stopping. We check in and pick up the key to the cabin. Huge laughter when Maumau zooms through the room like a rocket, nearly wiping out when the door finally opens after several failed attempts!!!! We drop off our luggage, freshen up a bit, and head out almost immediately to do the three short hikes next to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

Hello

I really loved this place, but we passed through way too quickly in 2012. I trusted my brother-in-law, who had already been there, but like with other places, we missed out on so much! Since then, I’ve been the one planning!

Beautiful photos—they bring back so many memories. But don’t worry, at the time, we were absolutely thrilled.

Hey Gilles :) Since I’m the one organizing, if we miss something, I’ve only myself to blame—like Needle’s Eye, for example, which we skipped because I didn’t realize it was a special rock formation and not just a place name!!!! Plus, the others are super nice and follow me blindly!!!! Anyway, you organize really well!!! And you all look in great shape!!!!

Wildlife of the Badlands Since I struggled to limit myself with landscape photos, I deliberately left out the few animals we spotted—very few, at that. A bison, and even then, from very far away (probably a lone male).

Families of adorable little prairie dogs that charmed us with their antics (we even saw one stick its tongue out at us!).

A few bighorn sheep.

Including a magnificent male we nicknamed the "Master of the Badlands."

A rabbit (or hare?)

As for rattlesnakes—thankfully, we didn’t see a single one, except on warning signs and the impressive specimen in the lobby of Cedar Pass Lodge (which I unfortunately didn’t photograph).

Hi there! I’ve been following your journey with great excitement—you’re opening the door to our future trip: June 2021, Yellowstone from Denver to Denver!

Could you tell me which maps you used to plan your route, especially for the parks, so I know which roads to take?

Thanks so much!

🙂 I replied and added three maps to one of your posts. Martine 🙂

Hello

I did this loop in 2012, and it’s still very different from my other trips. You’ll pass through spots that are pretty off the usual tourist trail. You’re gonna love it!

For my part, I still work with Garmin’s BaseCamp and OpenStreetMap maps—both free.

A huge thank you for all this information and the maps I printed! I think I won’t stop asking you for more! M.M

I’m taking notes and checking all this out—thanks a ton! M.M

Hi Martine, what camera do you use for the photos you share? Thanks 😊 Yves

Good evening! 🙂

For Yves: I take my photos with a lightweight little camera, the Sony Cybershot DSC HX90V, which I think is amazing (I don’t fiddle with settings—I just put it on automatic), and DD uses a Canon 450D with an 18/200 lens, which is heavier and offers more possibilities. We each take our own photos at the same time (we took over 2,500 between the two of us) based on our own sensibilities. Sometimes mine turn out prettier (great colors), and sometimes his do. I can get closer to the subjects. Some of the photos posted are mine, and others are DD’s.

For MM: I bugged so many people about my trip prep () that the least I can do is help others as much as I can!! Don’t hesitate to ask!!

Short hikes near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center The first two start from a parking lot located 2 miles north of the Visitor Center. Windows Trailhead: We begin with this very short walk (400 m round trip) accessible to wheelchairs via a boardwalk that leads to a viewpoint overlooking the rock formations. Door Trailhead: It’s a bit longer than Windows (1.2 km) but just as easy to reach the viewpoint via the boardwalks.



From there, we left the boardwalk to venture a little deeper into this arid and fractured landscape, following the numbered yellow markers.

As we walked, we wondered if we’d been teleported to the moon or Mars. We were right in the heart of the rock formations, moving through a mineral labyrinth of canyons, eroded buttes, ridges, and spires.





A few small shrubs struggle to survive here and there.



You have to watch where you step to avoid falling or damaging these fragile rocks and vegetation. The ochre and beige tones are warm, with red horizontal lines.



And the setting sun adds even more beauty to the place.



The shadows grow longer.

We would’ve loved to keep exploring this maze of rocks, but we still had one more site to visit, so we reluctantly turned back to get the car for our last hike. Cliff Shelf Nature Trail For this, we parked in the lot next to the Visitor Center. The roughly 1 km loop of this trail, built on boardwalks and stairs, starts by climbing through a juniper forest before skirting an immense light ochre cliff called the Badlands Wall.

First pale ochre, the rocks light up as the sun sets!!!

It’s so beautiful!!! Our Mimi, tired from her day, decided to stay in the car. She’s missing an amazing show!!!

In just a few minutes, we left the rugged mineral landscape of the Door Trailhead for the gentleness of the White River Valley.

On one side, this immense jagged stone wall, and on the other, a sea of green prairies stretching to the horizon with a few formations rising like little waves.

This park is truly fantastic, and once again, no words or photos can capture what it conveys!!! We’ve been out since 7:55 AM, the sun has completely disappeared, and Mimi is waiting for us in the car. We could’ve stayed on our perch forever, but it’s time to continue the loop, head back down to the parking lot, and return to our bungalow. Again, we couldn’t open the door, but the strength of our guys finally prevailed, leading to another big laugh!!!! Dinner at Cedar Lodge was served too early for us (6:30 PM), so we’d planned to eat at the Wagon Wheel Bar in Interior. Luckily, a kind American couple helped us place our order because, even though the waitress was great, we ran into the only unfriendly owner of the trip!!! I’m in bed now, reliving my day!! So many beautiful things we saw since this morning!! Okay, maybe it’s time to sleep!!! Tomorrow my phone will ring early because I want to see the sunrise!!!!! One big regret!!! Not going out to see the stars!!!!! We’re in the middle of nature, in a completely open spot with minimal light pollution!!! Why didn’t I think of that!!!! The show must’ve been amazing!!! Oh well!!!

Hi Martine, I'm blown away by the beauty of the sites and especially everything you managed to do in a single day! We'll never be able to do that much!! We'll need 3 days just from Custer and the Badlands! But we only have 4 weeks in total! Yikes, yikes, yikes!! I'm totally up for your other plans, though! It'll help us make choices based on time! Thanks for your help

Hi there! 🙂 It’s true it was pretty fast-paced, but we didn’t feel like we were rushing. I just followed my road book, which was quite detailed. We were away for three weeks. As I mentioned, we would’ve loved to have more back-to-back two-day stops to relax a bit and also spend more time wandering around some of those charming little towns. For maps, I started a post with the ones I used to plan our trip where everyone can add other maps: « American parks maps » I’ll add the Yellowstone ones a bit later 🙂

J5. September 6 Interior - Deadwood Hampton Inn at Tin Lizzie: Deadwood 233 € with breakfast (shared room for 4 people) Large room with microwave and refrigerator. Free parking reserved at the hotel across the street. Just a short walk from downtown and its activities. Good buffet breakfast.

5 AM!! I open my eyes. Okay, I’m starting to wake up a little later each day. Today, since I wanted to photograph the sunrise, it worked out well, and it also saved my phone alarm from waking the other three, who are sleeping like babies. Well, you’ll be left wanting more!! I’ll post them, but they’re not great!!! I stayed a good while sitting in the grass facing the spot where the red glow was strongest, waiting for the sun god Ra to deign to show his face, but they’re not top-notch. The rocks dressed in pink a little away from the point where it rises it’s coming there it is

Anyway, I was so comfortable in that absolute calm, with only cute little bunnies for company, and it was reluctantly that I left my grassy spot to rejoin my three friends and sit down for breakfast, which we had in our room.

Maybe I should’ve gone up there to join it.

On the other hand, I loved the light that set the rocks ablaze just as we left for our last hike.



Notch Trail The start of this hike is also at the parking lot near the Visitor Center. It’s not difficult for those who aren’t afraid of heights, but between the ladder and the ledge, it might be tough for those who are. We start on flat ground in a canyon along a dried-up stream, framed by buttes halfway through. We continue with a ladder made of wooden logs.

We proceed along a ledge overlooking a canyon with a few steep sections.



Then onto a plateau.

To reach a wide viewpoint.

It took us barely over 30 minutes to get up there. The scenery is stunning in the early morning. With this breathtaking view, Mimi and I are still overwhelmed with emotion as we rediscover this magnificent Green River Valley and its pastel colors. It’s just as beautiful in the shade as in the sun.

We wouldn’t want to leave this promontory. The descent was as easy as the climb, with some gorgeous viewpoints along the way.

10 AM!! The beautiful sunshine that had been with us since this morning is starting to hide, and it's time to hit the road again to reach Deadwood. Last photos before leaving this park, which was truly a favorite spot.

Big Badlands OVL





Wall We catch up with I-90 and its funny billboards that start selling the huge drugstore kilometers before the town. We arrive with a light drizzle and are happy to take shelter in this consumer paradise!!! Gifts, clothes, restaurants, pharmacy—everything is packed into a massive, superbly decorated gallery with a humorous Wild West vibe! We love wandering through these halls and shops that plunge us right into the land of cowboys and Indians.





And goofing around with the mannequins.



Or the old telephones. There’s even a church!

Vintage photos, jewelry, stuffed animals, antiques, and even the famous Jackalope (half hare, half antelope)... there’s something for every taste and budget, all in the scent of leather and wax!!!

We grab a bite at Subway before leaving Wall. Rapid City The light, intermittent drizzle forces us to cut our visit short to the bronze presidents located at the intersections between 4th and 9th streets. Here are a few for you: Abraham Lincoln

John Kennedy

Bill Clinton

Jimmy Carter

Ronald Reagan

George Washington

Thomas Jefferson

Theodore Roosevelt

Chapel in the Hills: 3788 Chapel Lane After this very pleasant little walk among the presidents, before taking US 385 N, we stop for a short moment in another neighborhood of Rapid City to photograph the replica of a very old Norwegian church (800 years old). The staff at this adorable little chapel, nestled in a green setting, gave us a warm welcome. It’s just as beautifully crafted inside as it is outside, especially since the sun is back, and so is its Nordic museum.







Deadwood Mount Moriah Cemetery For $2 per person for upkeep, you can visit the small historic cemetery on a hill at the entrance of the town, where the two infamous lovers Martha Jane Cannary (Calamity Jane) and James Butler Hickok (Wild Bill) are finally reunited for eternity, along with other notable celebrities of the Wild West.





Nothing truly extraordinary about this little cemetery except for the graves of these two unforgettable characters, but it immediately immerses you in the atmosphere of the Wild West that this small town represents so well. The Town We quickly drop off our suitcases at the hotel. Since it’s so well located, we explore the main street on foot, with its saloons and casinos, to catch the 6 PM street show at 709 Main Street in front of the Silvarado Franklin Hotel. Since we’ve kept our childlike spirit, we enjoy watching the adventures of Calamity Jane and her companions come to life and end in a hail of gunshots on the lively streets of Deadwood! It’s loud, it smells like gunpowder, we love it!!!!







Saloon No. 10 (657 Main Street) and its sawdust-covered floor—see the chair where Wild Bill was shot during a poker game in 1876. This place is also a real museum, packed with artifacts from the old days!!!









The town has a unique atmosphere, blending theater and history, with its casinos and well-preserved old houses on Main Street!!!

It’s exactly like the Westerns we watched as kids. Great meal at the Buffalo Saloon ($117 for 2 beers, 2 steaks, and 2 bison burgers)

Hi Martine,

So happy to be traveling with you ;-) Some spots you mentioned are on my list for the future. Thanks for the beautiful photos and this interesting travel journal.

Vinciane

Hi Martine, Your travel journal is a delight! Seriously, such great explanations and so many beautiful photos! How can we not want to follow in your footsteps for our next trip! How did you find and select your accommodations? When you choose a bungalow for 4, do they exist for two as well? Thanks for sharing! M.M.

Hi Martine. I missed the start of your travel journal, but here I am now. I just read everything... and what strikes me is your energy! You guys are full of life—your days are so packed. I’m reliving with so much joy all those places where we were two years ago. You’ve already been so lucky with all the animals you’ve seen from day one. Plus, the weather seems to be on your side—the sky is gorgeous. Now, about the photos... they’re stunning too, with beautiful light and colors. It’s magical... and it makes me want to go back. Can’t wait to see what’s next. See you soon