SD Hwy44

There are really no Wal-marts in the middle of South Dakota (where we stay for free:), and if you are trying to find a campground you may want to avoid Badlands Resort (not a resort at all:). At one time this place could have been rock'in, full of families and things to do, but Chris and I found ourselves being relieved that there was no one in the locked office, where a sign hung on the door, 'Open.' Deciding that we mine-as-well use the restrooms, which we could have desperately used (being that there is no place to stop...at all on hwy44), we opened the door to find them in total shambles. It was like driving up to one of those deserted towns where you see tumble weeds blow'in through.  Turning slowly and almost wanting to tip toe we got back in the truck, we were hoping at this point that no one came out of the office to assist us, but no one did (being the nice people that we are, it might have been hard to say 'no thank you' at that moment but thinking back now I wouldn't feel so bad), we exited just the way we entered. Not one soul to be seen. The next spot was a KOA, they put us in a great location right on the edge of the campground, right on the White River, a chalky, milky color, that color because of silt deposits. We had views of the Badlands that we would conquor in the days to come, and we watched hundreds of birds coming and going from their swallows they had made under the bridge. They would come alive in the evening making high pitched noises and flying to and from the homes they had built. Our favorite experience of this camp spot was the lightening storm, and it was simply that, no thunder, no rain, just horendous wind and lightening dancing, for the most part with no rythem, across the sky. Chris and I had built a fire, and cooked dinner, then the wind started picking up, we had to douse the fire in fear of it taking to the grass. We watched the lightening show outside, until the wind was to strong, going in the camper we had a great view. The screens, on every window, that roll all the way around the camper allow us to experience beautiful skies, and scenery, that would otherwise be viewless in a closed in space. There is no doubt we had the best view in the campground.