National Parks – Page 4 – Paint Your Landscape

“There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Clouds dance across the Painted Canyon, first stop in the park off Hwy. 94

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, named after our 26th President of the same name, lies in western North Dakota. Part of Teddy’s spirit may still roam here, given his love for this land, for it was his time spent here that played an instrumental role in his development of conservation policies that remain in place today.

The Lakota people were the first to call this territory the “badlands” due to lack of water, extreme temperatures, and the rugged terrain. Teddy Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota Badlands in September 1883 to hunt bison and was enchanted by its desolate, melancholy beauty. It was the death of his beloved wife Alice Lee, due to complications from childbirth, and mother Mittie, who succumbed to typhoid fever, both in the same house, on the same day, February 14, 1884, hours apart, that brought Roosevelt back to these lands, heartbroken and seeking nature’s healing powers.

We entered the gateway town of Medora on a hot, muggy day so we chose the 36-mile scenic drive of the South Unit over hiking that first afternoon. After spending much time in similar parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, this park (imho) paled in comparison. But the expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” applies here, as in digging a little deeper I have found some hidden gems. But before I get to the good stuff, I’ll share a bit of a saga that’s been going on behind the scenes here.

Unfortunately the day of our arrival we learned just how much Terry’s father’s health had deteriorated over the past few days. We both felt it imperative that Terry head to Ohio now instead of wait until the 25th of this month as he had planned. What to do about an airport and flight was the next question, as we are in the middle of nowhere. The closest “big” town to us is Dickinson, 40 miles away, but surprisingly learned they have an airport another 7 miles outside of town. So with flight booked and bags packed, we headed for the airport the next day, a very rainy day at that.

With Terry safely at the airport, I headed back to the park. As I approached Dickinson a message scrolled across my dashboard stating STOP SAFELY NOW, and within seconds the truck decided to stop me. There I sat in the driving rain blocking traffic, which never makes for happy drivers. With Terry at the airport contacting Ford and a tow service, I directed traffic while drivers scowled at me through rain-streaked windows.

Fast forward and an easy fix soon became anything but as the sensor broke while being removed so now we are awaiting parts and dealing with a warranty company that has been less than cooperative.

Many hours later, in a rental car headed back to the park, the skies opened and I found myself wishing for an ark. Suffice to say the drive back at 40 mph was the longest 1.5 hours I have spent in some time. I later learned that we had received 6-8″ of rain in a matter of two hours, which is probably why I felt I floated home most of the way. But Terry is where he needs to be and I arrived safely.

The silver lining in this ongoing saga was a visit from dear Colorado friends Stan and Marilyn. For two days we enjoyed great conversation, lots of laughs, and a lovely hike. They agreed to a hike I really wanted to do in the remote northwest corner of the south unit, the Petrified Forest Loop Trail. I was determined to hike it solo or with friends but agreed that it is probably best done with others, especially if the solo woman is somewhat directionally challenged. 😉 The petrified forest, hard sandstone spires topped with caprocks, and dodging bison during their rut made for an interesting hike.

We rounded out our time together with a stroll through Medora and a lovely dinner at Theodore’s, which we all highly recommend. The food was excellent and the company, of course, priceless. I can’t thank them enough for brightening up my week. We look forward to seeing them again soon in Colorado.

Next up: More hiking, prairie dog towns and concretions, my favorite!

This well-worn passport is not the little 3 x 5 booklet used for international travel, but rather the “Passport to your National Parks”, what I call the ultimate adult sticker book. If you have ever watched a child, head bent over a new book filled with colorful stickers, mesmerized until the last little figure has found its rightful home, this is similar to what we feel when flipping through the National Parks Passport book.

I coveted this book, given our love of national parks, but not the small version. No, I had to have the deluxe Explorer Edition, complete with space for cancellation stamps and stickers for national parks, monuments, memorials, battlefields, seashores, lakeshores, etc., etc. What began as my fancy has become Terry’s infatuation, and as he slowly turns the pages, like a slow-moving kaleidoscope I watch the memories drift by.

If nature is not your thing, this book and the many sites listed within may not excite you. But if hiking a mountain trail on a crisp autumn day, walking through a golden meadow kissed by late afternoon summer sun, or standing on a bluff looking out over an azure sea finds you contemplating a higher being, you might enjoy the Passport book and the memories it can capture.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore ~ MI

Bryce Canyon National Park ~ UT

Tonto National Monument ~ AZ

Flipping through the pages recollections of watching a sunset from atop a mountain, aglow with the sun’s fire, striking fall colors cascading down a mountain ravine, elk, bison, and bear grazing in the backcountry, the crash of a wave reverberating off a cliff face as it races to shore, all dance before me.

Kings Canyon National Park ~ CA

White Sands National Monument ~ NM

Point Reyes National Seashore ~ CA

Nature is where the common thread that connects us all can be found. It is the perfect place to just be, in the moment, eyes and flesh melting into earth and sky, where every cell of our being moves to Mother Nature’s rhythm.

Crater Lake National Park ~ OR

Big Bend National Park ~ TX

Channel Islands National Park ~ CA

When John Muir, one of the earliest advocates of the National Park Service, walked through the Sierras, he understood this better than most. His support was the catalyst for the signing of the act creating the National Park Service in 1916. Today there are 59 National Parks in the U.S. and over 100 nations now preserve over 1200 national parks for future generations to enjoy.

“The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.” ― John Muir

Although our passport was born of the desire to see all 59 of these parks, we have found many gems beyond the obvious – monuments, memorials, battlefields. They have taken us back through time, reintroduced us to our nation’s history.

Statue of Liberty National Monument ~ NY

Antietam National Battlefield ~ MD

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park ~ KY

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial ~ DC

Each time we visit another site and place another stamp in our treasured book I find myself contemplating who may have touched this same earth so long ago. Were they too in awe of the beauty that lay before them…wild coastline, snow-capped mountains, rivers snaking through towering cliffs? Hopefully generations to come will stand on these same grounds in wonderment, with a deep reverence for all these sacred places.

P.S. If you have not had the opportunity to visit our national parks and would like to experience them through the eyes of a professional photographer, I urge you to visit Rick Braveheart’s blog here. While on this journey referred to as his Earth Walk, he conveys the majestic of this place we call home and his images reflect the deep reverence he holds for lands set aside as national parks.