Our Vacation: The Second Day
We were up early the next morning to watch the sunrise at Badlands,
and then we hit the road. Our destination that day was Custer State Park.
As we wound through the pinnacles on our way out of the Badlands, I looked up to see a Bighorn Sheep staring down at us from the top of one of the buttes.
Just amazing to me how comfortable an animal can look right at the edge of a 100 foot drop.
I took a few pics, and then we were on our way again.
Down the road a little ways, we purchased tickets to tour a minuteman missile site from the cold war, but our tour was scheduled for a couple hours later. (More on that soon.) So we ate lunch, and then noticed a business alongside the road where tourists could buy a bag of peanuts to feed the prairie dogs. Normally, we avoid tourist traps like the plague, but we had some time to kill.
There were some fenced-in areas where it looked like the owners had tried to confine the burrowing rodents, but not surprisingly, the crafty devils had gone right under the fences and were happily making their homes everywhere – right next to the parking lot, along the edge of the road, and out into a nearby pasture.
We didn’t buy any peanuts as some of the prairie dogs looked like they needed a break from eating, but we grabbed our cameras to get some close-up shots of the adorable burrowers.
As they were accustomed to a constant stream of people walking near them all day, we could get quite close to them.
I also got some video – I’ll share it with you later.
Soon, it was time for us to leave the prairie dogs, and go tour the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
Stay tuned.
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo
Fun, fun!! I love South Dakota. We are up in Minnesota 🙂
Those little Prairie Dogs are soooo cute!! We saw a whole bunch of them at a rest stop along I-70 while we were on vacation one year. There was a picnic shelter nearby, so they probably scavenged for leftovers.
What amazes me is that the sheep can also curl up and sleep at the edge…what if you rolled over? And the prairie dogs are very cute but also very fat, too many peanuts?!
I will leave the photography to you Suzanne! Your pictures are so professional, they look like postcards! I can almost reach out and give that doggy a kiss! Look at that face…just look at it!
Thank you Carol. Glad to be able to share our travels with everyone.
Gol durned rodents them prairie dogs are! If a horse steps in one of their holes they’re liable to break a leg! Durned nuisance if’n you ask me.
Yes, I know, they are so cute!
Unbelievable (the porky prairie dogs). LOL I wouldn’t have fed them either. Isn’t it a bad idea to feed wild animals?? They are cute, though. Makes you want to pick one up and snuggle. 🙂
There is so much awesome stuff to see in the United States. I wish I could see it all.
Thanks for taking us on vacation with you.
Cheers
Julie
The only time I’ve seen prairie dogs was at the zoo in Baltimore, MD. They are the cutest animal and such fun to watch. Like you I was able to get really close shots because they were so used to humans.
It amazes me that the bighorn sheep is comfortable enough to lay down on the edge of that cliff. What amazing creatures!