We bid the Badlands farewell this morning. We woke up to a beautiful morning with the Meadowlarks singing. The air was fragrant with the aroma of clover (this has been a very wet year for the area). As we drove out of the park, we enjoyed the prairie dogs frolicking in their meadows. I know those callisthenic like moves have meaning! It is a beautiful sight with a lovely palette of colors:

We drove to Deadwood and enjoyed a walk along the beginning of the Mickelson Trail.

 The Mickelson Trail is a rails-to-trails project promoted by former governor George S. Mickelson. The trail was named in his honor when he died in a plane crash shortly before the project was completed. We hiked a few miles of the 109 mile total.

Norman was the chef last night!