Inspiring travel stories, tips, and guides from a couple exploring the world one destination at a time.
Last Updated: May 25, 2026
After visiting the pine-covered Black Hills in western South Dakota, we headed east through the grass-covered prairies to the Badlands. French fur traders called the area “les mauvaises terres à traverser,” meaning “the bad lands to traverse.” The Lakota knew it as “Mako Sica,” which likewise means “bad land.”
Last Updated: May 25, 2026
It was a five-hour drive from Colorado to the Black Hills of South Dakota. We rolled through the verdant, grass-covered hills of Colorado and Wyoming, with Jake on the lookout for antelope, prairie dogs, and cattle the whole way. As we crossed into South Dakota, the hills turned pine-covered and the roads grew curvy — prompting plenty of reminders from Sandy to slow down.
