Mother Land Stomp - Day 3 the drive - cont.

So as I was saying, driving through this country already changed my attitude towards some things. Being a Chicago area native (as some of us are) my experience as a kid growing up was always being pissed off at the weather and the lack of things to do outdoors. I mean sure there were things to do, playgrounds, curbs to grind on or launch ramps to ride, the many parking blocks and the occasional ditch. But to really do some outdoors stuff you need to drive far away. As a kid, I loved fishing but the fishing in the immediate area sucks...

Not to complain to much but I am just setting this thing up here. I, like others get a bit cranky when confined to one place for too long. There seems to be this big strain that slowly drags you down. As if there was a big elastic band attached to your underwear and as you drive around town or where ever, it gets tighter and tighter and more difficult just to do daily activities. The GRIND, if you will (not Indys on concrete) gets to be too much even for me in my very good schedule. But even the regular life of skating local parks, making art, teaching art, gets old.


So getting away really puts things into perspective. I have been getting in touch with old friends, taking the time to call them and say, hey. All I have been doing is putting gas in my car to drive into Chicago everyday to skate and to tell you the truth, this trip is going to cost only a little more than what I would have spent these next few weeks paying $4.30 per gallon and doing the usual. I should say that I have renewed confidence in cheap camping!! More on that later, so maybe the trip won't break my bank after all.

I had a great talk with former Student, Steve Hedges yesterday, he graduated, got a job in his field and is doing really well. He is a Graphic Designer that can do all of that 3-D animation and CS3 stuff - great web designer too!! We were getting caught up as I was experiencing the great Landscape of North Dakota. All was hearing from people was the horror stories about how you'll run out of gas or the coyotes will get you. You might hit a buffalo going down the highway, etc.

All I could see was great landscape and it kept getting better and better. I have never really driven this far out before so it is all major eye candy. I used to paint landscapes and would love to spend a few years out here someday doing just that. It will be a great retirement when it comes... Fishing, painting, camping. I probably will not be skating anymore but I have my activities already in mind!!


So anyway, as I was talking with Steve, suddenly the land opened up - I HAD to pull over. I could not believe what i was seeing!! The rest area said Painted Canyon or something and it was the Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l park. So I got out and just took it all in. It was breathtaking. I finally stopped drooling and read some of the info. I had made it to the BADLANDS!! I was so amazed that this was in front of me. I saw so many movies and read so much about them in books and Cowboys and Rustlers and what not. It was really an EXPeirence.




I got so into it that I took a short hike into the Badlands with no water, Vans on and only my camera. I shot over 100 photos and at first I was like, I am only gonna go for a few minutes and then get right back on the road. But once you get in, you have to keep going. I though, how many times will I be in the freakin' Badlands!! So I took about a mile loop and it was the best 30 minutes I've spent so far... I was kinda tired too! You would think that with all the skating it would be no problem but the Badlands are serious...



I got back on the road and made it to Montana. Over the border and in a small town called Glendive. I found cheap camping and was in for the night. What a day, it started out being just a drive but the entire day held lots of great stops and things to see. I hope to get to Butte tomorrow for some sesh!!