#ProjectAlaska: Badlands National Park and Nebraska

Having been in Badlands National Park numerous times, I didn't take many pictures here. The one thing that I truly enjoyed on this trip was the amount of time spent outside and I attribute most of that to the fact that I was at campgrounds practically every night versus motels. I was actually a bit surprised that I didn't even miss having TV. There were always plenty of other things to do and being outside in the evenings was quite pleasurable.

Once I left the Badlands, I didn't pull my camera out again until I reached Valentine, Nebraska, at the Niobrara River. After putting it away; I didn't pull it back out again until I reached the Missouri River.

The last 6 pictures above were taken at this neat overlook of the Missouri River located in Nebraska on US 75:

#Project365: Where is Downstream Campground?

Today we continue further west to see some more sights along the way. I decided to stop in Williston, ND for lunch and spotted a nice park to eat. Harmon Park provided me with a nice view while I ate and chatted with a friend on the phone about how much the landscape in North Dakota had changed over the past few years. For those unfamiliar with North Dakota; prior to the fracking boom, it was mostly rural farmland. While it is still rural farmland for the most part; the western part of the state has become dotted with drilling rigs, flaring stacks, storage wells, and power lines strung all over.

So, where is Downstream Campground? It is located at Fort Peck, Montana at the base of the Fort Peck Dam. Fort Peck Dam is the world's largest hydraulically-filled dam and is massive; extending almost four miles across the Missouri River valley and standing over 250 feet high. The dam from the campground:

The dam is humongous and quite a sight to behold. This picture shows the campground from the top of the dam (the area with trees next to the body of water):

The dam from the east end:

A couple of shots looking out at Fort Peck Lake:

More tomorrow!