Custer State Park

My #100by100 Project is focused on National Parks - seeing 100 National Parks by the time the United States National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016. So when someone suggested that I stay in Custer State Park (CSP) during my visit to the Black Hills in South Dakota, I didn't think much of it. But, then I researched CSP and discovered that it was a central location to Mt. Rushmore, Jewel Cave, and Wind Cave. A perfect place for my base camp as I explored these parks.

I won't often say this, but I didn't leave enough time for Custer State Park. I carefully plan my trips and I know what I want to see and make sure it's doable. However, I didn't expect there being so much to see and explore in a state park.

A big attraction in CSP are three main drives: Wildlife Loop, Iron Mountain Road, and Needles Highway.

Wildlife Loop

When I arrived at CSP, the first things on my list were a hot meal and a shower. I'd been camping for several days without electricity or water so I was very excited to reach Blue Bell Campground. After fulfilling both of those dreams, I set off on the Wildlife Loop.

It was mid-afternoon and still several hours from sunset, so I didn't have high hopes for the drive. But, I was pleasantly surprised by a number of animals.

Iron Mountain Road

The 18 miles of switchbacks, rock tunnels, and spiral "pigtail" bridges of Iron Mountain Road takes nearly an hour to travel. The highlight is seeing Mt. Rushmore in the distance as you drive through one of the tunnels.

Needles Highway

I'd been through the Black Hills before. I knew what to expect. Or so I thought. The scenery I encountered along the 14 miles of Needles Highway looked more what I expect Patagonia in Argentina to look like, not South Dakota.

One of the main attractions is the Needles Eye. A narrow opening high in a spire created by wind, rain, and the cycle of freezing and thawing.

The Needles Highway is a memorable trip that should be on everyone's Scenic Drive Bucket List.

During my Needles Highway drive I passed Sylvan Lake. I didn't have time to stop and explore that evening, so I made it my first stop the following morning.

Some people clearly know how to throw a great wedding. #relationshipgoals

I'm glad I gave Custer State Park a chance. It showed me that State Parks can be just as breathtaking and magical as National Parks. Since my stay I've camped in another State Park and I've been researching parks close to me for upcoming trips. Adventure is everywhere.

How about you? What is your favorite State Park? Is there any place you visited on a recommendation that you had low expectations for but were pleasantly surprised? What trips are on your Scenic Drive Bucket List? Let me know in the comments below.

Go. Live.

Spelunking Through South Dakota: Part 2

Located just 30 miles from Jewel Cave National Monument is the completely different underground world of Wind Cave National Park.

Wind Cave became the United States' seventh National Park in 1903. It was discovered only a few decades earlier in 1881 by Jesse and Tom Bingham. The brothers were on the prairie when they heard a loud whistling noise. They approached a small opening in the ground and Jesse's hat was blown off his head - hence the name Wind Cave. As was mentioned at the beginning of the video in the post on Jewel Cave, this wind is sometimes known as the cave "inhaling" or "exhaling" and is caused by changes in atmospheric pressure between the cave and the outside world.

Much of the early exploration of Wind Cave was done by teenager Alvin McDonald. Alvin's father, JD McDonald was hired by the South Dakota Mining Company to manage the mining operations at Wind Cave. However, it was soon discovered that there was nothing worth mining, but that a profit could be turned by selling tours through the cave. The McDonald family homesteaded at the entrance to the cave and widened the openings and natural passages within the cave for tours. My tour guide told a story about a large barrel shaped opening in one of the cave rooms. The McDonald's, acting as tour guides, told guests that this hole was so deep that they could throw a coin in and never hear it hit the bottom. They challenged people to try it and many did and were struck with the truth of how deep it must be when they never heard their coin land. In reality, the hole wasn't all that deep, but a sheet was stretched across it part way down to keep the money from ever reaching the bottom and making a sound. At the end of the day the McDonald's would climb in and retrieve all of their extra money.

The first explorer to enter the cave unwound a piece of twine as he went so he could find his way out. However, Alvin took to painting his initials as he went. But not his actual initials. Alvin developed a secret code to notate his adventures through the cave's passages and rooms. It's a complex eight step process that begins with ordering the name "Last, First Middle," involves two separate codes, and ends with a -8 rotation which eventually turns the initials for Alvin Frank McDonald into ZUQ. My initials VDP would be WOP. (I wish I could say I cracked the code. I didn't. But there is a website that runs the algorithm for you: https://zuq.curiousconcept.com/#). ZUQ can still be seen throughout the cave today.

There are other initials within the cave and people are still working to determine the meaning of all the markings.

Sadly Alvin died at age 20 of typhoid fever. Two years earlier (and only one year into his cave exploration) he wrote that he had "given up the idea of finding the end of Wind Cave." That's probably a good thing. Over 100 years later it's estimated that still only 5% of the cave has been discovered.

A room in Wind Cave

On my visit I took the Fairgrounds Tour that travels only half a mile out of the 100 miles of mapped passages. Unlike my lantern tour at Jewel Cave, the Fairgrounds Route is mostly paved and lined with electric lights - a very different experience. The abundance of light allowed me to see the features of the cave much more easily.

Wind Cave's most well known feature is its boxwork. These thin honeycomb like fins of calcite are found in very few caves but is found in abundance within Wind Cave.

The nearby Jewel Cave is known for its shimmering calcite crystals, a feature clearly lacking in Wind Cave. I asked my tour guide how the caves could be so close but so different. He told me that it all has to do with the geology of the Black Hills and the different regions where the caves are located. Wind Cave has some bling of its own in the form of popcorn and frostwork formations.

Not all of Wind Cave National Park is found underground. It is also home to nearly 30,000 acres of wildlife sanctuary where I found bison, deer, pronghorn, and turkeys.

My visit to Wind Cave was another reminder of how much exploration there is yet to be done in the world. It was also a reminder of how it's possible to get a lot done in a little amount of time - Alvin McDonald only got to explore the cave for less than three years, but his contributions to the park are legendary. My visit also humanized our National Park System. Our parks aren't just beautiful areas and geological wonders, but they also represent the people that discovered them and worked to understand them, even before they were National Parks.

What's your favorite National Park story? Where are you going to explore? What are your initials using Alvin's code?

Go. Live.

For more information on Wind Cave National Park visit: http://www.nps.gov/wica

Spelunking Through South Dakota

Did you know that many of the world's largest caves are found in the United States? The third largest is in South Dakota - Jewel Cave National Monument.

Jewel Cave got its blinging name because of the calcite crystals that cover the walls and ceilings of the cave and shimmered in the lantern light of the cave's first discoverers. The calcite crystals remain today, but electric lights have replaced lanterns in most areas. However, I chose to take the Historic Lantern Tour to explore the cave in much the same way the original discoverers would have experienced it.

It looks like the place where Indiana Jones may have found the Crystal Skull, but Jewel Cave is a national treasure in itself. And it's constantly growing. Exploration of the cave system continues and it's believed that only a fraction of it has been discovered. Cave explorers spend as long as four days underground and the furthest explored areas of the cave take about 11 hours to reach. So far, 180 miles have been discovered, but explorers are adding about 3 miles to that each year. All of this sits below just 3 square miles of land area. Exploration isn't something just for space or remote jungles. It's at our back door and under our feet!

Tickets for the cave tours often sell out in the morning, so I was careful to get there just after they opened. In the high season people sometimes have to wait hours between getting their tickets and taking their tour. Much to my delight there was still room on all the tours - even those starting in a few minutes. I was torn between the Scenic Route and the Historic Lantern tours. Most people take the Scenic Route and enjoy its paved walkways and electricity. The Historic Lantern Tour not only requires you to carry a lantern, but there is no paved walkway. There are a few railings and stairs throughout, but there are also rocks to scramble over, tight spaces to squeeze through, and few places where you can stand upright.

Only five of us were the early birds that snagged tickets for the first lantern tour of the day. Due to our small group we took the Dungeon Route instead of the more popular Heavenly Route. I have no idea what the difference is, but our guide kept saying how lucky we were to come on that day and get to do the Dungeon Route. I think it might be a slightly longer route so we got more time to explore.

This brief (3 minutes) POV video gives some background on Jewel Cave and a quick look at the Historic Lantern Tour. You'll see a new friend we made along the way. Watch to the end to see five tech-savvy millennials that can't figure out how lanterns work.

I LOVED this tour and consider it one of the highlights of my trip through the Dakotas. To be honest, I was apprehensive about booking this more difficult tour. What if it's hard? What if everyone is more fit than me and I can't keep up? What if there are bats? Okay, well, that last one was true. And as far as guided National Park tours go, this one was pretty hard. But I also think it was a lot more fun than walking on a sidewalk.

My only regret for the day was that I put on clean clothes that morning. Note to self, crawling around in caves is dirty.

Go. Live.

2015: Year in Movie Reviews

It's that time of year again. Everyone is making resolutions and hitting the gym while I'm recollecting everything I watched last year.

I’ll be honest. I didn't plan on making this list for 2015. But due to my list in 2013 and 2014, someone requested another list for 2015. This one is from memory, but here you have it: a list of the movies and television shows I wasted time on last year. As always, these aren't all movies that came out this year, just stuff that I got around to watching this year. 

Movies

A Five Star Life - I didn’t realize the movie was in Italian when I started watching it (I might not have picked it if I had). It made me miss Italy. And want to travel more. And reevaluate a full time traveling lifestyle. 7/10

Birdman - Not my typical type of film but so many great characters and performances in this one. 9/10

Bad Words - Kathryn Hahn and Jason Bateman have both gotten to play hilarious roles in their careers. This movie didn’t live up to those expectations. I found the plot thin and predictable. 2/10

Chef - Watched this on a whim, but really enjoyed it. It encouraged me to film one second of my day everyday. I habit I kept up faithfully for most of 2015. 7/10

Divergent - I read the book for my book club (yes, I read books and not just watch movies) and thought the movie did a great job of showing the factioned Chicago. 9/10

Draft Day - A good football movie despite it being about the Browns. #herewegosteelers 6/10

God's Not Dead - WAY better than I expected. Inspired me to start studying about why I believe what I do again. Not necessarily an amazing movie, but far surpassed expectations. 7/10

Happy Christmas - Ugh. I wanted to like this so bad! It’s Anna Kendrick in a Christmas movie. But what was the point? Uproot your life, get drunk, do drugs, nearly set your brother’s house on fire with his baby son in it, run away and hide, show no remorse for any of it because “you’re just trying to figure things out,” but then come home and open presents because Christmas? 1/10

Horrible Bosses 2 - Stupidly funny. A good followup to the first. Not much substance, but easy laughs. 5/10

Hunger Games: Catching Fire - I know I’m way behind on these. I’ve read all the books and I’m getting “what happens and when” all mixed up in my mind. This movie wasn’t what I had expected, but was well done. 7/10

In A World - After watching Million Dollar Arm last year, I looked up Lake Bell and put this title on my list. After watching Tig this year, I looked up Tig Notaro and decided it was time for this title. It was fun and entertaining. I’m interested in the voiceover world so this was a silly peak behind that curtain. 5/10

Insurgent - I don’t think I read all of Book 2 in the series, but I really enjoyed the film. 8/10

Kingsman: The Secret Service - I really enjoyed this film. It’s kind of an over-the-top James Bond recruitment video, but in the spoof style of the Red movies. An action comedy if you will. 9/10

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - I didn’t know much about Nelson Mandela, but I really enjoyed this brief look at his life and the history of South Africa. 8/10

Neighbors - Ridiculous over the top humor. Most of the laughs were found in the commercials for the movie, but this was still a good way to spend a Friday night without disturbing any of my neighbors. 6/10

Our Brand Is Crisis - I was looking forward to Sandra Bullock’s return to the big screen and thought this character may even rival Gracie Hart of Miss Congeniality. But it didn’t. If you’re really into Latin American politics you’ll likely love this film. I’m not. And I didn’t. 4/10 

Sisters - Hilarious. I was worried that all the funny parts were featured in the trailer, but there were lots more laughs to be had. I left the theater with a numb face from smiling and laughing so hard the entire time. 10/10

Pitch Perfect 2 - I also saw this one in theaters, but the experience was marred when the fire alarm went off in the middle of it and we had to evacuate. On the bright side, I was really hungry and jumped into McDonalds while we waited for the “All Clear.”  The movie was hilarious and the music was great. An enjoyable film, but it didn’t seem to have the magic of the first one. 9/10

Take Me Home - Not really a great film, but it was nice to see Sam Jaeger (dreamy Joel from Parenthood) not only in a movie, but also as writer and director. And he cast his real-life-wife as his co-lead. I did enjoy the storyline of not meeting expectations or being satisfied with your life. 4/10

That Awkward Moment - I couldn’t remember if I watched this or not. After researching it, I know I did but I can’t remember anything about it. Talk about awkward...2/10

The Best of Me - Pass the Nicholas Sparks and get out your tissues. I watched this one while home sick from work and all the sap was the comfort I needed. This film got the best of me. Sad, but somehow nice. 7/10

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Time to make some people mad…I fell asleep. 3/10

The Good Lie - I listed this in last year’s post as one I was looking forward to watching. It was enjoyable, but not captivating and, ultimately, I fell asleep before the end. 3/10

The National Parks (Ken Burns) - Would this be considered a mini-series or a movie? Either way, I’m cheating a bit by having it on the list as I’m still about 30 minutes short of completion. I’m not a big documentary watcher, but I am a big National Parks fan. This show was my gym show that I watch every morning on my run. I can’t say I ever get the strong desire to watch it, but once I start watching I’m reminded of how good it is. The series presents incredible history of our country that I never learned in school. I’d like to try out some other Ken Burns features in 2016. 10/10

The Other Woman - Hilarious. And made me want to get a beach house. I don’t even like the beach. 8/10

The Wolf of Wall Street - So much greed. And yet I felt I was looking into the soul of most American corporations (if not most Americans). While the story is sickening, the movie is good. 7/10

Tig - I had never heard of Tig Notaro before this year (I know, I know), but she quickly became one of my favorite comedians. I have "Live" pretty much memorized now and I went to see Tig (the human, not the movie) in October. This film was funny, heartbreaking, and inspiring. 10/10

Tracks - I knew much of Robyn Davidson’s story having met and worked with photographer Rick Smolan (played by Adam Driver in the film). The movie made me want to find my own expedition to tackle. I’m still working on finding it. 8/10

Unbroken - Not an easy watch. But an unbelievably true story. What a message of grace, forgiveness, and determination. Watch this when you think your life is bad… 10/10

Unfinished Business - Not as strong of a Vince Vaughn comedy as I’ve grown accustomed to seeing. Many awkward laughs instead of Vaughn fast talking his way into and out of trouble. I didn’t really care about most of the characters or their conflicts. But, I do think of that art exhibition hotel room every time I’m booking a room with a deal that sounds too good to be true. 3/10 

Welcome to Me - A horribly awkward film that Kristen Wigg plays brilliantly. A good commentary on our fame obsessed culture. I related, but didn’t really enjoy the movie. 4/10

Wild - A nice companion to the book. I read the book first so I can’t say how the movie would be without it. I watched this as I was running low on the courage to tackle some of the outdoor adventures I had planned over the summer. It did the trick. 8/10

TV

House of Cards - I enjoy most shows set in DC, but I couldn’t get enough of this one. I watched all 3 seasons in a matter of weeks. I’d walk around my apartment watching in on my Kindle - propping it on the counter as I cooked or the vanity as I did my hair. I couldn’t put it down. 9/10

How I Met Your Mother - I’d seen many episodes before, but after seeing the final episode I decided I wanted the whole story. So I took it from the beginning. These nine seasons only took me 4-6 weeks to swallow. I forgot how funny this show was. I need to find better friends…and live upstairs from a bar… 9/10

Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce - Lisa Edelstein and Paul Adelstein have played two of my favorite television characters in recent memory (Dr. Cuddy on House and Cooper on Private Practice, respectively), but this show has a ways to go… 3/10

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - I might not have watched this without Tina Fey attached to it. It’s silly, but a good time. 6/10

Better Off Ted - How had I not watched this before? I may rewatch it in 2016. It certainly helped that I watched this business fueled comedy as my company was going through some drastic changes. It helped me laugh through a stressful time. I consider this a “must watch” for anyone working in business. 10/10

In the end, I found 2015 to be a disappointing year in entertainment. What am I missing? 

However, I'm one episode away from finishing the second season of The Americans. Wow. I love that the protagonists (Russian spies during the Cold War) are people that I, as an America, shouldn't like but do. Great storytelling!

What was the best thing you saw last year? What should go on to my “Watch List” for 2016?

January is a great time to hibernate and binge on new content. Sign up for a FREE month of Amazon Prime by clicking below and get watching now!

Go. Watch.

2015 Year in Review

Happy New Year!!!!!

I welcome 2016.

2015 was rough.

Some really awesome stuff happened though: I wrote a book, visited over 30 National Parks, visited my 49th state, reconnected with lots of old friends and made new ones on 20+ trips around North America, and I got back on stage as a host and performer for the first time in five years.

I documented 2015 by capturing 1 second of video on my phone every day. Well, that was the plan anyway. I missed a few days but here's a quick look at 336 days of 2015:

Info on how I made the video is in the comments below. Leave a comment if you have any questions.

I also spent time growing my photo skills and my Instagram following. Follow me: @valeriedperry. Here are my top nine photos:

That's a lot of good. Yet somehow my mind focuses on the bad: I battled depression for the first time, apathy was a near constant, I lost people I love, and my sister was diagnosed with cancer.

2015 started strong, but really fell apart.

It so completely fell apart that I find myself not looking forward to 2016. 2014 was really bad and 2015 wasn't much better, so what if 2016 is worse? The more bad stuff that happens, the more people I lose, the more heartbreak I experience, the tighter I want to close my fist around everything I think of as "mine." I want to sit on the couch and not risk anything so I can't fail at anything. I'm down and falling down hurts, so maybe I should stay down. Getting up and brushing myself off is hard. And I'm tired.

That's how I feel now, but I know that I only get one shot at life and I want to really live.  This isn't the time to play small. This isn't the time to sit back and watch. This isn't the time to give up. Even if it means standing here 366 days from now with some more bruises and several hundred tears lighter.

In his Lion Chaser's Manifesto, Mark Batterson says,

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshiping what’s right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don’t try to be who you’re not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Don’t let fear dictate your decisions. Take a flying leap of faith. Chase the lion!

In 2015 I failed a lot, I criticized and pointed out problems, I worried a lot about what people thought, and I stopped asking questions because I was afraid of the answers. I want to correct all of that (and more) in 2016. I'm ready to set new goals, dream new dreams, and hike new trails (be careful with this one. I hiked a new trail tonight and took a briar to the face...).

Another year is here. Are you going to live it? Or keep idling to arrive safely at death?

Go. Live.

_______________

Come back in a couple days for the most popular post of the year: my 2015 movie reviews!

Return to Mt. Rushmore

When I think of mountainous states I think of Colorado. Or even the Sierra Nevada of California. Or the Appalachian of the east. But I don't think South Dakota.

I always found the term "Black Hills of South Dakota" puzzling because I didn't think there were hills there and Mt. Rushmore is white. I paid closer attention on this trip. I not only found hills that are black, but I had my breath taken away by the beauty of the Black Hills.

Despite being on a National Park trip, I stayed in Custer State Park. Custer has many beautiful features and scenes to itself, but it is also centrally located between Mt. Rushmore, Jewel Cave, and Wind Cave. So it was a perfect base camp for me.

Despite having visited Mt Rushmore years ago, I decided to visit it again. To be honest, I was disappointed on my first visit. Yes, it was cool to see it in person, but it looks exactly how it does in photographs. There are places like the Grand Canyon that cannot be appreciated in a photograph, but Mt. Rushmore isn't necessarily one of those places.

For a different experience, I decided to visit at night and stay for the lighting ceremony. As dusk descended the hills a ranger took the stage in the outdoor amphitheater at the base of the monument and introduced a film. The film provided history on not only Mt. Rushmore, but also on the presidents it features.

At the end of the film, 6 veterans came to the stage to the lower the American flag. Before they began, the ranger called all veterans in attendance to take the stage. Each hero introduced him/herself and indicated the branch in which they served. This was one of the most powerful moments of the entire trip. The stage was lined with people who have fought to uphold the ideas and ideals of the four men featured on the mountain behind them.

I'm glad I gave Mt. Rushmore a second chance. And I actually gave it a third chance. The parking pass is good for a few days, so I decided to stop in on my way out of town and hike the .6 mile Presidential Trail that took me even closer to the mountain.

There is more to parks than what is observed at a first glance. There is always more to see, do, and explore.

Where are you exploring next?

Go. Live.

The Center of the Universe...well, at least the country

I used a map to plan my trip through the Dakotas. A real, paper map. One of the things that scares me the most about the digital revolution is that there will soon be entire generations that don't know how to read a map. So I embraced the chance to brush up on my own map reading skills and plotted the whole journey on a AAA map. I used Google Maps to confirm I wasn't making any huge mistakes, but I ended up using the paper map during most of my trip when reception dropped out.

As I was planning my drive from Theodore Roosevelt National Park to Custer State Park, I saw a peculiar note: "Geographical Center of the US"

Really? South Dakota seems too far north to be the center; at least in my mind. But this is probably a big deal. There's only one center of the country. Better do it up right.

The drive from TRNP to Interstate 90 is all on Highway 85. I didn't need a GPS. It was a straight shot. I planned on driving until I ran into the center of the nation. The only problem: I missed it. This is the only sign to point you to the geographical wonder:

Speed limits in South Dakota are usually between 65 and 80 MPH. It's hard to see a sign like that at those speeds. I caught a glimpse of it, but thought "That can't be it. It'd be a much bigger attraction." So I drove for a few more minutes before FOMO got the best of me. I flipped around on the near deserted highway and headed north.

8 miles on a dirt road takes a long time. Did I miss another turn? Was this a trap? Then, I saw it. In all her glory, the Center of the Nation.

I was confused and disappointed. And could not stop laughing.

Check out this video. Sorry about the wind, but notice the smirk on my face.

It may seem like more of an adventure to not use a map. But this time, using the map spawned the adventure.

I'm one of only a handful of people I know that have visited the Geographical Center of the United States. Have you visited it? What was your reaction?

Go. Live.