Elder 6

stuck in a bison traffic jam. No one dared honk a horn for fear of
setting off the giant, shaggy guards. In the center of it all,
gazing around with curiosity and wonder, stood a small fuzzy
golden calf.
Who knows how long the face-off would have endured?
Finally, the calf’s mother took the situation into her own hands
(hooves, that is); she walked into the road and nudged her little
one to a grassy area on the side. On spindly legs, the calf
trotted after her,
oblivious to the problem
he had caused. The
team of bulls
swaggered after them,
releasing the cars to
continue on their way.
Theodore Roosevelt
National Park in
Medora, North Dakota
may well be the most
exciting, unusual place
in the national park
system. Home to roaming herds of bison, the park bursts with a
vitality befitting its namesake. Though set in a region known as
“the badlands,” I encountered a landscape that conjured up
fairy castles more than outlaws. A labyrinth of candy-colored
mountains — ribbons of creamy sandstone with stripes of pink
and green sediment — created a magical backdrop for wild
west adventures.
My first stop of the day was at the South Unit Visitor
Center just inside the park perimeter. Rangers armed me with
maps and information about the local flora and fauna. A small
museum featured exhibits on the history, nature, and geology of
the region.