South Dakota

Nationals’ presidential mascots pay visit to South Dakota

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Some of the biggest names in American political history visited the Black Hills over the long President’s Day weekend, even stopping at their likenesses at Mount Rushmore.

The Washington Nationals’ presidential mascots, famous for their footraces during the 7th-inning stretch, traveled to western South Dakota as guests of The Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association. Video footage from their tour, which also included stops at Custer State Park, Wall Drug Store and Deadwood, will be played during future home games.

KARA SILVA/Chicago Tribune
Visitors to Badlands National Park can witness a naturally occurring color palette of pinks and yellows on the rock faces as they drive the scenic loop route.

A good time in the Badlands

What would I do with a five-day mini-getaway? Let's see, maybe New York City, San Francisco, Miami or -- South Dakota? Lets be honest, the Mount Rushmore State doesn't generally come to mind when thinking "vacation." But after seeing a photo of Badlands National Park in the book "501 Must-Visit Natural Wonders," I changed my mind.

The National Park Service describes the South Dakota Badlands as one of the plan-et's fastest-eroding landscapes. What you see today will in some way be different tomorrow. The Badlands also are a geological gem boasting a poetic blend of simple grandiosity and rugged natural beauty. The never-ending dance of deposition and erosion is what makes the Badlands remind us of the age of the planet and the truth behind the saying "Nothing lasts forever."

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