{"id":15382,"date":"2025-08-28T10:40:30","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T17:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/streaming2nps.com\/?p=15382"},"modified":"2025-09-01T07:31:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T14:31:21","slug":"medora-and-theodore-and-badlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/streaming2nps.com\/?p=15382","title":{"rendered":"Medora and Theodore and Badlands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Again, finally, after almost 11 years<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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We’ve been wanting to return to Medora, ND<\/mark><\/strong>, since we first visited in October 2014. Then we had a day and a half to visit the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP<\/strong><\/mark>. Most of Medora was “closed”. Seriously. Just the Rough Rider Hotel, one tavern (for hamburgers) and a gas station\/convenience store were open. Only about 100 people live here in the winter, even today. Half the town is owned by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation<\/mark><\/strong>, which, among other things, hosts Medora, the Musical<\/mark><\/strong>, celebrating its 60th<\/sup> Season<\/mark><\/strong> this summer. And that’s why we wanted to return, to see the show and more of Medora, and, of course… revisit what we’ve often called one of our favorite national parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Theodore Roosevelt <\/strong>National Park<\/strong><\/mark> (#54-revisit)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Theodore Roosevelt first visited the Dakota Territory to hunt bison in 1883. Then he was a skinny, young, spectacled dude from New York. He returned to mourn, several months later, after his mother and wife both died on  on Valentine’s Day 1884. He could not have imagined how his adventures in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation. The rugged landscape and strenuous life that TR experienced here would help make him the man he became and shape a conservation policy that we still benefit from today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, we spent the morning driving the South Unit Scenic Drive<\/strong><\/mark>, stopping at overlooks and taking a few hikes. Wednesday, we stopped by the Painted Canyon Overlook<\/strong><\/mark>, and then drove to the North Unit<\/strong><\/mark>, and took its Scenic Drive<\/strong><\/mark> and a few hikes. Scenery still stunning…some differences from October 2014 to August 2025…the weather was high 80’s vs mid 30’s, and we saw way more animals in 2014, and virtually none this year…time of day and temperature?<\/p>\n\n\n\n