The Badlands Loop by itself is one of the world’s great drives, but we managed to secure a couple of nights at the park itself at the last minute. The cabins inside the Interior Entrance are wonderful, but we could only swing one night in one of those – they’re usually booked well in advance but one popped up on the reservations website the night before we left Deadwood and I pounced on it. There’s a sister motel just outside the gate, and I got right back on the reservation site and booked the next night there.
The motel is fine. The cabins are great.

I’ve been meaning to try my hand at Milky Way photography for a year or so but this was the first shot I had at a clear, dark sky away from the usual city light pollution. The first night at the cabin I found this site and took its advice. Probably my single favorite moment of the trip was seeing the first good sky shot pop off the viewscreen.
My settings: Canon 5Dii, Canon 24mm f/2.8, ISO 6400, 20 seconds.

I forgot to bring my tripod on this trip. I piled up our travel books to steady the lens.