After leaving the Badlands, we traveled east on I-90. At first, the terrain was waterless and nearly desert. The landscape consisted of arid rolling hills and arroyos filled with sagebrush, with an occasional ranch in the distance. At one point, we spotted a herd of wild horses browsing on dry grass.
As we moved eastward, we began to notice more streams and rivers, and there were herds of cattle and horses grazing the rangeland. Gradually the desert gave way to farmland, featuring endless fields full of hay rolls, wheat and sunflowers. Near the Wisconsin border, we began to see more trees, ponds, streams and fertile cropland and dairy farms.
At Oacoma, close to the middle of the state, we crossed the broad Missouri River. We remembered how small it had been when we saw its source in Three Forks, Montana, and were impressed with how large the river had become in that distance.
We saw lots of deer -- both mule and white tailed -- with a couple dozen in S. Dakota, and nearly 60 in the Black Hills National Forest, right after we crossed the state line. Throughout the day we saw small bands of pronghorn antelope. By the time we reached Wisconsin, we had counted over 300!
Interesting note about pronghorns. According to National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals,
This family consists of a single species, which occurs only in Western North America. Despite it's genus name (Antilocapra, meaning "antelope goat"), the Pronghorn is neither goat nor antelope, or even very closely related to either; instead, it is the sole remnant of an ancient family that dates back 20 million years.
More from August 15 in Part 5 - Animals
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