Don’t discount beauty of badlands
17.04.2010, 17:06
The June 15 front-page story by Lauren Donovan, “Old 10 could be something special” could really be something special if the people involved knew the first thing about scenic beauty.
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Can you believe the transportation enhancement coordinator of the state of North Dakota would remark that Old No. 10 highway from Sentinel Butte to Beach is just prairie and is not seen as a premiere route of scenic byways?
Possibly the folks in charge just haven’t taken the time to consider leaving the beautiful Badlands starting west of Belfield and extending to the Sentinel Butte area is not up to their scenic standards.
If not, then where is the real scenery in traveling from Beach where Old No. 10 begins with an eight-mile stretch past Home On the Range, the majestic Sentinel Butte, from whose lofty range, (second highest point in North Dakota) you can gaze on the outstanding view of Golden Valley, some of the most beautiful farmlands in the state.
From this point your gaze takes in Bullion Butte, the Badlands with unbelievable wildlife and the rising outline of Camel’s Hump, the real ranching country to the north and the the wonderful town of Medora.
This is all Teddy Roosevelt country; this is where the West really begins, from the breath-taking view from the Painted Canyon outlook to the red scoria hills from just west of Belfield to Buffalo Gap.
Honestly, this is the historic western section of the entire state of North Dakota. Would the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Cowboy Hall of Fame want to deprive tourists of these points of beauty and interest by leaving this portion off the scenic byways designation, starting the tour east of Dickinson, and with all due respect for the great towns from Richardton, Hebron and the others on into Mandan, what do they offer?
Everyone reading this who is interested in tourism, in giving a helping hand to business people along this route should drive the route into Beach.
They should make this their starting gate for entry into one of nature’s wonderlands and the best we have to offer the traveler.
People should drop their prejudice against western North Dakota, recognize that the world does not end in Dickinson, share their tourist dimes with their neighbor and spend more time out here in God’s country.