During our great big ole trip out west, we scheduled into our itinerary a driving tour of the Badlands of North Dakota (aka Theodore Roosevelt National Park). At the South Unit Visitor Center, we visited the Maltese Cross Cabin where Roosevelt often stayed during his trips out to the western frontier.
This cabin has quiet a history if you’re interested in learning when, how, and why it was established and where it has traveled. (Even his cabin has been a Rough Rider! ha!)
Inside the cabin rests one of Roosevelt’s favorite pieces of furniture: his rocking chair.
If you’ve read anything about this Father-Colonel-Conservationist-Rough Riding-President-Rancher, you’ll know he was a passionate and enthusiastic fellow. In fact, during his lively discussions, he would often rock himself all the way across the living room.
After a visit to the South Park Unit visitor center, we embarked on the driving tour, which included a few beautiful hikes across the wilderness.
(The speck on top of the hill in the above photo is our three oldest children with my husband.) The Badlands of North Dakota reminded me of the Badlands of South Dakota, only with grassy fields balancing the rocky, dusty plateaus.
Any time we go to a place like this, I’m enthralled by the beauty of rock formations.
Because we were on the final leg of our 10,000-mile trip by this point, we only drove through the nearby town of Medora. Should we ever be in North Dakota again, I would love for us to stay in the area to explore everything this lovely town has to offer!
If you ever find yourself traveling out west, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a great way to experience North Dakota!
Studying Theodore Roosevelt? Try these free resources!
T. Roosevelt videos, photos, speeches
Roosevelt and the Spanish-American War
Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders
The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt Audio Book
Theodoreroosevelt.org
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Our favorite books about Theodore Roosevelt
The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks. Such a fun read about how our national parks came to be! [Picture book]
To Dare Mighty Things: The Life of Theodore Roosevelt. A biographical sketch of Teddy Roosevelt from childhood to Presidency, including his work as a Rough Rider and National Park conservationist. [Picture book]
Teedie: The Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt. Great biography of Teddy Roosevelt written for capturing the interest of young children. [Picture book]
The Legend of the Teddy Bear (Myths, Legends, Fairy and Folktales). This book provides the story about how the Teddy Bear came into existence. [Picture book]
Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt! This was a read aloud a few years ago, and we still reference some of the things we learned about Roosevelt from this book! [Read aloud]
