Thank you July visitors!
Last month was highly successful for visitors to Badlands Observatory, both daytime and nighttime. Our Guest Book shows that families visited from Montana, Ohio, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Washington, Wales UK, Poland, New York, Georgia, Virginia, Nebraska and Texas; in addition to South Dakota traffic from all parts of the State.
Even better than the number of visitors was the feedback:
Writes Sally: Had the best time with Teresa and Ron tonight!! What they have built is extremely impressive! Ron shared with us several telescopes he crafted by hand, and then they both shared the history and mission of the space. We had a beautiful night to look at the summer sky, and were able to see amazing objects through seven different telescopes set up in the side yard. Wow!! Learned a ton and we’re dazzled by different star systems and galaxy views. We got started around 10 and finished up a bit after midnight. Highly recommend as a way to unlock the secrets of the universe! The hospitality at this observatory is unparalleled! It’s a gift to be in dark sky territory, and this is such a cool way to appreciate it!
From Dani: Hi Teresa and Ron! Visiting Badlands Observatory was the highlight of our summer!!!
Our new pal Dillon: …thank you so much for everything…! Without you two I think my life would be very different, as of now I am a Sophomore, and I don't really know what my future career is going to be; however this experience at Badlands Observatory has made a huge influence on me and will for the rest of my life. I hope to continue chatting through email about the vast life above us, and I guarantee I'll have more questions. But none of this would have been possible without you, so clear skies and good luck Badlands Observatory!
Kathy: I don’t know how Joe found this place but he did it again! This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.. the highlight of our trip to South Dakota!
Kim: We absolutely enjoyed our time with you! Your knowledge and information had us all intrigued..
After a group leaves at night, we often reflect on the time spent with them and our feelings run a little melancholy, Many say they plan to return, but we can’t help but wonder if we will see them again. This is not the case with Family however, and we were delighted to welcome our nephew Lanny and his wife Theresa from Texas. In the old days, we would have taken off with them for some Black Hills sightseeing, but this time they hung out with us at Badlands Observatory. Thanks so much for your visit Lanny and Theresa.. until next time!
