Day 17: North Dakota

State Tree

What is the State Tree of North Dakota? …. The telephone pole. Credit to my friend Rocchio for that joke. 

I was believing the joke today after I left Hill City South Dakota, through Rapid City, then through Sturgis (home of the big motorcycle week, and recently Covid Super Spreader event).  Going North on a State Two lane, very few trees at all in this ranch land.  Homes and barns were tucked behind rocks, but I did not see the trees and water I saw in Nebraska.  I did however see cows, deer and even a buffalo heard (I think being raised for meat).

I can only imagine what this territory is like in a winter storm, nothing to stop the wind for miles.  I have been known to let my gas gauge get down to the warning light coming on, and then some.  Not here, when it gets below ½, I start looking.

My destination was Theodore Roosevelt National Park, in South Western North Dakota.  At the start of this trip I finished the book Leave It As It Is by David Glessner.  The author tells the story of Roosevelt and his efforts to conserve the American West during his presidency.  Roosevelt had many faults, but he did more than any other president to preserve nature.  The book also talked about how formative Roosevelt’s time in North Dakota was.  Roosevelt moved to North Dakota as a spoiled, sickly young man and earned a reputation for being a hard-working ranch hand.  Roosevelt credits his time in North Dakota for giving him the ability to assume the presidency after McKinley was shot.  The park has a nice 25-mile drive through it’s Badlands.  I was relieved to find it a lot less crowded that the Badlands in South Dakota.  I saw wild buffalo, wild horses and prairie dogs.

After visiting the park, I set my sites on staying in Bismarck for the night. It occurred to me in my planning I really didn’t think my stops through, as I had to back track 130 miles east to get to Bismarck.  You know you have not planned correctly when you need to change your time back to Central time.  Oh well, I wanted to see Bismarck and so I set my cruise at 80 and arrived in Bismarck.   I’m glad I stuck to my plan, Bismarck is probably my biggest surprise so far, it’s a nice little city actually a lot of trees and gently rolling hills.  Picture below is of the state capital. Very un-Capital looking, it’s a 19-story building, still the tallest building in North Dakota, but the grounds are nice and it made for a pleasant walk.

Song of the Day: I found this on Spotify, and it sums up my trip,  Across America Nanci Griffith

Podcast: Smartless, today conductor Gustavo Dudamel

Book on Tape:  Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Beer of the Day:  Red Dwarf Raspberry Sour, Laughing Sun Brewery (shout out to my friend Randy for getting me to try a sour last month)

Total Miles 450