July 2

Yesterday, it was crazy getting out of Minneapolis. A few miles down I94W there was a catastrophic “road failure.” When I read the sign, I thought, WTF is a road failure? Well after waiting in traffic for 20 minutes, I discovered that it’s evidently when a huge ditch replaces what was formerly smooth asphalt. It had effed up one person’s car already…I think it may have even required an ambulance. I wonder if you can sue the state over road maintenance?

A few more miles down the way, I’m driving along when there’s a huge “gunshot” sound…a rock hit the windshield and I have two inch+ wide starbursts. But that’s what insurance is for right? Then more traffic delays in odd places until I finally got out of the state, after losing more than an hour. It rained pretty hard leaving MN too, making driving a little stressful.
I’d planned to stop in Bismarck, but at 11pm, I called it quits in Jamestown, ND. Right before I stopped, I saw a doe just on the edge of the highway and then fireworks at a distance. I was also getting absolutely inundated with bugs hitting my windshield…it was like a never-ending swarm. I have never had to wash the windshield so much!

I woke up this morning at 5am, but went back to sleep until 745. I am on vacation after all! After breakfast and listening to some old men enumerate their maladies, I headed west. I was trying to find a decent stopping point when a friend suggested stopping at Medora, which is kind of a cheesy tourist trap, but surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

This is the part of North Dakota where the scenery shifts from endless farmland to buttes and hills. The buttes reminded me of the Grand Canyon, striated with layers of sediment. The hills were really interesting—they made me think of how people describe the hills/mountains of Scotland. They’re not really big, but they’re constantly undulating across the landscape. It’s very craggy…you wouldn’t think cows would like it much, but goats, maybe☺ You can see where fences have to be adapted to fit the peaks and valleys, the twists and turns. And with all of the tall grass blowing in the wind, it really does look like a vast green ocean, swells and all. A lot of it is in the Missouri National Grassland, and it’s pretty obvious where the name comes from. It’s horizon to horizon…I could almost imagine what these vast plains would have looked like teeming with life, bison, antelope, wild horses… There were also these huge fields of bright yellow…I’m not sure if it was a crop or flowers or ? But so pretty against the vibrant green hills and the deep blue sky.

After my stop in Medora, I started to feel a bit dozy around Terry, ND, not too far from the Montana border. So I stopped off and took a reading break in the parking lot of Terry High School, under some shade trees. Then back on the road, straight through to Billings, though I did see the exit for Home on the Range, just after the border. Every once in a while you catch site of a house on a farm, but it doesn’t seem like many people live in the vast open. I would think it would be a lonely life.
Now I’m in Billings. I succumbed to temptation and went to Cracker Barrel for dinner. I better get some hiking done over the next week to burn off all of this food I’m eating. I’m waiting to see Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 3d. I got into town too late to really see any sights, and I’m going to be physically active the next 5-6 days, so why not have a night of rest. Plus I’ve never seen a modern 3D movie. I saw Jaws 3D and who hasn’t see Captain Eo at Epcot, but those are years back.

After this, I’m going to go settle down, take a shower and get a decent rest. I’m hoping to get up around dawn to head down the Beartooth Hwy. It’s supposed to be gorgeous, and hopefully the light will be good for some pictures. It’ll also get me to Yellowstone at a decent hour so I can still do a day hike.

I’ve been listening to Bill Bryson along the road…audiobooks sure do pass the time. Music can only occupy me for so long until I get antsy.