North Dakota - Day 28 - Enchanted Highway

Red Trail Campground, Medora

Wednesday, 28 July 2021

today's route

On the road

I stopped first at the grocery store, which was one of yesterday's undone errands, and walked the dogs, so it was 8:40 before we got on the road.

Not far out of town, I passed an old white building with the letters ZCBJ on the gable, the number 147 underneath that, and other letters under those.  I looked it up and learned a lot more than I expected.  Those letters stand for Západní Česko Bratrská Jednota which, in English, means Western Bohemian Fraternal Association.  It was started in Iowa in 1908 as a social organization for the Czech community, and eventually grew to 10,000 members.  I'm guessing this building outside Bismarck was Lodge 147.  Now the only thing I can find online is that it denotes a cemetery, which may be why the building I saw looked old and tired - it may not be used any more.

I've noticed North Dakota is real chary with its use of no-passing stripes on uphill roads.  In places where even I - in my elevated cab - can't see over the top of the hill, there's not a stripe in sight.  They do use them, but the state highway department seems determined to limit those uses.

As you can see on the map, I spent most of today's drive heading west.  I saw lots of decent-sized hills with beautiful views of more hills, valleys, trees, cropfields of different colors, scattered farms with buildings and paddocks, horses and cows.

I passed through the town of Flasher, "Bulldog Country" they say, a nice little place (pop. 232) that's big enough to include a golf course.

I started passing huge fields of sunflowers - I saw them all day and stopped counting at 9 of them.  But that's misleading because each one was acres of sunflowers, all turned to face the sun, of course.  And I saw many more fields where the plants weren't far enough along to have flowers yet.  There'll be a good sunflower harvest from North Dakota this year.

I stopped for a break at the town of Elgin and thought it odd that there should be a town with this name in both Texas and North Dakota.  But I looked it up and learned there are 20 states with towns called Elgin.  This one had a nice park that I think was sponsored by the Elgin Lions Club and included a softball field, tennis courts, a playground, and a trailer park and campground.  That last was empty, and there was a sign asking RVs to pay $15/night for electricity and tents $5/night.  This park was next door to the Elgin Saddle Club Rodeo grounds, where they charged $10 for adults, $6 for kids.  It all sounded like fun, actually, though we were just here to take a walk and have some lunch.

The wind had been strong all morning, but here it had increased so much that it was blowing the potato chips off my plate, and when we got back on the road it was blowing the RV around as well.

Near the town of Burt I saw goats, and wondered if those were the first I'd seen in ND.  A little farther on I saw a vulture and again wondered if this was the first I'd seen in the state.

Lots of wheat and corn out here.  There were pale gold wheat fields as far as I could see in any direction.  It occurred to me I might be seeing this country at its best - that this time of year with all the fields planted and the crops growing and the cows with calves and horses with foals - it's a vibrant time of year here.

It also occurred to me to wonder whether North Dakota had been part of the Dust Bowl, and indeed it was.  The Wikipedia article focuses mostly on Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas, but it crippled farms as far north as Canada.  Dust drifts 8' high wound up on North Dakota plains.  It was caused by 3 lengthy periods of drought and a failure by farmers to use farming practices to accommodate the drought.  The grass didn't grow so the cattle starved.  Dust storms blew away the topsoil.  And hoards of grasshoppers ate whatever was left.  Because of John Steinbeck, I tend to think of the Dust Bowl in terms of Oklahoma.  But FDR came to visit North Dakota in 1936, to see for himself what conditions were like.  It's just one of life's little ironies that the Dust Bowl coincided with the Great Depression, and almost certainly made it worse.

I've noticed that in Texas, when I see a clump of trees, I figure there's a water source nearby.  In North Dakota, when I see a clump of trees, I figure there's a house nearby.  So often here, the trees have been planted as a windbreak by the homeowner.

The check engine light came on again - steady, then blinking, then steady.  So much for cylinders #1 and 7.  I'm starting to think I should just get someone to disable this stupid light.  I don't believe it actually means anything in this vehicle.

Speaking of computer weirdness, my new refrigerator has some differences with my old one.  The difference that's been irritating is that, while it's being powered by propane, every now and then it'll beep a warning.  I haven't gotten around to reading the owner's manual to find out what they say about it, but I do know I haven't found any common set of circumstances for when it goes off.  The beep is very annoying and I have to stop driving, climb out of the driver's seat and over the dog and dog bed between the seats, and go back and turn the frig off, then turn it back on again to reset, then climb back over the dog and dog bed into the driver's seat.  That maneuver is more difficult with only 1 non-painful arm.  Today the frig beeped 3 different times and I got really tired of it.  

Enchanted Highway

I'd never heard of the Enchanted Highway until I came to this state.  But almost every person I've talked to in ND has suggested I come see it - so today's the day.  It's a 32-mile stretch of road running south from I-94 that was the brainchild of Gary Greff, artist and owner of the Enchanted Castle in the tiny town of Regent (pop. 160).  He worried that his town was dying and wanted to entice people to take a detour from the interstate by creating giant metal sculptures.  He's succeeded.  I saw a tour bus stop there while I was getting gasoline.  Here's a link to more explanation about this guy and his project.   https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story

I started at Regent and worked my way north.  Here are the sculptures I saw in order, south to north.  (The titles are the artist's.)

Tin Family

Teddy Rides Again

This next is (obviously) not a sculpture but a natural landmark.

explaining the history of this landmark

I think this is Black Butte.

Pheasants on the Prairie
I had trouble getting an angle that included
both the adults' spots and the 3 babies.

Fisherman's Dream
note the fisherman in the boat on the right side of this

Grasshoppers in the Field

This was at the grasshopper exhibit.

The Maze of Enchantment

Deer Crossing

Leading up to . . .

. . . Geese in Flight
The mountains below the geese aren't real,
but instead are part of the sculpture.

The Geese are right on I-94, easily visible to passing motorists.  This sculpture has been Guinness-certified as the World's Largest Scrap Metal Sculpture.

The road itself was not so enchanting for me; it had been crisscrossed a zillion times with streaks of tar, resulting in a washboard driving surface that was really uncomfortable and tiring to drive on - especially with my not-too-functional arm.  Usually those lines of tar mend gaps in the road surface, I think, but I found it impossible to believe there was a constant need to repair gaps along 32 miles.  If the road were really that gap-y, wouldn't they just repave it?  But the sculptures were worth the drive.

Back on the road

I saw one of the very few personalized license plates I've seen in ND.  This one said: 2DLLOO. 

I saw more working oil wells and lots of agriculture as I continued west.

I came to a sign saying I was in the Little Missouri National Grasslands.

I heard a radio interview with a woman who grew up in ND but currently lives in western Montana.  She said where she lives the beauty is the obvious, jaw-dropping kind.  But she said North Dakota has an unobvious beauty where you have to slow down and take time to appreciate what's around you.  And that's exactly what I've been finding.  The more time I spend in this state, the more I can see how beautiful it is.

Painted Canyon Visitor Center

It was mid-afternoon when we got here and the visitor center and parking lot were crowded.  And I was one of the few wearing a mask.  This is part of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and I'd hoped for an area with a driving loop.  But all they've got here is a short walkway to an overlook for a view.  I didn't go partly because I didn't trust the dogs to behave, but mostly because it didn't look like the view would be worth the trouble.  At this time of day and with cloud-covered skies, the colors get washed out.  The visitor center says it's at its best after a rain or at dawn or sunset.

Still, I appreciated the display they had about TR's connection with North Dakota and its influence on him.

the caption for this picture is shown below

part 1

part 2

The following is a sort of timeline of TR's life.

All over ND I've seen TR quoted as having said, "I never would have been President if it had
not been for my experiences in North Dakota."  I'm sorry to say no one's ever explained
why he was connecting the 2, but my guess is that his time here taught him the value of
conservation, and he pursued politics to achieve that end.
As president he designated more than 230 million acres of national parks, forests,
monuments and wildlife reserves.

I was curious if TR holds the record among presidents for creating the most protected areas.  Apparently the answer is yes and no.  If you're curious too, here's the link.   https://www.adventure-journal.com/which-president-protected-the-most-land

And I saw one more display, with an obvious point:

Wildlife Petting Chart

Back on the road

Something else everybody in ND told me to go see was the town of Medora.  It's the gateway to the South Unit of the TR National Park, but apparently it's trying to establish itself as a tourist destination separate from the park.  I saw billboards everywhere advertising shows and restaurants and so forth here.  But I figured if I wasn't interested in such things in Branson MO then I wouldn't be here either.  Still, I booked 2 nights at a campground here to be handy to the park and other places in the area.

It was a good idea, but next time I would stay absolutely anywhere other than this ghastly campground.  Actually, the campground may be okay, but the owner - who runs this place with an iron fist - is one of the rudest people I've met in my life.  And her practices in running this place verge on the criminal for deceptive practices.  I saw those comments online before I booked and I should have should have should have paid attention.

Fortunately for me, I'd planned to spend most of my time visiting local attractions so I didn't have to spend much time here.  I'm not going to detail the horror show I was dealing with, except to say (1) it rivals that KOA in Muskegon MI for unprovoked (and really stupid) bad behavior toward a customer, and (2) I've learned a lesson about paying attention to online comments.

North Dakota - Days 24 - 27 - in Bismarck

Bismarck KOA, Bismarck

Saturday, 24 through Tuesday, 27 July 2021

For Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the weather was a lot hotter than comfortable.  On Monday, for instance, the forecast was for a high of 103° and 93% humidity.  By 4 PM, it was up to 100° but the heat index brought it up to 104°.  So yeah, hot and humid.  And considering how far Bismarck is from any large body of water, a high level of humidity seems insulting.  Fortunately, on Tuesday it was overcast all day, which seemed to help keep the temp down into the 80s and 90s instead of the forecast 106°.

By Monday, my arm was finally feeling better - not well, because it still ached, sometimes a lot.  But still definitely, finally, it felt like it was on the mend.  It's been 2½ weeks since it got maltreated.  

On Tuesday I ran errands, starting with the recycling facility to get rid of the last couple of weeks worth of plastic and paper and so forth.  Then I went to an auto repair place.

When I first got to town, even before going to the campground I stopped at the place where they'd read the "check engine" codes 3 weeks ago.  They told me they couldn't fit me in until late next week but suggested several other mechanics in town as reliable.  So one of those is where I made an appointment for Tuesday.

Those folks told me the reading I'd gotten in Killdeer last week was a sort of generic reading, and they were able to get more specific information off the RV's computer.  They said it showed a history of misfires on cylinders #1 & #7, though they weren't able to duplicate those misfires.  Still, they replaced the coil and plugs for those 2 and figured that would fix the problem.  Since they charged me $440 for this, I hoped so too.

That stop had another effect.  They'd wanted me to take the dogs and the cat and get out of the RV while they did the work, because customers aren't supposed to be in the work area.  I've gotten that at other places too and have managed to get around it by pointing out that we live in the RV so it's not just a vehicle, then putting the dogs on leashes, putting the cat in her carrier, and all of us sitting very still inside the RV while they worked.  So far, that's managed to stave off what I'm sure would be a disaster.  

It worked this time too, except this time Lily took serious exception to being crated and bit me in 4 places while I did it.  So then I had to stop the bleeding, find the Band-Aids and Neosporin (good thing Anna introduced me to it), all while trying to keep the critters quiet.  Then Lily kept mouthing off so bad that I finally put her in the bathroom, opened the crate, and closed the door - it was a lot hotter in there than if she'd stayed in her crate by the window, but she stopped yowling so I guess it's what she wanted.

But the result was that I had 4 more injured places than I'd started the day with, just when I was finally starting to lose the scabs from my injuries when Dext dragged me on the ground.  I'm sure having pets has advantages, but sometimes it's harder to remember them than at others.

A little before noon, I went from the auto shop to a tire place I'd called.  I'd been worrying about those 2 rear tires that were low on tread and called a place in Bismarck, read him off the numbers on my tires, and he ordered some to arrive Tuesday.  When I got there, they discovered that their jack wasn't strong enough to lift the RV.  They had a lift that was much stronger, but it was being used at the time and they had to finish that job first before getting to me.

It was 2:40 before that lift finally cleared.  The RV barely made it through their door and onto the lift, but it did.  It was 3:15 when they figured out that this jack wasn't strong enough either and they had no equipment that would let them change my tires.

I'd waited 3¼ hours for nothing.  They tried to convince me to go to a truck facility they knew of which could undoubtedly handle the RV.  But I pointed out: (a) the truck facility might not have the right size tires and I sure didn't want to pay these guys for the tires they'd ordered and sling them into the RV for the ride over; (b) it was already mid-afternoon and I still hadn't finished my other errands; (c) by the time the truck people could finish it'd be rush hour traffic which I didn't want to drive the RV in if I didn't have to; and (d) my brain stops working anyway about this time of day and I sure didn't want to be dealing with a sluggish brain at a truck repair place in an unknown part of town.  So I declined and said I'd get it done someplace else.  Quel nuisance.

The other problem I didn't bother to tell them about was that I'd been awake since 1 AM and actually up since 2:30.  I haven't been getting more than 5 hours of sleep a night, and often less than that, which is just not enough.  I need some rest and I'm finding it hard to come by.

On the way back to the campground I stopped off for some wine, which I figured I could use.  And at the campground my first act was to dump my waste tanks, never a pleasant chore.  And then take the dogs out.  And then finally try to defer my worrying for another day.  

I did hope that the "check engine" light problem was a thing of the past, and I'd gotten rid of both the recycling and the waste water, so I figured the day wasn't a total loss.

North Dakota - Day 23 - Audubon birds and the Missouri River

Bismarck KOA, Bismarck

Friday, 23 July 2021

When I took the dogs out at 4:10 for our first walk, I was stunned by a very full moon that looked very red.  I've never seen a blood moon before, but that's what I figured it was until I looked them up online.  That's not what it was.  In fact, I couldn't find any mention of what I saw online so apparently it wasn't a recognized weather phenomenon.  My guess is that the red color was caused by smoke from the Canadian wildfires, though I thought that smoke had mostly headed for Minnesota and I haven't smelled any of it here.  So my guess may be wrong, but my eyes weren't.  That was a very large, very round and very red moon.  And it had disappeared below the tree level by the time we got back to the RV at 4:25 (I'd wanted to take a photo).  I was just lucky.

During that same walk, we heard an unearthly high-pitched scream in the distance.  It wasn't a cry like coyotes, for instance.  It was a scream, but I'm pretty sure it was animal and not human.  It upset Dexter, who stopped walking and started growling.  Maybe it was a bird?  Very strange and very spooky.

today's route

Today's route was 122 miles, which doesn't seem like much, but I'd intended it to be even longer.  My very sore arm, that doesn't seem to be making much progress in healing, makes driving a real chore instead of something almost automatic.  I can't use my left arm to turn the wheel, for instance, and even just finding a comfortable position to sit in isn't easy.  

So what went by the wayside was a visit to Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.  I'd also passed up a visit there when I was first driving to Lake Sakakawea, because I'd spent so much time at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit, and then had the worry of the "check engine" light being solid, that I was too tired then for a visit.  Instead, I planned it for today but gave up the idea when the temperature got blazing hot again and my arm got painfully sore again.  This historic site preserves the remains of an earthlodge (this is the National Park Service's word) village, and includes a reconstructed earthlodge to interpret the way of life of 3 Northern Plains tribes.  I wanted to see it but will have to add it to the list of things for my next trip here.

On the road

When I crossed the dam that created Lake Sakakawea, I passed a bar & grill with a prominent "open" sign.  At 7:30 AM.  Now, you might think it was just the grill part that was open, but North Dakota has alcohol laws so liberal I've been reminded of those in Alaska.  Alcohol can be sold from 8 AM until 2 AM, Monday through Saturday, and noon until 2 AM on Sunday.  These times apply both to alcohol consumed in an establishment (say, a bar & grill) and to a bottle of alcohol which, by the way, is sold in grocery stores, convenience stores and liquor stores.  That includes beer, wine and spirits.  Considering ND has the highest number of churches per capita in the US, these liberal alcohol laws were a continuing surprise to me.

Less than 20 miles from last night's campground was the Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, so I went there first.

Audubon National Wildlife Refuge

I was surprised driving in to be met with quite the herd of cows who were NOT fenced in.

This is only part of the herd - many more
were to the left of this photo.

This is the sign at far
right in the cow photo.

Because we got there early, the visitor center wasn't open.  But there was a display and a handout: an Auto Tour Guide that included information about interpretive signs along the route.  This is one of the signs on the display:

So this explains the cows.

explaining the grasslands

mixed grass prairie

I've never really thought of acres of grass as attractive, but North Dakota is teaching me to appreciate it.  The Auto Guide explained that the leading edge of the Wisconsin glacier moved across this region more than 10,000 years ago.  It deposited rock, gravel and soil that provided growing conditions for mixed grass prairie plants.  These, in turn, provide habitat for the many bird species that are dependent on grasslands.

This photo shows dikes that were built in Lake Audubon to create a habitat that's more like a wetland than an open lake.  The dike calms the water, which allows plants like cattails to grow, and these provide habitat for a variety of birds.

This refuge is in the Prairie Pothole Region, like the area around Chase Lake I saw earlier this month.  This region has some of the highest densities of nesting ducks in North America.

At another point in the drive I found similar information:

a different dike at another part of the lake

Nearby I found a different type of habitat enhancement:

showing the islands that were once hilltops -
odd idea, isn't it

Here's another view of the prairie lands:

According to the Auto Tour Guide, early pioneers called these prairies a Sea of Grass.  It was mile after mile of grasslands that waved in the summer winds, much like what I saw here.  Sadly, there are no longer any such expanses.  At all.  The areas here in the refuge, like similar areas around the US, were used for growing crops.  Groups like the US Fish & Wildlife Service, which manages this refuge, have been reseeding native grasses in protected areas in an attempt to reestablish the lost habitat.  They say that though it's "virtually impossible to duplicate native prairie due to the variety and complexity of plant and soil life, the planted native grasses and wildflowers provide habitat for a great variety of insects, migratory birds, and resident wildlife."

I came early enough in the day to see lots of duckies - one with a family of 3 babies, and either a beaver or an otter, I couldn't tell which.  Lots of cormorants, maybe a Bittern.  But most of them were just far enough away that I'd've had to be constantly adjusting my binoculars to see them.  And honestly, the pair of binoculars I have are hard for me to use - small and convenient but hard for me to focus, so I tend to avoid using them at all.

Still, this was a beautiful area and I was glad I came.

Back on the road

Once again, the "check engine" light flashed 3 or 4 times, then stopped.  I wish I knew what it was all about.  It's so distracting and worrying.

I passed a sign for Falkirk Mining Co., which also said they mined coal.  The State of North Dakota, with the logo "Be Legendary," celebrates this strip-mining operation by touting its use of "some of the largest earth-moving equipment manufactured today" while producing about 8 million tons of lignite each year to "generate low-cost electricity for 2/3 of rural Minnesota."  (They don't explain why it's for Minnesota and not North Dakota).  They have 400 full-time employees, are one of the safest coal mines in the industry and "are able to return the land to a quality at or above pre-mining condition."  (They don't say what an above pre-mining condition might be.)  

I've never been a fan of strip mining, but I'm willing to modify my opinion if this group really is doing a good job of reclamation.  Still, this description by the State is so glowing I'm not sure I believe it.  And I found others questioning these claims because - let's face it - the coal industry is folding.  Despite efforts by former Pres. Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell and others to hold back reality, reality is starting to win out.  And some folks are starting to worry about coal mines not doing the reclamation they're obligated to do if they simply close.  Here's a link.   https://www.inforum.com/business/What-happens-when-coal-mines-leave-ND

Not far away I passed the Blue Flint Ethanol plant that says they buy 23 million bushels of corn from local farmers each year, using it to produce 70 million gallons of ethanol, as well as distillers grains for livestock feeds and corn oil for biodiesel.  They especially pat themselves on the back for locating their plant next to ND's largest power plant, because they use the waste steam for their refining process and to dry the distillers grains for cattle.  They say it makes them "one of the most cost-effective, energy efficient and environmentally friendly biorefineries in the country."  And maybe they are.

I stopped at a rest area above the Missouri River, where 4 horses were standing nearby, flicking their tails so sharply and so constantly that I wondered if flies were getting to them.  I noticed flies myself when the dogs and I went for a short walk.

The "check engine" light came on again, this time not blinking but steady.

Cross Ranch State Park

On the way here I discovered Google wanted me to drive 6 miles on an unpaved road.  The State, on the other hand, directed me to a longer but well-paved road, and that's the route I took.

I came here because I'd been told this park included the last 7 miles remaining of free-flowing Missouri River.  The park itself says the park and next-door nature preserve "contain the largest remaining tract of publicly-owned, undeveloped floodplain woodland on this stretch of the Missouri."  The nature preserve is owned by The Nature Conservancy, which donated part of its land to the state for this park.

Here's some background:

 And here's the river itself:

I really hope this video has come out.  It's only a minute long, but it took ages to download for some reason, so I'm not sure if it took.  This is the Missouri River as it might have looked 200 years ago when Lewis & Clark came upriver.  It's really peaceful.  There's a little sound on the video, too.  Maybe you can tell that there's an awful lot of water moving down this river.

Back on the road

It was at this point that I decided not to visit the Knife River Indian Village.  The day had become really hot, my arm was still hurting, and Google said it'd take me an hour to get to tonight's campground just from here; it'd be 2 hours if I detoured to the historic site.  I just couldn't come up with the energy.

I kept driving south and crossed the Missouri again as I was coming into Bismarck.  I went back to the campground where I'd first started North Dakota, and I think the dogs were as glad as I was to be back in a familiar, comfortable place.

North Dakota - Days 21 & 22 - in the campground

Lake Sakakawea State Park, Pick City

Wednesday, 21 & Thursday, 22 July 2021

We stayed in the campground these 2 days, mostly because it was very hot and I didn't want to spend much time outside.

Both days we had rain, thunder and lightning - on Wednesday, that's what started the day, though it cleared up in plenty of time to dump a lot of heat on us, and on Thursday, things were reversed because it was very hot all day until about 5 PM, when the thunder/lightning started, followed by a heavy rain at around 7:00.  Something for everyone.

Both days I had only an intermittent internet signal, usually not available at all until the afternoon.  I tried to do some catching up on the blog but it was discouraging.  At down times I tried to make inroads on the photo editing backlog.

These are photos of a Russian olive tree, according to a couple of park rangers I saw.  They told me these are an invasive species here, but park visitors like them so much they've taken to planting them.  That was obvious because they were growing in locations that would have been impossible if Nature had its way unaided, and they were growing all over the park.  They had small thorns, too, like mesquites.

I asked about them because they reminded me a lot of mesquite trees, and I was surprised that neither of these rangers had heard of mesquites.  Surprised because I'd have thought they'd at least know good barbecue can depend on using mesquite to cook it, but I guess they're just kids and haven't learned this yet.

Lake Sakakawea is the largest man-made lake located entirely in North Dakota, and it's also the 2nd largest in the US by area and the 3rd largest by volume.  It's a pretty lake that has a very un-pretty history.  Built in the 1950s as part of a flood control and hydroelectric power project, the US Army Corps of Engineers was careful to spare several predominantly white towns in the area but inundated 2 towns of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.  Not only were the tribal members displaced from their homes with almost no compensation, but the Corps influenced Congress to prohibit the tribe from allowing their cattle to drink from the reservoir.  (They wouldn't even let the cows drink the water??)

I'd heard the whole time I've been in the state that this is a very popular lake.  I found it hard to get a camping reservation until I asked for mid-week dates.  There were lots of people here while I was, and it looked like most of them were interested in the fishing.

We saw lots of deer while we were here, and my early morning walks with the dogs were a little scary for me because I kept thinking they'd scent a deer and try to chase it, with me dangling on the leashes behind.  Luckily for my still very sore arm, that didn't happen.

We were all pestered with flies, though, especially Dexter.  For some reason, the flies go after him much more often than after Gracie and me, though they definitely don't make us feel neglected.  But they can chase Dext indoors because of them biting him.  

North Dakota - Day 20 - Roosevelt Natl. Park North to Lake Sakakawea

Lake Sakakawea State Park, Pick City

Tuesday, 20 July 2021

I'd intended to do laundry this morning before leaving last night's campground.  But after I'd hauled my clothes over there, I found they only had 3 washers - 2 were broken and one had clothes in it, washed but still sitting in the washer.  I had 2 loads of clothes so even dumping out this person's clean clothes would only gain me 1 machine, so I said forget it and went to a laundromat in town.  Like I said, Williston has a way to go in putting together tourist facilities.

the lower yellow line is today's route

On the road

It was 11:25 when we finally got on the road, much later than I'd intended.

Leaving Williston, we crossed the Missouri River, which we did several times today.

You might be able to see on the map that AAA thinks the drive from Williston to the national park is a scenic one.  I too thought it was attractive, but it didn't seem much different from other landscapes I've seen in ND.  At least, not until I got near the park when the gorge carved by the Little Missouri River began to show itself.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

The scenery here is stunning and fascinating.  I learned that my America the Beautiful Senior Pass let me in for free (ordinary vehicle charge is $25 I think).  Because my computer's being contrary, I'll limit the photos to a couple of unusual geological formations, an oxbow, and a couple of examples of the living inhabitants here.

Cannonballs

Showing how they grow in the ground.

The children in the background give you
a relative height for these.

Slump block

the explanation

This is the land mass intact.

This piece slumped off the right side . . .

. . . and this piece slumped off to the left.

Amazing, isn't it?

Oxbow

The river originally ran north to Hudson Bay.  In the most recent ice age, glaciers
blocked its path, which is when the river took a hard turn to the east (above).

in real life

In 2010, researchers found the oldest known living plains cottonwood here.
It was believed to have sprouted in 1641, and scientists have learned a lot studying its rings.
Narrow growth rings, for instance, identify the Dust Bowl, and also other drought years.

My photo of the oxbow (above) shows the gorge of the Little Missouri at a wide point.  Here's a photo I took from a different viewing area.

I don't know if the canyon is 600' deep here,
but it's that deep somewhere along the river's journey.

Local residents

I thought this white thing was beautiful and don't remember ever seeing any like it.

I took the video above without my reading glasses on and without having taken a video in months - so I couldn't remember what to do and couldn't see what I was doing, and I just shut it off after a few seconds, only to find later it was okay, if a little shaky.  Anyway, I put on my glasses and took a look at the camera to find the right button, but the buffalo had moved along and I almost missed him.  Listen to Dexter's reaction. 

These are such strange-looking animals.  Their hind ends look like they've been shaved, especially compared to the very thick coats on their front ends.

I hope those videos actually work, since that was another thing I've had trouble figuring out how to make it work.  It's taken me hours to get these 2 on my blog, so I hope they turn out to be worth it.

Back on the road

I passed a sign saying I was entering the Mountain Time Zone.  And I passed another sign saying I was passing through the Little Missouri National Grassland.

My "check engine" light came on yet again, but this time it was steady, not flashing, and though I pulled over for a bit it didn't go off as it has before.  This change of behavior is a little nerve-wracking and I feel like this time I need to get it checked.  After all, I've been driving almost 3 weeks since the last time I got it checked, and the light's come on maybe half a dozen times during that period.

I kept going down the road because it didn't seem like I had a choice - it's not like there was a shoulder for me to pull over onto - just a 2-lane road with curves and hills and not at all a good place to bring a large vehicle to a standstill - especially not a prolonged one while I waited for a tow or a mechanic.

The next town of any size was Killdeer, another town that's growing by leaps and bounds.  In 2010 the population was 751; in 2018 it was an estimated 1,147 (oil country, of course).  I hadn't planned to stop, but this warning light changed my mind.

I was looking for a garage or mechanics of any kind.  What I came to was a NAPA Auto Parts store.  I remembered that in Fargo, an O'Reilly Auto Parts had a sign out front saying they could check the codes for the "check engine" light, so I thought maybe this place could do it too.

Apparently they aren't supposed to but one guy there used to be a mechanic in Houston and was willing to do a basic check.  What the codes told him was that I had a multiple cylinder misfire and it should be running really poorly and I'd get terrible gas mileage.  Well, I believed him, but it hadn't been running any differently than at any other time and my gas mileage looked about as always.  So it clearly needed to be checked by a mechanic in a shop as soon as possible, but since I wasn't showing the symptoms, I stopped worrying so much.  I decided to take care of it when I got down to Bismarck in a few days.

I continued to pass cows, horses, grain fields, cornfields, hay bales from the previous harvest.  Grazing land, Lutheran churches, hills, marshes and oil wells.  The scenery in North Dakota doesn't seem to change much, but it's got a lot of variety, if you see what I mean.  I am really finding it very pretty.

I didn't get to the campground office until almost 5:00 (Central time, which was the time I was still operating on).  After checking in, I stopped at the waste tank dump and emptied them out.  Then I had a hard time figuring out the traffic pattern at this campground so it took me several tries to even get into my spot, let alone try to find a level-ish spot in the spot.  Then I needed to walk the dogs, who'd been very patient for quite a while.  It was 5:30 by the time I fed the kids which was almost 2 hours later than I usually prefer getting set up.  A very long day made longer by having to wait until the laundromat opened instead of taking care of it at the campground.  Oh well.  There's many worse things in the world.