Day 29 Detroit Lakes, Minnesota....a bit of a side trip

10, 480 km travelled to date:
We had another great sunny hot day....in the high 80s. After E did some minor repairs to tighten up a loose fog light, we were on our way to the Frontier Museum in Jamestown. We walked around the Museum village which dates back to the pioneer days. A small building housed artifacts and memorabilia related to Louis L'Amour who grew up in Jamestown and was a prolific writer of western novels (some made into movies). We were hoping to see a small herd of white buffalo in the adjoining field but had to content ourselves with visiting the Buffalo Museum.
Later, we received some well meaning advice about taking a scenic road to Fort Ransom where Sodbuster festivities were underway. We found out that the scenic road was gravel and decided to take an alternate route through scenic farmland. Three hours later, we found our way back to Hwy 94 heading east to Fargo, ND. Once again, we saw acres of land either under water or not being used due to flooding resulted from the winter thaws and heavy rains. The land is low and there isn't any where for the water to flow and as a result, the water tables are very high.
At a rest stop, we learned from another couple travelling on a motorcycle about Detroit Lakes in Minnesota as being a great overnight stop. As a result, we are here tonight. The hotel is quite luxurious for us with an endless supply of coffee and cookies at the front desk and the room rate was very reasonable. Detroit Lakes is south of Winnipeg.
We now expect to be somewhere in Wisconsin by tomorrow night.
regards to all,
Anne

 These guys (the Blues Brothers) were just outside our hotel room

 Another adjustment - tightening up some loose lights

 At the Frontier Village

 --- more at the Frontier Village

 --- still more at the Frontier Village - a one room log house built in 1898

 The largest buffalo we've seen (in fact, the largest in the world)

 Minnesota farmland

 Watching the sunset at our hotel in Detroit Lakes

Day 28 Jamestown, ND..... Badlands today

10,119 km travelled to date:
We had a great day travelling. The weather was sunny and in the high 80s. Before that, we enjoyed a 36 mile driving tour of the Badlands located in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park is located at the edge of Medora, ND. As we paid our park entry fee park, the cashier asked us if we were seniors (over 62 ). E confirmed that he was and with proof of ID, he was given a card for free access to any national park in the future. The cashier realized that she had made an error since he's not a US citizen but let him keep the card anyways.
In the park, we saw lots of prairie dogs, herds of wild horses and buffalo and a beautiful scene after scene of the Badlands.
Medora is a tourist town geared to a western theme. We watched some actors perform an outdoor performance of a  "shoot-out".
In the early afternoon, we started to travel east on Hwy 94 (one of the few divided highways we have travelled on but very peaceful) and watched the scenery of the farmlands as we drove past. Most of the fields have been harvested and the pick up the big round bales is the next chore to be done. We saw some of the remaining flooded lands in ND. Land is still being flooded as new water from dams is being released and flooded roads are being rebuilt. We saw many fields of sunflowers but their heads were turned down....not up for a "Kodak moment".
We're staying in Jamestown, ND on Hwy 94 which is south of Brandon Manitoba. We're expecting to be in Wisconsin tonight. We're hearing about rain in the forecast for this upcoming week. If so, it will be our first rain experience.
Regards to all,
Anne

Loading up at the Bunkhouse in Medora

One of many historic and restored western town buildings in Medora

--- along with the Cowboy Hall of Fame

A trip through the Badlands in Roosevelt National Park

 --- with so many dramatic views

--- and so many prairie dogs

 --- plus wild horses

--- and buffalo

Then lunch at the Cowboy Cafe back in Medora

--- followed by a "it could have happened like this" performance (here the Sherriff is saying "no" to the saloon girls)  

 the biggest cow in the world, on top of a small mountain

Still flooded areas in North Dakota due to winter thaws and recent rains

Day 27 Medora, North Dakota (south of Saskatchewan)....in the Badlands

9659 km travelled:
Once again, a beautiful sunny hot day under a blue Montana sky. The scenery varied today from ranch land to the rugged badlands. I'm amazed at the distances that people  travel here. I would see a mail box at the end of a long ranch laneway but no ranch house in sight (it would be so far off the road) and the laneways were often many miles apart.
It was a hot drive today with temperatures hitting 89F in one town where finally we stopped for ice cream and a drink of ice mocha at the eclectic Badlands Cafe and Scoop shop.
We're staying in Medora next to Roosevelt Park which is the heart of the Badlands and we will be touring the Badlands tomorrow.
Note to Bryan- The farmers/ranchers in Montana and North Dakota cut hay along the sides and median of the highway to make big round bales. You might start doing that along the 401 if you need extra hay.

regards to all,
Anne

Used during the gold rush days

More open farmland stretching to the horizon

--- and rugged Montana range land under blue skies

Dust from farm trucks on stone roads

Horseshoe pits in a public park where we lunched

Typical rugged landscape

The road we travelled

--- the road we didn't take

Remains from the largest US stockyard in the 1800's

Inside the "Badlands Cafe and Scoop Shop"

Getting closer to the Badlands in North Dakota

Day 26 Lewistown, Montana...... changing course again

9100 km travelled to date:
After leaving our bit of overnight heaven ( see post for Day 25), we left town on Hwy 2 east. We toured the Museum of the Plains Indian, where we heard that Indians build and operate casinos in order to fund schools and other needs.
At a short driving break, we learned that Hwy 2 east would be treacherous for us on a motorcycle due to road construction and also, there is a lack of rooms due to oil crews. We then headed southeast through ranch country. We took a short break in Fort Benton, which brought back memories of western movies. This town was a major navigation area for supplies. Tonight, we are in Lewistown, where we looked for buffalo grazing in the nearby area but saw only 3 deer.
Friday, we are headed to Roosevelt Park and the Badlands.
It's Tonya's birthday on Friday and we wish her a wonderful birthday. We had been hoping to get back to Calgary for a visit but a combination of a lack of time and a long distance ahead did not permit us to take that diversion.
regards to all,
Anne

Leaving our wonderful accomodations

--- with another stop at Glacier Park Lodge

Blackfeet country ---rodeo grounds

--- with buffalo

Snowfence - for trains

Outside a Montana pub

So many trains, and bridges too

Montana farm country, as far as the eye can see

--- plus scenic country

Another train crossing in historic Fort Benton

Square Butte - a rare geological formation

Biggest bales I've ever seen - about 8x8x16 ft

More amazing scenery

  

Day 25 East Glacier Montana ---- return to a bit of heaven

8,659 km
What can I say....we had a another wonderful drive and sunny warm weather conditions today. We left Tubby behind to make the drive easier.
We drove on the "Going to the Sun" road in Glacier Park. Thankfully, we took another person's advice and drove from east to west. By doing so, we hugged the mountain on our climbs up. There was some road construction which resulted in dust and some delays but we still enjoyed the amazing scenery. I was impressed with Montana's blue sky, the waterfalls, the lakes, the wildflowers growing along the mountainside, the tremendous views and with E's driving ability.
We've returned to East Glacier for the night. Although there wasn't a room available at the Dancing Bears Inn, the owner provided us with a 3 bedroom cabin with a full kitchen and living room,full laundry facilities, 3 TVs. and amazing decour.  We were in heaven....and the price was only $75...what a deal! There was a circular wood staircase to the upstairs loft and the inside entrance was built with wood from a family granary.
In the evening, we walked through the Glacier Park Lodge, which dates back to the era when rail owners built hotels along their tracks.
Tomorrow, we'll continue our ride home on Hwy #2 east.
regards to all,
Anne

On our way to Glacier National Park

Open grazing along the way

--- no bull!

Traditional tour vehicles on the Road to the Sun - refurbished by Ford

Riding along beautiful rock walls

--- with scenic vistas along the way

Up high and along the edge

--- the very edge, and through tunnels

Beautiful mountain flowers along the way

--- as well as dramatic waterfalls

Above the treeline through Logan Pass

A view of the road (look carefully - the horizontal line)

Down to a single lane - fixing a rockslide

See who is peddling - see who is smiling

Many switchbacks - some tight, some wide

The road improved as we descended

Another picnic lunch

A Blackfeet Nation statue

Back to our cabin - with a unique staircase to the loft

The walk from the train station to Glacier Park Lodge

Relaxing in East Glacier Lodge