Today we made it to David’s 49th state: Legendary (self proclaimed) North Dakota. We set out pretty early by our standards around 9, and stopped to pick up our 2nd Walmart order. David ran in for the things they didn’t substitute and we were on our way north. Far north. On our way we passed the monument for the geographic center of the US and took a few selfies. The actual center is apparently on the grounds of a missile silo. Typical.
The drive up to North Dakota was the most boring yet on our coronadventures. We were on a one lane each way highway and the scenery never changed - barbed wire fences of grassland. Sometimes there was a steer, but generally it was the same thing over and over. For hours. Except when a large truck passed, then the draft made the RV swerve. Poor David, he was a trooper today.
Once we got to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, it was like being transported into another world.
The hundred of miles of flat land turned into a huge canyon landscape. We were just amazed at how quickly it showed up and how huge it was. We spent hours driving and hiking in the park today. We saw wild horses, bison, prairie dogs and some kind of grouse. It was 95 degrees here today, so we did a bit of hiking, but couldn’t brave too much. We got lucky with the wildlife being near the road. The boys took a ton of pictures and Ryan spent a long time negotiating for a prairie dog habitat for the backyard.
There are still no overnights allowed in parks in North Dakota, so we are at a campground right near the entrance tonight. There is a well-known buffet and show right near here. We treated the kids to food, but elected to skip the tourist show. The restaurant was on the top of a plateau and the views were amazing.
This is truly the land of the mask-less, and it is making us be extra careful when we are out and about. I noticed today that Ryan was putting on a mask when people got close without being asked, so the nagging is sinking in. We are very thankful for the RV as roving hotel room and it’s built-in bathroom.
Tomorrow, we arrive in Montana. State #50 for David. It’s mostly a long driving day, the last planned one of this trip. Lots of country to cover with not a lot of anything in between. We are hoping for better scenery, or at least wider roads.
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