As promised by the weatherman I woke to bright blue skies and mild temperatures. Perfect day for a ride. Although, that promise included stormy weather later in the day as far west as Idaho. No escape but early arrival at my destination of Mandan, North Dakota before late afternoon. Tomorrow's plan is to explore nearby Fort Abraham Lincoln, which is from where G.A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry left on their fateful ride to the Little Bighorn River in Montana.
I downed some coffee and the Days Inn version of breakfast, then headed northwest on Interstate 94. Having played "cat-and-mouse" with stormy weather since Indiana, I've had to trade my backroad quest for a weather-dodging strategy that demands the fastest roads. But, at this point, I doubt I'm missing much by avoiding the slower backroads. Once I entered North Dakota at Fargo, I could see the entire state from there.
Never been to Fargo before, but I saw the movie. As I rolled across the surrounding flat terrain, an image from the movie came to mind of the pregnant sheriff standing roadside, ankle-deep in snow with a donut in one hand, coffee in the other, while investigating a double homicide. Never even been to North Dakota before. It marks the last of the states on this trip that I can now put on my "been-there-done-that" list, leaving only the states of Rhode Island, Delaware and Alaska that I've not been to yet.
The wind kicked up pretty good after Fargo. I expected this state to be a windy one and it doesn't disappoint. Luckily, it was mostly head wind. Though it diminished my gas-mileage, I prefer it over the nostril-closing side-winds of Texas. I don't believe there was any change in wind direction in today's 300-mile ride, though there might have been a curve or two (certainly no more than two), which would account for some side gusts.
The only memorable sights to mention for the day are road snakes and road kill. The snakes are those traction-lacking-squiggly-patch-jobs in the asphalt. The road kill was unidentifiable due to the apparent velocity at impact. From the point of impact there's usually a fine mist of used-to-be-red fanning toward the horizon--artistry of the Great Plains. I was entertained by such things until rolling into the parking lot of the North Country Inn at Mandan, well ahead of the stormy weather that was no where to be seen. I had time to kill.
Only 9 miles from the fort, I decided to check it out. All tours and exhibits were closed but that was okay with me. The light was just right for pictures. I paid my $5 at the gate, pleasantly surprised to learn I could stay after dark if I liked. I had the whole place to myself, taking pictures up to sunset.
While preparing to leave I encountered an Indian couple near the parking lot. The man said he was a volunteer guide at the park and, though off duty, delighted in giving me an abbreviated history of the fort. He asked if I'd toured the Custer House. I told him, no, but I planned to do just that tomorrow. He said my guide would then be Al Johnson, who he refers to as "Uncle Al". He said if I tell Al Johnson that a guy who calls him "Uncle Al" says "hi" then Al Johnson would know who it is. Though I have no intention of getting that chummy with tomorrow's guide, I won't forget his name .... probably because I used to have a colleague named Al Johnson.
Click For PICTURES
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Authorization Pass Stuck To My Windshield
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| Alexandria, MN to Mandan, ND 303 Miles |
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