Mini-Series Part 3: North

Continuing my little points-of-the-Compass Mini Series, we head north.

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In the 7½ years Mistah and I have been On The Road in our Westy, our northern-most point is either Kiowa, Montana or Rugby, North Dakota, but for my purposes, the choice is clear:

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North Dakota, after all, has north in its name.
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Talk about a town's claim to fame

We were in North Dakota early in our travels – in September 2001. Early September 2001, a week before 9/11. And we didn’t have our digital camera then, so these are photos of photos.

Talk about, um, another town's claim to fame.

North Dakota is the 17th biggest state in area (70,703 square miles, according to our bible National Geographic road atlas), and the 47th biggest in population (642,200). Only Alaska (48th), Vermont (49th) and Wyoming (50th) have less people.

We traveled across the state east to west – Minnesota to Montana – on the Lewis & Clark Trail.

This trail:

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Quite a trip for the Corps, eh?

We had it a lot easier than poor ol’ Meriwether and William though. First of all, we didn’t have to stop every few weeks to let our stuff dry out and mend our moccasins – we could do that while we were driving. And second of all, no one got shot in the butt.

I have 2 anecdotes about North Dakota.

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We were talking to one young park ranger at Lewis & Clark state park in Williston, telling her about our travels. She was so interested and wanted to hear all about it. Bill asked her if she'd had the opportunity to travel. She said yes, she had . . . to South Dakota.
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We spent the winter of 2003 in the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, and spent some time there with a couple our age – Bev and Gregg and Bill and I all turned 40 that year. Bev grew up near Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, and they used to go south into the United States to do their big shopping runs . . . to North Dakota.

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Bev and Gregg with Mistah, miles and miles south of North Dakota . . .

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North Dakota is also the place, when Jacquie and I went cross-county in 1988, where we woke up and the condensation of our breath had formed ice crystals on the outside of our sleeping bags.

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In the summer, though, it's a beautiful state to travel in. There are no people, the scenery is beautiful, if barren, and it's really fun to tell people you're in North Dakota. Plus, North Dakota's the Flickertail state. Or the Peace Garden state, depending on who you talk to.

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It's just that kind of place. Where Flickertail squirrels can romp in a park shared by the US and Canada.

And the Westy rolls west along the Trail, into Montana.