Total Miles driven today: 578
Total Miles driven overall: 578
Wow! What a day. I made it all the way to the north unit in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. More about that in a sec.
I got a late start this morning after realizing last night (about midnight) that I needed to downsize so everything could fit in Conrad. I bought a smaller cooler at Cub Foods at about 6:00 A.M., repacked the groceries, and I was on the road by 8:00. It’s all good now!
The drive flew by. I never thought I’d say that about a drive across North Dakota. Yes, most of it was flat. I was surprised to feel a very warm breeze on my face when I stopped for gas just outside Fargo (ya kno-o-o-w). There was always a farm or ranch within sight of the interstate, but I was constantly reminded of the remoteness of life here when I read on most of the exit signs from the highway: “No Services”.
I talked to friends and family while I had cell phone coverage and I rocked to the beat of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new album. I caught up on a couple of “The Ricky Gervais Show” Podcasts. Please, oh, please, someone suggest to me some funny/entertaining/interesting Podcasts that I could download. They are perfect for drives across places like North Dakota.
There are two separate “units”, north and south, to Teddy Roosevelt National Park. I drove about 50 miles north off of Interstate 94 to reach the north unit. The south unit is located closer to the interstate. The scenery here is stunning.
Teddy Roosevelt is quickly becoming a hero of mine. Who besides Teddy in the early 1900’s had the sense and passion to set aside so many hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness so we could enjoy it? This park alone is over 70,000 acres. Thank you, Teddy. You especially deserve this park that is your namesake. It is remote, but so beautiful. Here, the Little Missouri River has cut through the Dakota grasslands to leave a moonlike landscape. One of my guidebooks quotes a General Alfred Sully who, in 1864, described the area as “hell with the fires put out.” These are badlands. The area reminds me of the Grand Canyon, just not as deep and with grasslands and swamps at the bases of the colorful rock formations.
Tonight, I staked my tent (thanks again, Steve!) at the Juniper Campground, fine-tuned the way things are organized in my trunk, cooked some pasta, and then went for a quick 1.5 mile hike – a loop around the Little Mo Trail which contained all the primary features of the park; the river, the swamps, the grasslands, and the carved rock formations.
It’s early to bed tonight and early to rise tomorrow. Most likely, I will do a 12 mile day-hike around the Buckhorn Trail. (A rabbit just popped out of the grass about six feet from where I am sitting. Tomorrow night’s dinner?) The trail cuts through sagebrush flats, badlands, and it skirts a prairie dog town. Following that, I will likely head back to the south unit for a hike and to spend the night.
The picture is just one of me at my campsite. I’ll get some better shots of the park later.
Total Miles driven overall: 578
Wow! What a day. I made it all the way to the north unit in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. More about that in a sec.
I got a late start this morning after realizing last night (about midnight) that I needed to downsize so everything could fit in Conrad. I bought a smaller cooler at Cub Foods at about 6:00 A.M., repacked the groceries, and I was on the road by 8:00. It’s all good now!
The drive flew by. I never thought I’d say that about a drive across North Dakota. Yes, most of it was flat. I was surprised to feel a very warm breeze on my face when I stopped for gas just outside Fargo (ya kno-o-o-w). There was always a farm or ranch within sight of the interstate, but I was constantly reminded of the remoteness of life here when I read on most of the exit signs from the highway: “No Services”.
I talked to friends and family while I had cell phone coverage and I rocked to the beat of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new album. I caught up on a couple of “The Ricky Gervais Show” Podcasts. Please, oh, please, someone suggest to me some funny/entertaining/interesting Podcasts that I could download. They are perfect for drives across places like North Dakota.There are two separate “units”, north and south, to Teddy Roosevelt National Park. I drove about 50 miles north off of Interstate 94 to reach the north unit. The south unit is located closer to the interstate. The scenery here is stunning.
Teddy Roosevelt is quickly becoming a hero of mine. Who besides Teddy in the early 1900’s had the sense and passion to set aside so many hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness so we could enjoy it? This park alone is over 70,000 acres. Thank you, Teddy. You especially deserve this park that is your namesake. It is remote, but so beautiful. Here, the Little Missouri River has cut through the Dakota grasslands to leave a moonlike landscape. One of my guidebooks quotes a General Alfred Sully who, in 1864, described the area as “hell with the fires put out.” These are badlands. The area reminds me of the Grand Canyon, just not as deep and with grasslands and swamps at the bases of the colorful rock formations.
Tonight, I staked my tent (thanks again, Steve!) at the Juniper Campground, fine-tuned the way things are organized in my trunk, cooked some pasta, and then went for a quick 1.5 mile hike – a loop around the Little Mo Trail which contained all the primary features of the park; the river, the swamps, the grasslands, and the carved rock formations.
It’s early to bed tonight and early to rise tomorrow. Most likely, I will do a 12 mile day-hike around the Buckhorn Trail. (A rabbit just popped out of the grass about six feet from where I am sitting. Tomorrow night’s dinner?) The trail cuts through sagebrush flats, badlands, and it skirts a prairie dog town. Following that, I will likely head back to the south unit for a hike and to spend the night.
The picture is just one of me at my campsite. I’ll get some better shots of the park later.
2 comments:
Thanks, B$, for the podcast suggestions!
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