Day 85 - Wibaux to Medora - Two Far 2021 - Sooo... Far

July 2, 2021

Day 85 - Wibaux to Medora

An early start wins the day

We spent the day cruising (or slogging) on I-94

Heart

Comment

Looking at a 20-30 mph headwind and a high temperature in the mid-90's, we were sufficiently motivated to get on the road a little before 6:00 this morning. It made a big difference with the heat and helped with the wind.

This may be the earliest we have ever been out on the bike. It was cool and quiet.

Five engines on this train, but it was a short one.

It was only eight miles to North Dakota.

Is Montana trying to warn us or just say good-bye?

Celebrating reaching another state - North Dakota is number 12.

We got to enjoy some thing we've really been missing today. We had a stop with a convenience store ten miles into the ride. We are getting closer to civilization! At the store in Beach, MT, we met a very friendly couple from Cincinnati who are traveling on their bikes.

Lisa and Jason - a great couple. Kerry here... These folks travel a little farther than we do in a day. Yesterday they left Cincy and rode 900 miles. Jason said they expect to get to Seattle tonight. I guess having a motor helps!!

Just east of the grasslands, the North Dakota badlands really appear.

This is Teddy Roosevelt country. He spent a large amount of time in this area and had a cattle ranch near Medora. Medora is the gateway town to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is also a major tourist town with the associated crowds and many shops full of things for them to buy. Doesn't it seem that many people must travel only to shop?

We got into town about 10:30. It wasn't hot yet, but the wind was pretty strong the last ten miles. It felt really good to get off the bike and inside out of the wind. We had a real breakfast, then went over to the hotel, where we found our room was ready. That made us very happy. We showered, relaxed and rested. We went back out mid-afternoon and visited the Theodore Roosevelt National Park visitors center and the North Dakota Cowboy Museum.

The park visitors center was primarily about Teddy Roosevelt and his commitment to conservation. There were various displays about his life around Medora and his efforts to preserve western lands. I liked this quote of his:

An idea even more important in 2021 than in 1903?

The Cowboy Museum was mostly dedicated to North Dakota rodeo cowboys, past and present. Spread around the museum was a nice collection of western sculptures by a few different artists. Here are a few I liked.

Sorry about the busy background in this one. There wasn't a better angle to photograph it.

A Dakota gold prospector with his pack animals

Tomorrow we expect to have a tailwind! It's going to be over 100 in the afternoon, so we'll be up and out early again. Someday, maybe we'll be able to return to our 9:00-9:30 starts :-).

Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 3,246 miles (5,224 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	7
Comment on this entry	Comment	0