Stark Beauty

Today I was better able to enjoy the stark beauty and openness of the vast empty landscape.  The first couple of hours revealed water water everywhere, enough so that every duck could have its own lake!

After a few hours, things changed and it was obvious that North Dakota is oil drilling country, which is right now the most oil producing part of the United States.  There are oil drilling rigs all along the way.  Oil drilling towns pop up with temporary housing units, mostly square boxes or trailers and not very attractive.  I doubt if there are families living there.

We encountered the centermost geographic point in North America.

There are not too many things to see or do along this way, Rt. 2, which we are traveling--the uppermost highway across the United States.  We wanted to see through the eyes of those who live here, and we have!

This morning there wasn't even much traffic, so the contrast between the complexities of navigating the cities last week, and meandering along the wide open spaces this week is rather striking.  This is "down time", with no pushing to get to the next place---just a leisurely day.

Some of the scenery was just breathtaking. I especially loved the canola fields growing.  (that's what we were told they are).  There on the hillside are these brilliant yellow fields.  Actually, the variety in the colors of the plains is amazing.

Tomorrow, Montana (and for several days after.  I am hoping that the scenery has more variety.  I know from looking at the empty spaces on the TripTik map that Montana also is quite sparsely populated.

Maybe we'll see a buffalo.  Who knows?

It might be about time to play the pun game again to entertain ourselves!

The Plains and The Technology

Today we traveled across part of Minnesota and part of North Dakota.  Both were totally flat, wide open spaces, the area known as "the plains".  At least a mile between farms and houses. No close neighbors. The roads on either side of the highway are not paved.  While Gerry loves the agriculture,  I find the landscape completely desolate and uninhabited and intimidating.  There wasn't much to take pictures of. 

At the moment we are in Devil's Lake.  Notice how there is nothing else anywhere around! We decided to use Rt. 2, a non-interstate highway.

A Vast Corn Field

We have learned to "make home" wherever we happen to be staying.  It takes some adjusting to figure out all the technology.  How you access the wi fi is different at each place.  The coffee pots are different.  In St. Paul's you had to use your room key to get the elevator to come to you  (who knew??).  We stood there a while before reading that sign! There are occasions when you need to text to get your car back.  There are papers to scan when you exit a parking lot.  Every place you go the plastic room key works differently.  Sometimes you push it in;  sometimes you push it down;  sometimes you swipe it across an invisible reader.  Sometimes it doesn't work at all!

We'll be doing the rest of North Dakota and Montana for the next three days or so.  Not much to look at;  not much to do.  Today, however, we did stop in Fargo and I did some shopping at a mall there.  That was a nice treat, for me at least!

Sculpture in the Mall

It is a good trip.  We are both glad to be doing it.  And surprisingly,  I am into the groove now and not even homesick!

Superb Sunday

We did not want to try to navigate the city of St. Paul's and find a church this morning, so decided to start our travels, and look for something perhaps along the way. 

It was entirely by chance that we found the very lovely Community UMC of Monticello, Minnesota and worshiped there.  And that was most appropriate, since the scripture and the sermon were both about "a chance encounter."  Our chance encounter with that church was a wonderful surprise.(we CAN be spontaneous).  It was a modern, simple and very elegant church.  I was worried about our travel apparel, but everyone there was dressed casually, and the service itself was informal and contemporary.  We could not have made a better (accidental) choice. (right place, right time). God is good.

Then after an afternoon of travel, we arrived at Fergus Falls, the one place I knew for sure we could find tennis courts, and had a map in hand.  We have just returned from a good hot hour of tennis.  They were the very best outdoor courts we have ever played on, ever!  Everything was new and pristine---from the blue courts, to the new nets.  There was even a water fountain beside it!

Now we will have dinner and enjoy a relaxing evening.  The only downer on this day was that I have been fighting off a migraine headache, which I haven't had in years.  Perhaps all the accumulated stresses of travel caught up with me.  But I do think the tennis got all the knots out!

Tomorrow, to Devil's Lake, North Dakota.  I hope it is not as ominous as it sounds!

Six Days Seven States

Six days, seven states and 1200 miles. That must be 25% of our journey miles. Today's travels brought us from Wisconsin to St. Paul, Minnesota.  Here are some observations:

*Landscape dotted with pristine farms, far apart, white barns
*The Doubletree greets you with warm cookies at the registration desk
*St. Paul, MN somewhat scruffier than Chicago;  sparse #'s of people downtown in the city this weekend; less dense than both Chicago and Cleveland
*City on the Mississippi River which I am always surprised to be reminded originates in some small lake in northern Minnesota, then flows some 2200+ miles south to the gulf
*Home of Fitzgerald Theater and Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion

We did the walking tour of the city, which is so much easier than trying to navigate by auto. We visited the Mississippi River Welcome Center, Fitzgerald Theater, and the Minnesota Science Museum.  We were so tired that we fell into the beds at the hotel for a much needed nap.

We are more seasoned travelers now, and in another week will be experts.