Hindman, Kentucky September 8, 2016

This is our third day in the Kentucky Appalachians, and we’re afraid the mountains are going to chew us up and spit us out. Our first day out of Berea was a great day in spite of the fact we encountered two loose dogs shortly after leaving town. We had armed ourselves with spray bottles of ammonia on the advice of a Kentuckian, but these dogs surprised us. One of them bit my right rear pannier, then ran off. Dave used his ammonia, but missed the dogs. Nothing like a shot of adrenalin to get one going. We rode about 55 miles that day, and there was a fair amount of climbing, but nothing bad. The roads are very windy, some not in very good shape, and drivers are very polite, but almost too much so. Cars would line up behind us until we could pull off the road to let them by. We stayed in a funky little guest house which was really very nice, even though when I pulled into the driveway I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. The yard was really cluttered: a rusty old pickup with flower boxes where the engine used to be, old lawn furniture, a mannequin dressed nicely, etc. But our room was great. And better yet, Dave had missed the place and had ridden the 4 miles into Booneville, so Linda, the proprietor, and I drove in and picked him up (there was a big hill to climb back to her place), and she stopped at the grocery store and the liquor store so we could get food and beer for dinner! And another great small town story. Linda called me just after I had pulled into her driveway because her boyfriend, the constable in Booneville, had seen Dave and figured we had missed her place.

Day two, yesterday, was in my opinion, our hardest day yet. Lots of climbing, steep grades, which required some walking, one lane roads (we were really in the backcountry) with dilapidated houses wedged between the mountains and the highway. I fell over once trying to get started on a hill, and the panniers saved me from getting scraped up. And it's hot again. 50 miles, but we were beat. We had planned to ride to Lookout today, which would have been 70 miles, but we decided to take it easy and ride just 20 miles to Hindman since there was a place to stay. Tomorrow we'll do the 50 miles to Lookout.

Here is what I wrote on Monday, September 5, Labor Day:

Here we are in Berea, Kentucky taking a day off. The weather has cooled off here for the last several days, which is a pleasant change from the heat we have had since Minnesota. Our Adventure Cycling map says that Berea is the gateway to the Appalachian Mountains, so we decided to take a day to rest up before we tackle them. And one of Dave’s bike sandals has fallen apart, so he’s at a hardware store hoping to fix it since there are no bike shops close by. So tomorrow begins the last leg of our trip. We have ridden 4,036 miles in 76 days of riding. I had estimated that the trip would be 3,800 miles, but we took three detours, one to Eagan, Minnesota, to see Dave’s nieces and nephews, one in North Liberty, Iowa, to see my son, Graham, and his family, and one to Edwardsville, Illinois, to see friends who used to live in the neighborhood, and also friends at home who were sweet enough to drive to Edwardsville to see us! That was really great!

Now to back up a bit to catch up on where we have been. We left Minneapolis on July 31st, and went southeast to get back on the Adventure Cycling route and ride along the Mississippi River Road. We crossed into Wisconsin near where the St. Croix River meets the Mississippi, rode on the Wisconsin side, then crossed the river into Red Wing, Mn. (where Red Wings shoes are made) to spend the night. All the way we were surprised at how pretty the river valley is, and how interesting the river towns are. The fall foliage along the river is supposed to be quite spectacular. And the riding was easy as long as it stayed close to the river, but it occasionally went west up onto the bluffs, which made for slow climbing. We had two long climbs on our day into Wabasha. A couple of days later, we did have to cross the river to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, to stay since there were no motels on the Minnesota side. We stayed at the Affordable Inn, which was affordable, but to give you an idea of what it was like, they tacked on a $20 deposit which was reimbursed after they checked the room before we left. But there was a Taco John’s next door, so Dave was happy.

After LaCrosse, we crossed into Iowa and rode in the rain (which was welcome) to Lansing. It was a cool little town, and we stayed in a beautiful room with a kitchenette even, on the second floor of an old building on the main street. A storm blew through while we were eating dinner, and afterward we took a walk down the single lane street by the river and the railroad tracks. Lots of houses built on the bluffs to overlook the river. Lansing was our last river town for a few days, as we headed west to Elkader, where we camped in the city park, The next morning was Saturday, and there was a very small farmer’s market. I bought a bunch of cherry tomatoes and ate most of them right away. Vegetables are hard to come by eating in restaurants. That day we rode to Dyersville, and the next morning we stopped at the Field of Dreams. A group of men had just finished playing a game by 1860 rules, and there were a lot of people there just to see the field (like us!). Souvenirs were being sold, and Universal Pictures gets all of the money. I wish I had read the signs more closely, but the family that owned the field doesn’t get any income from the field. I thought the rows of corn in the outfield were farther apart than in ‘real’ fields so the players could walk through them. Dave disagreed and was determined to find a field with rows that far apart. But he had no luck. Then nice riding alongside beautiful rolling hills planted with miles and miles of cornfields. We camped in Cascade the night before we got to North Liberty, and the elderly man who was mowing the park the next morning said a cyclist riding through once asked him what in the world they do with all of that corn. We spent two days in North Liberty, and took Christopher to the swimming pool both days. We grilled hot dogs and corn on the cob one night. Mmm! After North Liberty, on to Muscatine and Burlington. We crossed into Illinois at Burlington, and the river road along there was really beautiful. We stopped in Nauvoo, Illinois, where the Mormons settled for a short time until Joseph Smith was killed and the rest were run out of town. It’s apparent why they liked Nauvoo, as the temple is built on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River. There is a visitors center that tells the Mormons’ story, and old Nauvoo has been restored. A worthwhile stop. We met a young man there who had quit his job in Minneapolis and was traveling by bike to visit friends and family, and he intended to eventually end up in Florida. He was funny, and we heard his life story. He took our picture and put it on his Facebook page. Dave saw later on Facebook that he had met some other cyclists and he was altering his route to ride with them. That night we stayed in Keokuk, Iowa, and we got to watch a barge maneuver into a lock. It was pretty interesting. The barges are huge. Our next stop was in Hannibal, MO. We crossed the river on the interstate bridge, and as it always seems, it was uphill all the way, which means slow going with cars whizzing by. But there was a wide shoulder. We had dinner that night with a couple who passed us on a tandem, then stopped to wait for us near town. The next morning we toured Mark Twain ’s home and the museum and gallery. The gallery had a number of Norman Rockwell ’ s sketches and paintings of the Tom Sawyer illustrations. Very worthwhile. On to Wright City, a town who everyone who has ever driven to St. Louis is familiar with. After spending the night there, we headed south, got on the Katy Trail at Marthasville, and headed east to St. Charles. Old St Charles is great (neither of us had ever been there), and we stayed at a B&B on our way back from Edwardsville. To get to Edwardsville, we rode on the Katy Trail until it ended in the middle of nowhere. We were off the Adventure Cycling route, so we were dependent on Google maps, which did a good job. After we crossed the Mississippi at Alton, we rode on the levee trail and stopped at a tower that overlooks the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Our stay at the Barchengers’ house was fabulous. We were hot and tired and in need of a home cooked meal, and even better, it was great to see familiar faces. And then Steve and Terri Wallace arrived the next day, so it was perfect! Erv took Dave to a bike shop so he could buy new tires, and we all went to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center near there, so we were able to almost finish the Lewis and Clark theme. We found out that the museum at the arch is closed for renovations. We had considered riding into St. Louis to see it. Thank goodness we didn’t!

After that break, we backtracked to St. Charles and headed south into the Ozarks toward Cape Girardeau. We are gluttons for punishment! The Ozarks are the worst. Hilly, windy roads, hills close together, steep grades. It took 6 days to reach Cape Girardeau. We camped one night on the way, and we bought our dinner at the Dollar General by the park. We had cheese, salami, crackers, and Hormel chili (which I heated on my backpacking stove), and beer (Dave borrowed a cooler from the camp hosts). It was a feast, and a great night to be camping. The next day we had ridden about 40 miles struggling up the hills and complaining that the people at Adventure Cycling find the hilliest routes, when we came to an intersection with a sign that said the park we had camped at was 16 miles down the road to our left. Are we suckers or what? The. night before we got to Cape Girardeau, we stayed in Marquand, MO, at a B&B, which was in a house built in 1903, beautifully restored. We had dinner at the Durso Hills winery restaurant, where we were expected because the owner of the B&B, who lives in St. Louis, had called and told them we would be there for dinner. That’s a small town for you. Next stop was Cape Girardeau but it wasn’t easy. We were lucky to be taking a break on a covered porch of an empty building when a thunderstorm came through. It lasted about an hour and a half, and we each had a nice nap. At the edge of Cape Girardeau, instead of taking a detour like sensible people, we slogged through mud in a construction area. We arrived at Renate’s house practically covered in mud. Fortunately, she recognized us anyway and let us stay. It was our good fortune! We had a great visit there. I had met Renter on the bike trip to Bhutan four years ago.

That’s all for now. If we survive the next few days, I’ll write more.

We are still alive and well and making good progress!

My apologies to everyone who thinks we might be dead. All is well, but I  for one am looking forward to cooler weather.
This is August 25th, and we made it to Marquand, Missouri this afternoon. It is very hot and humid, and the hills on Tuesday and Wednesday were brutal (today not so bad), so our days have been shorter than we had planned. Tomorrow we will arrive in Cape Girardeau where we will cross the Mississippi River for the last time and head east on the last leg of our trip. We left KC almost 3 months ago, and we’re pretty much on schedule. And, you know, neither one of us misses home. We miss our friends, family, and neighbors, and maybe I miss the cats a wee bit (Dave doesn't, needless to say). It has been hot and humid since Minnesota, so we gave up on camping for the most part. We only camped once in Minnesota, twice in Iowa, and once here in Missouri a couple of nights ago, because of the heat. So far, we have crossed the Mississippi River 8 times, and we’ll cross it one more time at Cape Girardeau.

Here’s a summary of our Minnesota trip.

Fargo to Minneapolis days 40 – 45 July 22 to July 27
Fargo to Pelican Rapids 66.1 miles
Pelican Rapids to Alexandria 82.2 miles
Alexandria to Holdingford 59.1 miles
Holdingford to Milaca 55.4 miles
Milaca to Osceola, WI 79.1 miles
Osceola, WI to Eagan, MN 65 miles

The first day out of Fargo started out flat, but it got hilly in the last half where there were a lot of resorts; muggy and buggy. On day two about 25 miles down the road at Fergus Falls, we got on the Central Lakes Bike Trail and rode on it the rest of the day to Alexandria. In Alexandria is the Kensington Rune Stone, which some people believe proves that the Vikings reached Minnesota in the 1360’s. There is a paragraph chiseled in the stone written in the ancient Nordic language stating what had happened to them in the year 1362. It was unearthed in 1898 by a Swedish immigrant as he was clearing land near Kensington, MN. Scholars dismissed it as a hoax, but it was exhibited in the Smithsonian in 1948 and described as “probably the most important archeological find yet found in North America.” But linguists and historians say is it’s a practical joke played by an early Swedish immigrant.
The next day, we continued on the Central Lakes Bike Trail to Osakis, then got on the Lake Wobegon Trail to Bowlus, MN. We rode on those two trails for 106 miles. Both were paved trails, and all of the towns along the trails had green spaces with benches and flower gardens. It was great. One of the towns we went through while on the trail was Sauk Centre, the boyhood home of Lewis Sinclair.
The route then had us go north of Minneapolis, across the St. Croix River to Osceola, Wisconsin. Along the way, we went through Sunset, MN, the boyhood home of Richard Widmark! More significantly, there was a great little ice cream place in the old bank building. We spent the night in Osceola and it’s a neat little town. Our ride from Osceola south to where we crossed back into Minnesota at Stillwater was really fun. We were on mostly untraveled county roads on the bluffs above the river. We ran into some construction, so we had to make our own way. And it was funny, out in the middle of nowhere, we met a car, and the man asked us directions, as if we on loaded bikes would know where we were. The weather looked more threatening as we crossed the St. Croix into Stillwater, which is a very busy tourist town, so we stopped for lunch. It poured while we were eating, so we split a hot fudge sundae to kill time. The rain stopped just long enough for us to put on our rain gear and get on our bikes. It poured while we rode into and through the twin cities, all on bike trails. Getting through town took a good 2 to 3 hours, and the rain did stop about half way. Along the way, we caught up with an older man (yes, even older than us) who had ridden cross country over several years, and he invited us to stay with him. We've met nothing but kind, generous people on this trip. Eagan is a suburb on the south side of town, and Dave’s nephew John and his wife Krisi put us up while we were there. They arranged a family get together (15 people!), including Dave’s aunt Dorothy, who is 90. Great fun. We stayed three days, and it was a much needed rest, at least for me. I had too plead for that third day off. We went to a Twins game (rode the light rail to the stadium), and visited the Mill City museum (Minneapolis used to be the flour milling capital of the United States).
We left Minneapolis on Sunday, July 28th, exactly two months after we left KC., rode southeast and crossed the Mississippi into Wisconsin……. sorry, no pictures tonight.

Days 36 to 39 July 17-20, 2016 Bismarck, ND to Fargo, ND 262.3 miles

Days 36 to 39 Bismarck, ND to Fargo, ND July 17-20, 2016
Day 36 Bismarck to Napoleon 76.2 miles
Day 37 Napoleon to Gackle 40.4 miles
Day 38 Gackle to Enderlin 81.5 miles
Day 39 Enderlin to Fargo 64.2 miles
I am way behind, so this is a summary, and maybe I’ll be able to get caught up.
When we left Bismarck, we headed east toward Fargo and left Lewis and Clark’s route. We’re now on Adventure Cycling ’ s northern tier route. The terrain is flatter, with some nice rolling hills, and Dave commented that it reminded him of riding in southern Johnson County. We had a good tailwind out of Bismarck, so it was an easy day to Napoleon. The Lawrence Welk highway (he was born near there) took us through Hazelton, where we ate at the Road Hawg Café, the only restaurant in town. It was much, much better than the average small town place. The potato salad was just like Dave’s mom’s, and I had a rhubarb kuchen for dessert that was wonderful. We camped at the city park in Napoleon, showered at the pool, and watched a beautiful sunset. Although it’s getting hot during the day, the evenings still cool off for good sleeping.
Our ride to Gackle the next day was even flatter, and we started seeing natural ponds and small lakes, indicating that we were approaching Minnesota. Our stay in Gackle (named after the man who founded that town, I had to ask) was at a place for cyclists called the Honey Hub. A young couple set up their walkout basement with two beds, a small bathroom, and a washer and dryer. No charge, but they did accept donations. We were lucky to be the only ones there, so we got to sleep on a bed. The young man is a bee keeper (which explains the name of the place). They bring their bees to North Dakota in the summer, and in the fall take them to central California and live there
The road to Enderlin from Gackle was straight and mostly flat except for a curve going down to the Sheyenne River and then up out of the river valley. We passed only one town that had a restaurant, and we rode 81 miles because it was the next town with accommodations. We saw a lot of wheat and soybean fields, and our first fields of sunflowers.
Our ride to Fargo was hot, and we were looking forward to a day off in Fargo. I had a flat tire in the afternoon, on the front this time. The tire was shot, so Dave had to put my spare tire on. And, again, another kind soul saw us and stopped to see if we needed help. He lived nearby and filled our water bottles with ice water. The instructions for getting into Fargo were good, so we had no trouble getting into town. Our first stop was at the bike shop downtown, where we arranged to have them check out our bikes on our day off. (I ended up buying two new tires.) Found a great little inexpensive hotel right by downtown, and we were set. Dinner was at Sweeto Burrito, and it was very tasty. A nice change from the small town fare. We had a fun day off, went to a nice little bar in the evening and listened to some music. There was an IPA on the menu called the Woodchipper, which seemed appropriate for Fargo.

                                                                   Canola field

 

                                             Old dead combines by a wheat field

                                           Our stuff outside the Honey Hub

Day 35 July 15, 2016 Washburn, ND to Bismarck, ND 48.9 miles

We spent the first part of the morning at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center outside of Washburn. It covered the winter the Lewis, Clark, and the men spent at Fort Mandan. We rode on to the rebuilt Fort Mandan where there’s a bronze sculpture of Seaman at the entrance, the Newfoundland, who also made the trip. I think he was Clark’s dog. I wanted to stay at Washburn because there was going to be a concert and barbecue that evening, but Dave checked the weather and a storm was moving in. So we headed south to Bismarck. We rode along the Missouri River as it turned south, and we watched the storm stay behind us.  We have managed to dodge several storms!
Bismarck has a really nice riverside park with a bike trail, and that’s where we came into the city. A nice young man told how best to get into town, which is up on the bluff above the river, and we found a hotel . Tomorrow is going to be a day off. We have shopping and to do, and sleep to catch up on.

Sculpture of Lewis, Clark, and Indian outside interpretive center

                                                            Mural of Ft. Mandan

                                                               Seaman

                                                 Remains of earth lodge village

Riverside park in Bismarck

 

Day 34 July 14, 2016 Hazen, ND to Washburn, ND 45.5 miles

We were celebrities today! The restaurant where we ate breakfast was next door to the town newspaper, and we were interviewed by the editor of the Hazen Star, a cute young man who had been out of college for just a year. He even took a picture! It was a pretty good article, but it made me realize I should be careful how I word things in case I get quoted. It was nothing bad, but I used the word ‘stuff, ' and it made me sound like an idiot. Not that I’ll ever be interviewed again.
A much better ride today with some sightseeing, which is always fun. We stopped in Stanton, considered the home of Sakakawea, even though she was a Shoshone captured by the Hidatsa Indians when she was 12 years old. She and Charbonneau were living near there when they were hired by the expedition. We visited the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, where the remains of the earth lodge villages are. The remains are circles with raised edges where the walls fell. They’ve done a lot of aerial photography, and it’s amazing how many lodges there were. There's also an earth lodge built as an example.
Then on to Washburn, where once again we camped in the city park (this one was along the Missouri River) and showered at the city pool.

Earth lodge

                                                        City park in Washburn

Day 33 July 13, 2016 Hebron, ND to Hazen, ND 57.9 miles

There was a great little coffee shop The Dark Side of the Brew, in Hebron, and I had the best Americano yet on this trip. And they had freshly baked caramel rolls, too! A great start to the day.
I desperately wanted to see the Mandan village historic sites (for Dave it was optional because he wanted to head east to have a tailwind), but we had no idea how tough the ride was going to be. We had to go out of the way to get there since Adventure Cycling changed the Lewis and Clark route to avoid Williston because of the oil fields. We rode 40 miles north on a hilly road with no shoulder (and there were rumble strips on the white line), a strong crosswind, a lot of big trucks, and of course, some road construction. We passed the Beulah coal mine (a surface mine), which I read later on the Internet is in the process of closing down. The ride was no fun, and probably dangerous, but we made it safely. And when we did turn east to head for Hazen, where we camped that night, we had a great tailwind and a shoulder.
Tomorrow we will get to see the Mandan village historic sites.

Beulah coal mine

Day 32 July 12, 2016 Medora, ND to Hebron, ND 79.6 miles

7.12.16 day 32 Medora to Hebron
Medora is a few miles south of the interstate, and it was a bit of a climb to get back. Nothing like a good climb to start the day. We continue to have very beautiful weather, sunny and warm, but not hot. And another day with crazy strong tailwinds!
We only had to ride on the interstate for 10 miles, and there was a scenic overlook along the way, of the Badlands. Really beautiful. Then back to a quiet two-lane road. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but the wind disguised the fact that my back tire was low. Dave noticed it, and since it wasn’t flat, we decided to air it up since the next town, Dickinson,  had a bike shop. But we should have taken a clue from the name of the shop: Steffan's Saw and Bike. Yeah, he sold both saws and bikes, and it was one of those junky kind of places that I prefer to avoid. Dave thought something we couldn’t find was stuck in my tire (this was my third flat), so he wanted the guy (Steffan,  I assume) to try putting green slime in one of my tubes. It didn’t work, so we just went on. And then, of course, about half an hour later in a construction zone, we had to change the tube. In the next town, Richardton, much smaller than Dickinson, is Assumption Abbey,  a Benedictine Monastery, which has been there since the late 1800’s. Someone told us a story that when the abbey was new, the monks made money by gathering buffalo bones (because there were so many) and selling them to be made into bone meal. We could have stayed at the abbey, but we were too late, and there was no one to help us. So on we went to the cute little town of Hebron, where we could camp in the city park and shower at the pool. However, we were told that we had to shower with clothes (swimsuit) on, a new rule we hadn’t encountered before. And no hot water, of course. But better than nothing.

Hebron city park

Day 31 July 11, 2016 Glendive, Mt. to Medora, ND 68.2 miles

Proof I'm really riding!

Today we leave Montana for North Dakota. It took us 17 days (including three days off) to ride the almost 800 miles across Montana, not too bad for a couple of old folks.
We rode across the pedestrian /bike bridge over the Yellowstone River and headed for I-94. We rode the interstate for most of the way with the help of a strong tailwind, and it was fun. Our  last stop in Montana was Wibaux (named after a French fur trader), only to find the Beaver Creek Brewery there, which we had heard great things about, closed! So we opted for the little coffee/smoothie kiosk instead. Not quite the same. Then back on to the interstate. We were supposed to get off at Beach, N. D., and ride south to a two lane highway, but the crosswind was so strong, we couldn’t ride. So we decided to keep going east on the interstate to Medora, where we camped. (Dave wanted to keep going since the wind was so strong, but I vetoed it. ) (Also, there was a group of teenagers in the campsite next to us, but Dave chased them off.)
This part of North Dakota is not flat. Beautiful green hills, and near Medora,  the North Dakota Badlands start, and it’s beautiful. The entrance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park is in Medora. We toured the Chateau de Mores,  built by the Marquis de Mores, with his father-in-law’s money. He started an abattoir there since the cattle business was getting so big there. He named the town after his wife, Medora von Hoffman, whose father was an international businessman. It’s a cute touristy town.
We met another couple in the campground who are riding across the country.  They’re ‘professional RV’ers’ when they’re not riding. They had been in Glacier National Park when the bear attack happened. Also, there was a group of teenagers camping next to us, but Dave chased them off (just kidding! He was grumbling about them being noisy, but they were getting ready to leave).
We are hoping for many more days with tailwinds!

Day 30 July 9, 2016 Circle, Mt. to Glendive, Mt. 51.4 miles

It always seems to work out that easy (or easier) days follow tough ones. We slept in, so again a later start than is wise. After riding all day, 9 or 10 hours of sleep seems to be what I need. Dave sleeps less usually, because he wakes up during the night for awhile. Anyway, we went to the Cenex (these are the gas station/convenience stores all over Montana) to eat breakfast and pick up some lunch since there were no towns between Circle and Glendive. And, as often happens, we started talking to a couple of locals who were very nice, and we got on the road even later.
It was pretty warm that day, but the hills were much smaller, and since Glendive is on the Yellowstone River, it was a downhill ride. We also started to see formations similar to the Badlands.
Glendive's population is around 5,000, and it was our last stop in Montana, which was pretty exciting. But like other bigger towns where we've stayed, it was a disappointment.  The little towns (100-800) are better. We had decided to take the next day off, so we checked into a little  motel, did laundry, and ate at a lousy restaurant. Our decision to take Sunday off was wise because it stormed and hailed that afternoon. We were happy to watch it from our tiny little room. We had grocery store deli food for dinner and watched TV.
Also, Dave helped me adjust my handlebars, and I am much more comfortable on my bike now.
On to North Dakota!

Eastern Montana

Day 29 July 8, 2016 Jordan, Mt. to Circle, Mt 68.0 miles

Sometimes it's best not to know what you're getting into.  This was going to be our hardest day yet. Neither of us slept very well, and we got up early because we knew we had a long day ahead of us. We stopped at the grocery store because there would be no place to stop on the way to Circle.
About  7 miles out of town, we ran into construction ( for 10 miles) with a pilot car. All we could see ahead was a stretch of unpaved road going up a very steep hill. We did get a ride through part of it (I was hoping for a 10 mile ride, but it wasn't to be.  They took us about 2 miles, then we were on our own). The rest of the unpaved stretch wasn't bad, but after that, the hills were endless, there were no trees, and the crosswinds were brutal. At the top of each hill, there were at least three more ahead that we could see. At first it was a challenge, but then it became a chore. We ate our sandwiches by the side of the road and rode on. There was a rest area at 36 miles, and we went inside (it was air conditioned) to rest. I lay down on the floor, Dave lay on a bench. People kept asking us if we were ok. More hills afterwards, and finally we came to the top of a hill that had a cell phone tower. Dave, in all of his wisdom, said this was a good sign. He was right. There were more hills, but they got smaller, and maybe even farther apart. The road curved north, but not enough to get any help from the wind.
Circle was a wonderful sight. At the edge of town, the signs about the area told us that half of all of the T. rex skeletons recovered in the world were found in this area.
It was hot, and we were tired, so we got a room in the Traveller's Inn. An old place in need of a lot of repair, but clean and air conditioned. We had our best dinner (and good beer!) yet in all of the small towns we've stayed, so all was well.
In the picture below, imagine the road you see covers 2 miles. Multiply it by 30, and that's what we saw all day.

Day 28 July 7, 2016 Sand Springs, Mt to Jordan, Mt. 37.7 miles

Great weather this morning.  I made coffee (I love making my coffee in the mornings), had my usual granola bar with peanut butter, and Dave and I shared a package of those little powdered sugar donuts.  He also had a Twinkie. We agreed that neither tasted as good as we remembered.
We had a short day because there are few towns, and it was either Jordan about 38 miles away, or Circle, which was just over 100 miles. Easy choice to make.
We were able to camp in the city park and shower at the pool (and it was a great shower), all for free! However, food choices in these small towns are limited.

Road to nowhere?

Jordan ahead

Camping in the city park

Day 27 July 6, 2016 Winnett to Sand Springs 46.4 miles

Let me go back to last night before I tell you about today’ s ride. I bought a deck of cards at the general store in Winnett so we would have some entertainment in the evenings when we still had some energy left. Dave was reluctant to play  (because I usually win) , but I hadn’t played gin for a long time. He won the first two hands outright, then in the third hand, he used a ‘Kass rule’ that I had never heard of. He was close to gin, so he went out figuring I had more points in my hand than he did (which was correct). I have to admit that it adds something to the game, but I could sense my parents’ disapproval immediately! That rule would never have been accepted in the Shaffer household. Needless to say, I didn’t win any hands that night. 

Now to the ride. There were clouds to the west when we got up, so we hurried as much as  possible figuring we’d probably be riding in the rain for awhile today. It wasn’t a long ride to Sand Springs,  but there were no towns  in between, so  we got extra water and food. About a hour into the ride, the storm  began, so we had to stop and put on rain gear. Fortunately, the lightning wasn’t close since we had nowhere to go for protection. Although, a guy in a FedEx van did stop and ask if we’d like a ride, which  was really nice. The temperature was too cool to go without raingear , but too warm to wear it comfortably. And it was hilly, so sweaty we were. It didn’t rain hard, but we had a headwind which got stronger as the day went on. There was a nice rest area at the top of a hill, and the rain stopped while we were there, although the headwind and the hills didn’t.

Sand Springs was a very welcome sight, and a cool place. No one really lives there, but there’s a post office, a ‘convenience store,’ and camping is allowed in the yard for free, with access to the bathrooms which had hot and cold water (no showers). We arrived about 30 minutes before the store closed, so we had a frozen pizza, beer, and candy bars for dessert. The woman working there was the sister of the owner, and she and her husband are retired, have an RV, travel for fun, and are living in the RV behind the store for the summer. She said her favorite place was Savanah,  Georgia. The owner is the postmaster.

Then we had to hurry and pitch the tent because we could see another storm coming. The wind and rain started just as we  were getting every in the tent, so we got a bit wet. The wind was scary, but we were somewhat protected by the building, and we were cozy in the tent. We both took a nap, and the storm was over when I woke up. It was still, and the sun was shining low in the sky below the clouds, and it was beautiful. And we had really lucked out again.
The pictures are in reverse order. Thought I had it figured out,  but nope.

After the storm

Sand Springs at last

Rain on the way!

Day 23 July 2, 2016 Fort Benton, Mt. 36.3 miles

This was technically a day off because we made no progress, and we rode without any panniers (hooray!). However, it was a worthwhile day. We rode up to Loma, a very small town north of Fort Benton (Ma's Diner on one side of the road & Pa's convenience store on the other!) Just outside Loma is the confluence of the Marias and Missouri Rivers - the Decision Point, where Lewis and Clark had to decide which river was the Missouri. It's a great lookout point, and it was moving to imagine those men standing there over 200 years ago having to decide. The Nez Perce had described the rivers to them, and also told them that there were falls upriver to make the choice easier. Once they decided, Lewis went ahead to find the falls and confirm the decision.
This is also where the Missouri River Breaks National Monument begins. This part of the Missouri River is the part of Lewis and Clark's route that is the most like it was when they travelled through here.
We boycotted the restaurants, bought hot dogs, potato salad, and beer at the grocery store, grilled the hot dogs at the campground on the gas grill.
Another great day.

Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea

Day 26 July 5, 2016 Lewistown, Mt. to Winnett, Mt. 59.3 miles

A pretty morning.  The weather overall has been great, with cool mornings, and today was no exception. And a kid had stepped on my glasses at the campground in Fort Benton, and there was an eye clinic next to the motel. The optician fixed them in a minute, gave me glass cleaner, and sent me on my way. I was so grateful!
We had a climb out of Lewistown, and at the top, we met Patti, who was riding by herself on a recumbent from Northern Michigan to Missoula for the 40th anniversary celebration of Bikecentennial.  She had ridden across the country during Bikecentennial in '76 at the age of 20. Very impressive.
The day's ride was pretty easy - tailwinds and a lot of gradual downhill. Winnett, population 182, our destination was a cute town. We camped in the tiny city park next to the tiny swimming pool. For $4, we could swim and shower. The woman who runs the pool was 50ish and had moved back to Winnett after being away for a few years and was happy to be back. I had noticed that most of the windows on the west sides of the buildings in town were boarded up.  She said there was a storm on June 8th with 90 mph winds and grapefruit sized hail. And, of course, a lot of crop damage.
A sign in the park said the sprinklers would come on at 8 am, so just in case,  we put the tent under the shelter on the concrete. We slept just fine, proof that Thermorests really work!

Leaving Lewistown 

Patti on her way to Missoula

Camping in Winnett 

Day 25 July 4, 2016 Denton, Mt. to Lewistown, Mt. 40.9 miles

Again we were looking forward to a bigger town (Lewistown's population is 6,000), only to be disappointed. The smaller towns have much more 'personality.'
It was cloudy and windy when we started, and we were afraid we were in for rain. But not so, and we had an easy ride to Lewistown. We checked into a motel so we could do laundry. And it was kind of nice to sleep in a real bed again.
But Lewistown was boring, and most everything was closed because it was the 4th of July. We were eager to move on.
By the way, Lewistown, Montana is named after the man who founded the town in the 1890's, not Meriwether Lewis.

Day 24 July 3, 2016 Fort Benton, Mt. to Denton, Mt. 64.2 miles

We had a bit of 'excitement' during the night. We were awakened by a car alarm and screaming. My first thought was a bear even though we thought we were out of bear country,  and I was ready to lock myself in the bathroom.  But it was just a fight among people  (in the RVs), and it quieted down after the police arrived.

Looking back at Square Butte 

 Approaching Square Butte 

We started 'early' and started the day with a climb away from the river. Our lunch stop was in Geraldine (named after Geraldine Rockefeller), and it's always obvious people are used to seeing cyclists. They're happy to fill our water bottles, and the woman here told us we could hang out as long as we wanted  (it was getting hot). Since it was hot and we knew we had a big climb ahead, we stopped in Square Butte to top up our water bottles. The cluster of buildings called Square Butte is named after a huge butte by the same name. We had been riding toward it all morning, and about the 5 miles down the road, we turned northwest along side of it into a strong headwind and started climbing (it's best not to know exactly what you're getting into sometimes). The wind was really treacherous, and I had to stop a couple of times to keep from being blown over. Dave, of course, pedals along way ahead of me as though it's a normal day's ride. The climb was about 6 miles, and from the top we looked back and realized we were on the other side of Square Butte. What a view! Then the payoff. We turned east and the tailwind pushed us into Denton. But when we arrived,  it appeared that nothing was open. The restrooms in the city park where we were supposed to camp were locked, and there was no water. We thought we'd be eating granola bars for dinner.  Dave rode back into town while I contemplated our situation, and found a bar (with food) open. The kid working there said bikers had been camping right across the street in the little city park where at least there were open restrooms. Only our second night so far without showers. So we watched kids playing basketball and playing on the play equipment before we turned in. Not such a bad way to end the day.
(Pictures are out of order. Can't figure out how to fix it.)

Sweet riding after the climb

Leaving Fort Benton 

Day 22 July 1, 2016 Great Falls, Mt. to Fort Benton, Mt. 50.9 miles

Crossing the Missouri River into Fort Benton 

Highwood Road

Another beautiful day, and we were ready to get going after a day off and a pizza dinner we had delivered to the campground  (talk about luxury camping!). We were at the edge of town, so we didn't have to deal with traffic, and soon we turned onto Highwood Road, which we practically had to ourselves. More big sky, big hills, and and a road  that seemed to go on forever. It was great. We arrived in Highwood just as Elmo's Highwood Bar opened for lunch, and there was actually a grilled chicken sandwich on the menu! A delicacy in these parts where everything in restaurants is fried, even cheesecake!  The woman working there told us that once we climbed the 'bench,' we'd have easy riding into Fort Benton. Benches are ridges that are all over the place, left behind from the ancient glaciers and floods.  And since Fort Benton is on the Missouri River, the last few miles were downhill.
Fort Benton is considered the birthplace of Montana, and there is a lot of history here, mostly because it's the farthest west on the Missouri that steamboats could travel. There are three museums, one about agriculture on the northern high plains, which was surprisingly interesting. Being from Kansas, we learned about the dust bowl in Kansas and Oklahoma,  but Montana was  also greatly affected;  one about the fort ( named after Thomas Hart Benton because he was an advocate of westward expansion), and one about the town itself.
A funny story about how sometimes it's an advantage to be old. Admission to one museum was good for all three. And my senior parks pass got me a discount,  so it only cost me $8. Dave came in later,  and when the teenager working at the desk told Dave about the discount, he thought the kid was saying it was free, so he said thanks and went on. We figured the young man thought Dave was a confused old man and decided to let him go on. Later,  when Dave realized his mistake, he tried to pay, but the kid said it was ok.

Mountains to the south as we ride to Highwood 

Day 20 June 29, 2016 Augusta, Mt. to Great Falls, Mt. 63.6 miles

My 65th birthday (!), and I was looking forward to getting to a town with a population greater than 500. The first leg of the ride was on a road with essentially no traffic and more rolling hills. We even went by what looked like an old movie set that Dave said was a shooting range. The ride was great until we got on the frontage road that took us into Great Falls. It was ugly, there was a lot of traffic, we had a headwind, and it was 11 miles! (And it was my birthday, so I can conplain!) The traffic in Great Falls was heavy, and we decided we liked the tiny towns instead. But there was a bike trail that took us around the city, along the Missouri River, where we saw the falls right below the dam.
We decided we needed a day off, so we got a campsite at the KOA for two nights, raided the store for dinner stuff (olives, cheese, canned pears, etc.), and had a feast of sorts.
The next day, we slept in, then rode back to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, which was about their portage around the falls. It's amazing what they endured.