This post written from the Waters of the Dancing Sky Scenic Byway, in the Mallard capital of Minnesota, about 40 miles south of the Lake of the Woods--with Boundary Lakes and Thunder Bay, Ontario ahead of us. Summer ended in one day as we went from the nineties to the forties and wind overnight. They say it will come back to the seventies but I am wondering now if I should stow the shorts deep and dig out the scarf. We have been on the road for just 6 days. Already the trip feels like this country does right now, with miles in either direction.
It is hard to write on a road trip when you are camping. So, this time, I will write in the car, post from the library, and try to catch up. Here are the blue highway snippets from the last few days.
Big bag of beautiful Washington fruit still keeping us company.
Washed in gorgeous scenery. America the Beautiful. “Purple Mountains Majesties” in Glacier National Park.
Going to the Sun Road is its own marvel, and too many cars on it to really relax. Coming down into the long stretch of eastern Montana, under the ”Spacious Skies”.
We drive until we are tired and then we look for a place to stay. So far, a friend’s house, 2 “no camping” recreation sites, 1 park campsite with lots of bear warnings, 1 motel and 1 city park.
Dead trees from a big burn standing in memoriam on the anniversary of 9/11, as we listen to the crackling voice of Paul Simon, trying not to lose the faint PBS channel, connected by a strange nostalgia to a game-changing event 10 years ago.
Windmills moving in time to “drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds” cowboy music, Indian reservations, big ranches, one after the other.
Huge oil shale boom going on in North Dakota. Oil pumping, gangs of machinery and workers and trucks. Reminiscent of Fairbanks pipeline.
Headed so far north that if we stood up straight, we would hit our head on Manitoba. Visited the town where my grandma grew up, Bottineau, ND and then north to Lake Metigoshe, Chickadees, her favorite bird and mine, cheered around us as we found the family cabin where she learned to love nature. I always thought of ND as the “Fruited Plain” and “Amber Waves of Grain”. It is that --but this little lake is right out of the North Woods.
The Peace Garden between North Dakota and Manitoba straddles the border. The peace poles are donated by Japan, the September 11 Memorial is donated by the government of Manitoba. On the 49th parallel, the invisible border between two friendly nations stretches, framed by formal gardens and winding nature walks.
Oh, and Jack is one super trooper.
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