Kay said I was asleep in bed last night before 8 pm; I thought it was more like 8:15 pm. We both woke early, and with containers of hot coffee, were on the road about 6 am for our longest drive of the trip. We drove through Fargo, but didn’t slow down for fear of the “shredder” from the movie Fargo. Switching drivers about every two hours resulted in a pleasant drive of over 600 miles, arriving in Dickinson, North Dakota, about 4 pm (time changed from CDST to MDST). After checking into a clean, but otherwise sleazy motel (Rodeway Inn), we drove the 71 miles to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit, checking off another longtime “life list” item!

Theodore Roosevelt NP consists of three units: North, South, and Elkhorn Ranch. The North Unit is quite rugged, with substantial geological formations of various colors of clay and sandstone. The Little Missouri River winds and meanders its way through the the Unit, creating a myriad of photo opportunities. Bison roam freely, turkeys are found throughout the Unit, and Big Horn Sheep graze on the grassy slopes. We arrived at the North Unit late afternoon, lucky to find American Bison crossing the scenic drive in the park, causing a “bison jam” in the process. As dusk approached, Kay saw Big Horn Sheep just off the scenic drive, and they posed for several minutes for photographs. Visiting this NP is a life list item for me.