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.

Someone tried stealing my bicycle last night! Fortunately, the bicycles were locked to the Thule carrier as someone attempted to steal the still new TREK Dual Sport. I found it off the rack but still secured with a cable lock about 5:15 am even though the car was parked in front of the room with a balcony no less; it’s likely we won’t recommend this motel! And, thank goodness for the security of a lockable Thule rack.

A stop in Kansas City allowed repair of one of the hearing aids and a bit of shopping at Costco.

Back on the road, we drove north to Sioux City, IA. Widespread high water remains over much of the area along I-29 between St. Joseph, MO, and Sioux City after the catastrophe flooding in late spring and early summer. 

We arrived in Sioux City late in the afternoon, checked-in at the motel, and spent a quiet evening before early bed.

It’s that time of year, again. A birthday “wish” trip, a couple “life list” items, and almost unbearably hot and humid weather in Hot Springs Village is pushing us north, and then west for a couple of weeks. 

Leaving home about noon and a quick stop at BassPro allowed me to pick up Kay in North Little Rock about 2pm. From there we drove to Joplin, MO, to overnight. This will shorten tomorrow’s leg significantly.

The month-long birthday celebration has begun. Having driven to Memphis yesterday, we are attending Photo Expo 2019 today at Graceland’s Guest House Hotel featuring a great vendor display and an impressive list of speakers. Making the most of the vendors, “Kay” bought a new photo printer, photo paper, travel tripod, and a Sony a7riii mirrorless camera (Kay “bought” these things because the Bedford Camera account is in her name).

One of the highlights of the weekend was a trip with friends Dan, Pat, Vic, and Sharon to Marlowe’s Ribs and Restaurant via a pink Cadillac limousine; the barbecue was great, and we recommend this place.\

Another highlight was visiting with granddaughter Harper on Saturday afternoon to celebrate her 7th birthday. After that brief visit, we returned home to prepare for another big trip.