Medora, North DakotaSep 4, 2009
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View along I-94
Scenic pullout on I-94 in North Dakota just west of Medora
The original 5th wheel trailer!
| Our route today: East on I-94 from Glendive, Montana to Medora, North Dakota. As we were eating breakfast this morning, we watched the owners of the Green Valley Campground ride thru on their ATV with a small wagon behind it. Other than they are elderly and riding an ATV, we did not think much of it. About 30 minutes later, we saw them ride thru again with the wagon LOADED with sweet corn! They drove over to where their pickup truck was parked, and began unloading the wagon contents into the truck. I walked over and asked if I could buy ½ dozen. He said “Sure, we are just loading up and are on our way to the farmers market that starts at 9:30”. I gave him $3.00 and he told me that was too much and gave me $1.00 back. We packed up our gear and rolled out around 9:30 am. At the on ramp to I-94, we stopped at the Conoco station where we topped off the diesel in the auxiliary tank. Our only stop was at a scenic pullout where Cheryl took some photos of the stone formations. We chose the Red Trail Campground for the evening. Because of the holiday weekend, we may not be able to stay more than one night here, and we have to check tomorrow morning if there are any cancellations. Before we even set up for the night, Cheryl peeled the corn and had water boiling on the stove! We had a great lunch of really fresh sweet corn. After lunch I unhooked the 5er from the truck, and made the connections for water and electric. We drove into Medora, and toured the Cowboy Hall of Fame. There was a nice film and many well done displays of both Indian horse culture and cowboys. One display that I really enjoyed was a replica of a chuck wagon (the original 5er). The cook from the chuck wagon was shown cooking over a fire with cast iron pots and Dutch Ovens! How about that, a guy in a 5er cooking with Dutch Ovens – sound familiar? By the time we were done touring the Cowboy Hall of Fame, the temperature had dropped a little to a more comfortable 82° F and we walked up and down the streets of Medora looking at the buildings and enjoying the wooden sidewalks. We returned to our 5er and got out the lawn chairs and sat in the shade under our awning. A country singing duo called “Vern and Rita” started torturing the park with “Champagne Country” music at 5:45 pm. They tried real hard, but they were really quite horrible. But they had fancy Cowboy hats! Good thing we were on the far end of the park from where they were performing. It was real pleasant outdoors well into the evening. We had a great view of the moon rising above the cliff across the street. We finally gave in and went to bed around 10:00 pm. Cheryl made the following list of comments that she wants to share: Preparing for the trip: - Beau would have been happy with “Alaska is in that direction lets go!” - Two file cabinets of information is two too many. - We could not possibly do everything that I had information on. - Only need The Milepost and Church’s book on Alaskan Camping. Packing for the trip: - We only used about half of what I packed. - Alaska and Canada are not on another planet. They do have stores. - Packed too many clothes for warm weather and not enough for cold rainy weather. Personal Hygiene: - Have lowered my standards. - Forget about curling hair and using hairspray and makeup. It is too time consuming without hookups and after half an hour in the rain, well you have seen the pictures so you know what I mean. - Next time hair will be very short. - Baby wipes or very quick showers to conserve water when without hookups for several days. - My favorite place: campgrounds with free hot showers. - Having to wear same three winter sweaters day after day because that is all that I packed for cold weather. Division of Labor: - Beau does all of the driving, most of the cooking, most of the setting up and taking down of the site, maintains the blog and most of the driving. - I do all the complaining. - It seems to be working out well. Living in a 5er: - It is very comfortable and we have adjusted to living in a small space. - Surprised at how fast we can get into a site, level and unhook the 5er when I use the correct hand signals or press the button on the walkie talkie before talking. - We have a list of more modifications on the rig before next year’s trip. - When I had my chat with Santa at the North Pole I asked for a Honda 3000 generator. Beau, you better be reading this. Maintaining this journal: - Did not realize the amount of time it would take to write and select pictures for it. - Then try to find Wi-Fi connections. - Most connections are very slow. - If a campground has Wi-Fi everyone is on it in the evening and it is almost impossible to send data especially pictures. Best time is early in the morning when most RVers are asleep. - We like receiving emails. Alaska State Parks and Canadian Government Parks: - All are in beautiful locations with good separation between sites. - Have campfire rings. - Downside: no water or electric hookups. Even though we have water and propane we have to conserve the water and battery power so that we can use these types of parks for several days in a row. - Reached my limit at five days in a row without hookups. Made it very clear to Beau that the next two nights would have hookups with unlimited heat and water. Private Campgrounds: - Most could use some tender loving care. - Lots of gravel or mud to track into 5er. - Sites close together. We have been very lucky and usually only have neighbors on one side of us. Could it be because we are in the site backwards or in the wrong one? - Upside: HOOKUPS On Vacation but still have to: - Plan meals and grocery shop. Not as easy as at home. Fewer stores and maneuvering a 50 foot rig in parking lots can be challenging. - Need to cook several days’ worth of meals at one time so there is more time to explore. - Clean RV and truck. Dust, mud and gravel everywhere we go. - Let’s not forget about laundry. Would I go to Alaska Again? - Yes! Yes! Yes! - Would love to see it with clear blue skies - Many, many areas we did not explore Weather at start: 57° F – sunny and clear Miles start / stop / total today / total trip 15,531 / 15,597 / 66 / 9,298 Altitude 2,310 ft. End location for the day: Red Trail Campground Site #83, Medora, North Dakota (46° 54’ 34’’ N, 103° 31’ 27’’ W) Weather at stop: 91° F – sunny and clear |
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