You knew it had to happen sometime

It started as a gorgeous day for a ride -- bright skies, dry air and temps around 60F. The landscape stayed pretty much the same as we headed southeast from Minot on Hwy 52. The two-lane road followed the river valley and rail line, and accasionally wound around the abundant shallow lakes filled with cattails and reeds. The cattails were, in fact, so abundant I wondered whether North Dakota shouldn't have then as the state flower and perhaps the red-winged blackbird as the state bird. It's very pretty country, but you can't go far without reminders that the population is in decline, whether it's an old gray abandoned house with windows agape, or a lovely clapboard church up for sale.






Around midday, coming through Jamestown, ND, we looked south through town to see storm clouds brewing. Later this evening we learned that the same storm had touched off a tornado earlier in the day a few hundred miles to the west of us. We got caught by a coal train at an intersection downtown, and Gi couldn't resist snapping another picture as the engine roared by. (She's been snapping pictures of trains all along the route so far. I'm not sure why she has such fascination, but she really like seeing this one up so close.) My big regret is that as we pulled out of town and I spotted an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile parked outside a motel I didn't turn around and go back to snap a picture of the bike with the Weinermobile.

(Added July 17 -- Now I'm doubly disappointed for not turning around for that Weinermobile photo. It looks as if the driver crashed it into a house in Wisconsin just a few days later.)






It's almost hard to believe, but I managed to travel around 6,000 miles of this trip before the long arm of the law finally reached out and tapped me on the shoulder. A very nice South Dakota Highway Patrolman pulled me over to remind me that it's illegal to drive 10 mph over the speed limit. (10 MPH! I'm shocked!!!) So now I've got another warning to tack up on my wall of shame.

We stopped at a place called The Ram in downtown Brookings for dinner. The prime rib was excellent and the prices were very reasonable.