North Dakota

We traveled through Minneapolis on Sunday and were glad to miss the traffic that was sure to come on a work day. After a night at Walmart in Monticello and at a Pilot in Grand Fork we rolled into Diane and Bob Fritels' farm in Wolford, ND, on Tuesday around noon and plugged in while sitting in their driveway-- their driveway was 8 miles down a gravel road, past the fields they and their relatives farmed. What a pleasure it was to see our Texas buddies and see their way of life. Fitz got agronomy 101 lessons from Bob (drove a combine!)and Diane and I caught up with their family news and tales of farm life in North Dakota . She had a great vegetable garden and had just "put away a crop of CC Jelly--I think this is Choke Cherry. On Wed. they took us to the International Peace Garden on the Canadian border (about 40 miles north). This straddles the border at Manitoba, Canada. Then in the evening we went to a community picnic in Rugby where we met many of the Fritel relatives and friends--truly a Norman Rockwell evening.

Diane and Bob in their Tennessee Orange--look pretty good to us

The Fritel Farmhouse--here they raised their 4 children

The swimming pool in the backyard
 



North Dakota yard art

View of their farm out the picture window

We plugged in at the farm -picture was taken while in the cherry picker

Hands across the border at the International Peace Garden

Beautiful flowers and cacti 

Have to have a Peace Dove

Community Picnic
 

It is really about 14 miles down the road but here that is just around the corner

Thursday morning we took off for Medora, ND where they have the south entrance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a much touted Musical, Pitchfork Fondue (steaks cooked on pitchforks dipped for 4 minutes in boiling oil-yum) and cowboy town. The town, food and musical were very family oriented and nice but the main attraction was the National Park and the history of our 26th President. We fell in love with Teddy Roosevelt --vice president for McKinley who died in 1901, he served as president from 01-08. He did a lot to kickstart the national parks preservation in America and it was said that he added economic freedom to the freedoms of life, liberty and happiness. We also saw bison, prairie dogs (very cute) and our first ever elk.

You ride along I-94 and come over a hill and all of the sudden you change topography dramatically

I was a very hot week --103 in the shade!

The Medora Musical was wonderful--made us miss the kids

Steaks on pitchforks--who would have thought?

Buffalo were sorta mangey up close.

Prairie Dogs were cute but you could see why the locals didn't want them in their yard



Going out to Wind Canyon for sunset we caught this buffalo herd crossing the Little Missouri River

Beautiful sunset was found at Wind Canyon in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Can't pass up an opportunity for happy hour at sunset