More North Dakota - a post for Uncle Don

What I love about North Dakota (and Montana) - lots of wide, open spaces.  They are nice areas to take little drives in.  Since my first North Dakota post, I've been back to the state a few times, and I have a friend who also enjoys going on drives.  So, recently we went and explored the Enchanted Highway.  Please click on the link to see what the Enchanted Highway is. 

Yesterday, we went on a little trip to explore the Badlands of North Dakota and we also went to the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  There were orange cones up, but when we went to the visitors center, we learned that they were open.  Along the way, we stopped at a little store in Manning that is kind of similar to DJ's.  However, they have crock pots on the counter with different food each day, and you can just dish yourself out some food for lunch (and it case you were wondering - yes, you have to pay for it). 

For the benefit of Uncle Don, I will now be more precise about which routes we took.

We took ND-22 North through Manning and Killdeer and on to the Ft. Berthold Indian Reservation past the junction with ND-73.  Then, we took some little country road east, then another road south to meet up with ND-73.  ND-73 then met up with, and became ND-23 which we followed to Watford City.  At this point, we went south on ND-85 until we reached the North Unit of the National Park, where we took a little detour onto the road in the park up to the Oxbow overlook, then we returned back to ND-85 and traveled South to Belfield.  From there, we took I-94 East to Dickinson. 

For the Enchanted Highway trip, we took I-94 to the Enchanted Highway.  We then drove down to Regent, ND and maybe slightly past.  At that point, we took a road west and then another road north (this road went through New England, ND) back to Dickinson.  As you can tell by these directions, I am getting lazy about my direction explanations, and I'm not being to precise.  I am sure Uncle Don can take out a map and figure out what the roads other than 1-94 were based on my descriptions, though.

Where have all the cowboys gone?

Last night, I had a dream.  In this dream, I was a contestant on The Amazing Race.  I'm not sure who my partner was on the show.  The dream started out with two teams on a plane.  My team and one other team.  All of the other teams had made it off the plane, but for some reason, they took the stairs that led down to the tarmac away.  What was annoying me was that the other three were like, "Oh, they'll bring it back in a few minutes."  On the other hand, I went to the door and asked them to bring the stairs back; and, guess what?  They did. 

While on the plane, however, I learned that there had been a twist on the game earlier in the season.  I was now partners with Cord McCoy (one of the Cowboys).  I thought I would enjoy the experience, but I did not.  He and I did not get along, and he was always leaving me behind.  I didn't think it was a very good tactic for us to get split up.

I guess the dream was a harbinger of things to come -- the Cowboys were the final team to arrive tonight.  Despite my dream, I still have so much respect for both of them, and it saddens me that they are no longer on The Amazing Race.  The show will just not be the same, and there aren't really any other teams I want to win. 
 


All of the other teams are fine, but they're just so-so.  I think Kent and Vyxsin are the team I like least.  Well, mostly Kent.  He's a whiner.  I do like Gary and Mallory, but Mallory is sometimes a bit too chipper, although she is calming down a bit.  Jen and LaKisha kind of just blend in...nothing special about them.  The Globetrotters can be fun, but I don't really think they deserve to win.  Zev and Justin are a pretty good team, and Justin is so patient with Zev, who has autism (although Zev definitely carried the team tonight).  The problem with their team is that they have one a number of legs; and if you know me, you know I'm usually for the underdogs. 

I think any of these teams could win, but I've just decided I want the next eliminations to go as follows: Next Elimination - Kent an Vyxsin; After that - Jen and Lakisha, Gary and Mallory; and, finally, the Globetrotters.  This would leave Zev and Justin as the winners of this season.



Overall, I've been impressed by cowboys in reality TV shows.  My one caveat to that would be Clint Black.  I think he made himself look like a complete idiot.  And just so you know, the way I judge is by how they conduct themselves on a show - their integrity and their character - not by how early or late they are eliminated.

So, this one goes out to all of the cowboys who show the importance of integrity and character, and who show that although nice guys don't always finish first, they don't finish last either.