The forecast was for rain in the morning, then a cloudy afternoon. The weather was coming from the east so I figured I’d put on my foul weather gear and start east while it was still raining, thinking I’d get through it faster than if I just waited around all morning for the rain to stop. Probably not the best choice that I’ve made, as it was a pretty miserable ride with the same strong headwind, plus the rain.

After a bit I stopped to check progress on my phone under the eaves of a little country store. A man invited me in and there was a small group of locals sitting around a table. On it was some left over cake from the BBQ they have every Friday night. I was offered some and it hit the spot. The group mostly ignored me and talked about the challenges of hearing aids, close captioned TV and understanding a couple of TV people broadcasting out of Bismarck. When I got up to leave, they did ask me about my adventure. They also mentioned that the bike shop owner in the nearby town of Medora, was the best bike mechanic between Billings and the Twin Cities and lived in their town, in case I needed anything done on my bike.

Riding again, I kept an eye on the sky, hoping for a break in the clouds. Well the sky really didn’t clear, but the rain did stop a little earlier than forecast.

Soon after the rain stopped, I arrived at the little tourist town of Medora, at the gates of Theadore Roosevelt National Park, a park I didn’t even know existed until yesterday. I had a burger and fries from a small stall type shop. That hit the spot, too, though I think it was on the salty side. I rode over to see the parks visitor center, which was pretty small, and I took in the movie, as well. I saw Theadore Roosevelt’s ranch cabin and decided it was time to move on. Before leaving town, I did stick my nose in the bike shop and told the nice lady about what I had heard about them. I also inquired about handlebar tape, since mine is need of replacement. They didn’t have red, so I left without buying anything.

Up the road, off I-94, there was a rest area and overlook. I talked to a number of people there about my adventure. It’s interesting how when fewer people
are around, you get more engagement with them.

The afternoon ride was dry, and the wind shifted to the North, so it turned out to be a bit easier than yesterday. I ended up in a private campground just outside of Dickinson, 64 miles from where I started. Total mileage is now 1394.