From Detroit Lakes, MN I head west. As one travels west from Minnesota to the great tundra known as North Dakota, the gentle rolling hills and lakes of MN give way to the endless prairie of ND.
After a few hours driving, I stopped in Jamestown, ND for the night. This is the city I grew up in. I met with a bunch of old friends for a few hours, and luckily the good Dr was staying at a nearby hotel within walking distance! Jamestown is an interesting city, it came into being to support the railroad as it expanded westward. The city was established in 1872 (named after to founder’s home in Virginia), as was the fort that overlooked the fledgling city to protect it. Today there are more than 15,000 people who call it home. The average temperature ranges from ~20 deg F in the winter to ~85 deg F in the summer. There are two must see things in Jamestown. Fort Seward and the Frontier Village. They are on opposite ends of town, but it doesn’t take long. I think one full day is plenty of time to do both.
From Jamestown I headed west one hundred more miles to Bismark, ND. Bismark is the capital of this great state; but I came here to visit family. I spent the next few days visiting my sister and her family. We hung out, drank some adult beverages, shot some guns, and grilled with more beer. It was a fun time, and you’ll just have to take my word that it was good to see my sis, her husband, and their kids.
The last time I was in the part of country was “pert near” 20’ish years ago. A lot has changed. When I was a young lad, there were very few cars on the interstate, but now, with oil being drilled in the western part of the state; there is significantly more road traffic than I remembered. Speaking of the oil boom, the western part of the state is seeing a big boom. But with the boom comes difficulty for the locals. In my mind, the oil boom comes with mixed blessings. Most of the trains passing through are loaded full of oil, and many of the trucks on the road are also moving oil. But with the trains and trucks full of oil, how are the harvests supposed to get moved to where they need to be? While visiting in Bismark, a local explained to me that many crops have to wait in excess of 30 days to be transported away.
Then it was time to pack up and begin my trek eastward. I had to work the next day, so it was time to go…I’ll wrap up the trip with part 4.
Leave a Reply