Day 24: Medora, North Dakota!

I had another great nights sleep at my Warm Showers house. Of course after most rides I could sleep standing up…Any way, I got away early, for me, and rode to the Sinclair gas station (which was recommended to me) for another gas station breakfast. I had coffee, two tornados- they are kind of like breakfast flautas (“a whirlwind of flavor”) and 4 frosted pop tarts because I just wanted more carbs/calories. Then I was off! I rode across the Yellowstone River- no photos since I was on I-94 and there was not a shoulder on the bridge. The first 40 miles were on I-94. It wasn’t too bad- it generally had a wide shoulder, nice bad lands kinda scenery and absolutely no wind. I rode out of Montana and into North Dakota just before my lunch stop in Beach, ND.  I met a guy at Subway who was riding the Northern Tier, east to west, and we shared road info for a bit. Interestingly, he told me he was attacked by a hawk just before he rode into Medora. I say interestingly because my Warm Showers host last night told me of two westbound riders that told her they were attacked by a hawk or golden eagle just before Medora! One lady had talon scratches on her helmet! I’m going to have an extra cup of coffee tomorrow morning to ensure my rattlesnake-like reflexes are in perfect working order. I promise to not make anything up- if I encounter a raptor I will truthfully document the incident. If I do not encounter a raptor then I will find some other incident to embellish. My last 27 miles were on a lovely winding country road (old SR 10) with no traffic- I was passed by two cars in 27 miles- and nice scenery. Lovely. Medora is a real tourist town but I found a nice bar & grill and am now enjoying a dandy local Paddlefish stout. Daily mileage: 67, trip miles: 1,370.

The landscape leaving Glendive. Way nicer than wheat fields:

The obligatory Welcome to North Dakota sign:

Lots of these pretty wildflowers along the roadside:

Riding on old SR 10 was very pleasant: