Bismark to Medora

This morning I drove to Medora, where I will have a few days to explore Theodore Roosevelt National Park as well as some of the surrounding areas if I have time. I drove most of the way in a white-out. This seems to be a common phenomenon in this part of the country. By the time I arrived it had resolved to clouds and overcast. I’m now back on Mountain Time. However this park actually splits time zones; the south unit is in the Mountain time zone and the north unit is is back in the central time zone.

When I checked in at the south unit visitor center, I was told that about a quarter of the loop was closed for road construction. And of course it is the part that contains the iconic badlands overlook. The advantages of visiting a popular location in the off-season is a death of visitors - I saw maybe three cars the entire time I was there - and the possibility to experience snow on the rock formations. The disadvantages include road and trail closures due either to weather or construction.

I ended up concentrating more on the wildlife, which was a bit unexpected. It did cause me to notice that my driver’s side window was sticking. This is the same door that was just repaired a couple of days ago in Fargo. I suspect it got a bit warped when they replaced the stay. The next Firestone will be in Great Falls Montana. I have to stop by anyway to have my tire pressure adjusted yet again. I went back out of the park and shot the painted canyon from the freeway shoulder.

Lodging is pretty sparse in this part of the country. I opted for an Americinn. It is quite basic, and pretty old and run down. It does seem clean, however, and the staff was welcoming and helpful. There just is not a lot of choice. At least the price is commensurate.

Tomorrow I will drive up to the north unit.