Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota

This time we are in North Dakota based near Lake Sakakawea.  This is a dammed part of the Missouri River and named after a Shoshone Native America woman who was eventually living in this area with the Hidatsa people. You may be more familiar with the spelling as Sacagawea and she aided Louis and Clark on their expedition. The lake is extremely long and a beautiful blue color. I am hanging out with S and S that I mentioned in my last post. They have both retired early and are living fulltime traveling in their fifth wheel and are currently serving as camp hosts at a local campground which is owned Army Corps of Engineers. 

S, S, and I went up to Minot to search for Big Foot. The hunt took us to  the Scandinavian Heritage Park. There were a number of buildings of Scandinavian design and were replicas of what would have been seen on the plains during the period of immigration to the area. The buildings ranged from a simple cabin to the ornate church you see below. As I have traveled I have seen how the various European peoples were recruited to the United States by trying to convince them it was like the homeland. Unfortunately there was no sign of Big Foot at the park so we moved on. 

Scandinavian Heritage Park

We checked out several microbreweries in Minot. The first place, Atypical Brewery, had a really cool vibe and was the style with garage doors to the outside that opened up if the weather permitted. Thankfully that day the weather did permit and the warm breeze made the beer even tastier. We tried several of their fine brews and enjoyed talking about the lifestyle and potential sightings. We then went to Souris River Brewing for dinner and a few pints. The brews at this establishment were also excellent and the food was quite tasty too. Oddly enough there was no sign of Big Foot at this establishment either which was odd as it was a local sourced restaurant and brewery. We decided to load up on some supplies and head back to our respective campgrounds.

Souris River Brewery. Cool mug club stuff there

We (S, S, and I) toured the Knife River Indian Villages and hiked around the grounds. There is a replica of an earthen lodge and you can see how the native peoples of the land lived in the area. The trade network was quite extensive and there was a nice selection of artifacts. This site is at one of the areas where the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes were camped during Sakakawea's lifetime. It was nice to see a really well done replication and video presentation. There were no signs of Big Foot in their relics or visiting the site that day..

Earthen Lodge - summer home

We headed further south and visited Bismarck and Mandan. We went to the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park which had a replica of the fort that Lt Col Custer was commander of during his military campaigns on the plains. The original structures were recycled years earlier after the fort was abandoned as the cost of lumber was high and it would have just gone to waste. Since they had the original plans for the buildings (this is the government after all and they live on paper) they were able to build an exact replica of the Custer house. He was an odd man but his wife did have taste and they had a large and lovely home. The fort also has reconstructed barracks and other buildings. There were other exhibits at the park but our time was running short for the day and since we had not seen Big Foot there, we decided to head to the breweries of Bismarck.

S & S walking towards the Custer House. Ok it's a terrible picture but I wanted to include something of the place and the people I was with so you didn't think I was making them up.

The first brewery we were at had a lot of promise. S and S had been there before and said the brisket was outstanding so I was really excited to try it. Laughing Sun had a huge space and I was getting hungry and thirsty after a long day. Alas, there was a mug club only event that day so we had to leave. I appreciate the benefit for their members but to shut down a normal day of business for them is a bit off putting. Big Foot is not a member and neither am I so we left. Our next stop had none of the cool vibe but it did have tasty brews and we lucked out and had the $4 pint special to go with our dinner. Stonehome has two locations and the beer was quite good as well as the Stromboli that I had for dinner. It was only disappointing when compared to a well smoked brisket but at least they were happy to serve us unlike the elitists at the other place. Since this was a well lit establishment Big Foot was probably too uncomfortable to hang out there and therefore was not to be found. We decided that we had our fill of Bismarck for the day but I knew I would be back as there was still much to be seen. Perhaps another year,

Only $4 - should have had more

Tired from so much Big Foot hunting, S and I decided to go to Teddy Roosevelt National Park (north unit) and hike around. The other S graciously agreed to stay behind as she had some errands to run and then she watched the 5 dogs (my two and their three). The drive to TR was quite lovely as North Dakota is quite hilly and there is a plethora of colors that paint the scenery. TR was amazing and the views were spectacular as we went for our 4.3 mile hike. It was nice to be able to hike without worrying about the dogs or knowing that someone (Lucy) will need to be carried in a little bit. I took several photos but the problem with expansive landscapes is that you really cannot easily capture the feeling of the place. For example, there was a a ridge between two little peaks that dropped off into valleys on both sides. The views were incredible and the wind was amazing as it pushed you. You just cannot capture that feeling via photos so I am incredibly thankful that my sabbatical has taken me to places like this.

The views are epic and there were minimal crowds. My kind of place.

After another excellent dinner, S, S, the dogs, and I settled down for a fire and star gazing, As I looked over Lake Sakakawea I was truly touched. This lake is nearly 200 miles long and has about 1400 miles of shoreline of which nearly none of it is developed. You so rarely see such beauty without a bunch of overpriced homes right on the water. This allowed the sunset and star gazing to be uninterrupted by any artificial light. As the coyotes howled on the nearby island, the sound echoed off the lake and it made it a really beautiful experience. The natural beauty of North Dakota was a pleasant surprise. I hesitate to mention this as I almost don't want people to know how beautiful this state is during the summer and just keep it as a secret.

Sunset over Lake Sakakawea

My camping trailer has been a faithful companion but I do not see this as my home for the next few years.. The large awning style windows are wonderful as they open way up and allow a lot of air flow. The downside of that design is that the screen and shade are mounted internally. This means when you open or close the window there is no shade or screen - just an open air space which allows bugs in.. It also allows for a small gap around the edge of the framing which is sufficient to allow a few more bugs through. We had a strong wind the other day and the flies came in droves, unfortunately they all seemed to take shelter inside my trailer. After swatting about 30 flies I had to get fly strips and ended up catching another 70 flies. I am not particularly fond of the bugs and Lucy is less fond of me swearing and swatting flies with pent up rage. I will need something more suitable for full time living. I am still torn between small and comfortable but I am not in a huge rush. It will either be a van or possible a fifth wheel. It really all depends upon my mood on a given day. Life is about choices and compromise and I am trying to have my cake and eat it too. This is my home and as such it should be comfortable and a place of refuge from the stresses of Big Foot hunting. Ideally I would have the comfort and homey nature of a fifth wheel with the size of a van. I'm sure clarity will come to me one day while sipping my whiskey as this is a problem best solved by Bushmills.  

We are off to South Dakota for a slightly extended period as I need to take care of some business and the dogs need grooming. 

Thor

Braxwood.com

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