Stanley to Minot to Surrey, ND
It’s the 4th of July and kids in the houses adjoining this city park are shooting off their fireworks though it is only 7 pm.
One plus: We are far from RR tracks. Last night (and many others) we were camped nearly on the tracks. Trains blasted past all night. Add fireworks to that—last night—and you’d think we couldn't sleep, but we were so tired we heard little.
Today we turned left and rode into Minot, a hilly city, where we planned to overnight and perhaps find a bike shop. But, Rick twitched the itinerary to his liking again, convincing us to ride an additional nine miles to Surrey to get away from all the bang and bluster of Minot’s July 4th celebration. I didn’t really mind as Minot has a bike shop, but when we got there, not only the bike shop but the whole city was closed for the 4th. I’ll have to bear with my deflating air mattress and two pair of falling apart shorts for awhile longer.
One plus: We are far from RR tracks. Last night (and many others) we were camped nearly on the tracks. Trains blasted past all night. Add fireworks to that—last night—and you’d think we couldn't sleep, but we were so tired we heard little.
Today we turned left and rode into Minot, a hilly city, where we planned to overnight and perhaps find a bike shop. But, Rick twitched the itinerary to his liking again, convincing us to ride an additional nine miles to Surrey to get away from all the bang and bluster of Minot’s July 4th celebration. I didn’t really mind as Minot has a bike shop, but when we got there, not only the bike shop but the whole city was closed for the 4th. I’ll have to bear with my deflating air mattress and two pair of falling apart shorts for awhile longer.
When I was completing my post-ride journal I learned that nearly 40% of Minot’s residents are of Scandinavian ancestry, and every October since 1977, Minot has been the host to the Norsk Høstfest, North America's largest Scandinavian-American festival. Scandinavian Heritage Park, located in Minot, features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, as well as Finland and Iceland, even a full scale replica stave church.In Minot we bumped into Bill Temple again. He’d had some sort of mechanical problem and had hitched a ride to Minot and a bike store. Of course the bike store was closed to him as well on the 4th so he had to wait. We told him of our proposed camping spot in Minot—a park behind a motel—and he thought he’d check it out.
Our morning headwind soon became a crosswind and then a tailwind, so we blew into Surrey in fine fettle (as my grandmother used to say).
Today was MUCH better than yesterday. Still a lot of hills but not as long or steep, though we did have one daunting one not too far west of Minot. We’d stopped on the opposite side of the road at a rest area, and I could not take my eyes off the long, steep climb coming up. But, after our rest, I dragged BOB up it without stopping or walking and was proud (and relieved) when I got to the top.
After setting up camp in this small city park, we rode back to the only store in town: a convenience store and “grill.” The young kid running it said that there was no food today. The grill was closed for the 4th. We longingly eyed the very long hamburger menu tacked up behind the counter.
When the kid saw us trying to find dinner among the sparse CS canned goods, he relented and cooked us hamburgers and fries. It is fun to be able to eat whatever one wants (within reason) when riding a bike. They say that a person of my weight riding with “moderate to vigorous effort” burns between 550 to 620 calories per hour. Figure that I am on the bike about 5 hours a day . . . I could eat 3,100 calories without gaining weight. That’s a lot of food. Generally I lose weight on these rides.
It's sunny but beautifully breezy now. We have washed out our riding clothes and taken sponge baths in the restrooms here, so are now ready for coffee and cookies and then bed. Rick has talked to his girlfriend on the phone and his mood seems to have lightened.
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| This is the only photo of note that I took today: Rick calling Pat after setting up his tent in Surrey's city park |
Tomorrow we ride to Rugby, ND, the geographic center of North America.
