The day started after leaving the Prarie View Lodge in Piken. We ate breakfast from our packs, and hit the road. I highly recommend this lodge, although not if you are sensitive to perfumes.... why hotels can't try to remove smells rather than adding more is beyond me. North Dakota is great, but the state is not big in indoor air quality. We have been in grocery stores that would be condemned in Wisconsin, every place seems to have mold and mildew problems, and I think every roof in the state leaks. Nobody seems to mind....they just add some perfume. Also, the state still allows smoking, so hotel rooms and restaraunts always have a funk.

Today we headed north to Devils Lake...the largest city in the area. We need to call the DOT in the morning and weigh our options for getting westward. Their is only 1 open route in Northern North Dakota heading west, and it happens to be our bike route. This means that the route is packed with traffic, bumper to bumper. There are reported traffic jams, no shoulders, and tons of problems....certainly not safre for cycling. In Devils Lake we have a lot more options, and also lodging. We have to decide between 3 options tomorrow. We can head west on highway 2 and hope it opens within 48 hours, wait out the flooding, or find alternate transport.

It was a beautful ride. We had a tailwind!!! Imagine that. We quickly covered 20 miles through some beautiful terrain, mostly semi-submerged. In some areas, the road was only above the water by inches, sometimes the water was partially over the road.

This was the first time I have seen Roger clip along at over 20mph on a flat! We rarely dropped below 16mph during the first 20 miles. Amazing.

Unfortunately, in North Dakota, good things do not last. We took our daily turn, and now had a crosswind. Oh well. We still cruised along at 12 to 13mph on highway 2 headed towards Devils Lake.

Pictures from the rest area....

We would have loved to continue for several more miles, but we must stop in Devils Lake and make a plan. The water in Minot is dropping, but is it fast enough to allow us through in 48 hours? We just do not know. Hopefully we learn more in the AM.

TJ hit 1000 miles on his odometer today. He noticed that lots of food items remind us of Chuck.

Roger, Laura, and I went out to eat, while the kids saved money and went to a grocery store. Yeah, they are broke.....and are accepting handouts wherever possible.

Rogers food....

My food....

The poor youth.

Tomorrow we make a gameplan. All options are on the table. Laura suggested a swampboat. I was considering buying a truck. Roger likes the idea of renting something to drive the detour. TJ and Katie have not shown to be very effective tools during a brainstorming session. Lets just hope they are very tired or something.....they are asleep already.

48 miles (755 total)