August 4, 2009

August 4, 2009

From Montana we cross the line into North Dakota, the last state on our list. Apparently we aren’t the only tourists to leave North Dakota to the end. North Dakota is the least visited of all fifty states. We aim to see why. Our first stop is Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site. Fort Union sits at the confluence of two major rivers, the Missouri and Yellowstone. John Jacob Astor of the American Fur Company had a fort built here in 1828 to enhance his fur trading operation. He brought manufactured items here, which he traded with the Indians for beaver pelts and later buffalo hides. It was a mutually beneficial relationship. Both sides thought they got the better of the trade.

On entering the wooden stockade we see the manager's big house and we are welcomed by a re-enactor who offers us a cup of fire-brewed coffee. Aimee immediately loves any place, even historical ones, that offer her coffee. Fort Union is actually quite interesting with its display of goods the Indians wanted for barter. The myth of the Native American wanting to retain his traditional stone-age lifestyle is just that, a myth. They wanted the finer things in life like everybody else.

This area is also Lewis and Clark country. We keep crossing the trail as we zigzag across the country. On their return journey, Lewis and Clark split up with Lewis following the Missouri and Clark the Yellowstone. Amazingly they managed to meet back here at the confluence successfully.

From Fort Union we drive to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park is a preserve of the Badland area of North Dakota. The North Dakota versions are similar to the more famous ones in South Dakota but seem greener. These Badlands are formed by the erosive power of the Little Missouri River flowing thru this region. After making the prerequisite stop at the Visitor Center we start the 14-mile scenic road. Unfortunately the road is under construction and we wait some twenty minutes for an escort car. The road is mostly dirt. This is the second time we have hit a rough patch of road since reaching the lower 48. So far we have had more bumpy roads here then all of the Alaska Highway!!


Despite the roadwork the views are beautiful especially from the Riverbend Overlook Trail. We see a variety of odd geologic formations at the Cannonball Concretions Pullout. We also pass a herd of buffalo grazing along the road. We finish with the four-mile Caprock Coulee loop hike thru the badlands. It is quite nice but a little buggy. No mosquitoes but lots of very tiny insects that are impossible to swat. We spend the night in the park’s campground. It is as nice as any NP campground we have camped in.