I decided to check my tire pressure this morning. Had a feeling I should, and I know better than to ignore those hunches. I drove about 100 feet to the gas station on the same property as the hotel and was stunned to see 3 of 4 tires had a psi of over 45. I wondered why the tires hadn't blown yet!
I headed out from Bismarck and enjoyed the view of the rolling hills. Just a while east of the city was a rest stop called Crystal Springs. There was a plaque there that said that the springs had been a fortunate discovery by the crews building the first rail line across the prairies. They were parched and didn't know if they could continue working when they found the springs. They drank up and washed up and rested and then continued on. Apparently these springs were a very important part of the history of the railway.
By the time I got to the Minnesota border the land was flat as a pancake. I figured as I angled toward Lake Michigan that more trees would spring up, and I was right. Just SE of Fargo the hills started up again and I saw so many gorgeous lakes and ponds right along the highway but, again, nowhere to stop safely. When I approached St. Cloud it seemed that a forest had just sprung up out of nowhere. A while later I stopped in a town called Avon for a bit of a break and saw a sign on the road that said "Lake Wobegon Trail." It brought to mind Garrison Keillor's books about his (supposedly non-fictional) youth in the area. The Lake Wobegon series are some very entertaining books, if you've never read his works.
I arrived in Monticello around 5:00 pm local time. I had inadvertently booked a smoking room when I made my online reservation, and I'm grateful that the desk clerk pointed it out to me when I checked in. I said I didn't want a smoking room and he looked on the computer to see where else he could put me. He only had 4 rooms vacant for the night so he handed me the card key for a two-room suite! It's like an apartment, it has a living room with 4 chairs and a couch, a dresser, TV, desk and table, fridge and microwave, and the bedroom has a king-sized bed, another chair, and another TV. I also got a little gift bag for being a rewards member with the hotel chain. I am so spoiled! :)
I went for a bite to eat and then headed down to the famed Mississippi River that flows through town to get some pictures. It's barely a creek compared to the leviathan it is by the time it hits Missouri, but it was still rather awe-inspiring to stand on the banks of that legendary river. This is a trip of firsts for me. First time I've driven this far from home by myself, first time in North Dakota and Minnesota, first time seeing the Mississippi. I'll be seeing it again in a couple of weeks when I'm in Nauvoo and I'm sure it'll be much bigger by then.
I got a fortune cookie after dinner and laughed when I saw what it said: "A new voyage will fill your life with untold memories." No one can tell me things on this trip are just a coincidence!
I have a very long day ahead of me tomorrow and it takes a really long time to upload pictures to this blog, so I'm going to get to bed. I have posted pictures on Facebook. I probably won't have time to upload pictures here until I get to Toronto. If you want to see some pictures before then, add me as a friend on Facebook.
Tomorrow's destination: Kalamazoo, Michigan. What a fun name. Wish me luck, I'll be going through Chicago during rush hour!
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