We started out East to drive across the great prairies of North Dakota. We were amazed by how wet the ground was and how much water there was in the lots of lakes. Instead of stopping as planned in Jamestown we decided to press on to Fargo and do it all in one hop, which was just over 200 miles. Driving on the Interstate is not much fun, but with an 80 m.p.h. speed limit it is fast, though we kept more or less to 75, which with the wind against us returned me around 5 m.p.g. But petrol is now cheap at $2.50-60 a gallon. (around 42p per litre).
We stayed at Buffalo River State Park, which is mostly prairie with the Buffalo River running through it. Very pretty campground. Though we were only booked in for Friday and Saturday we actually were able to stay Thursday til Monday.
On arrival we found that you could only use certified bug free wood on your campfire. Stupidly our meagre supply of wood was visible on the front of the trailer, so we had to give that over to the Ranger. I asked him what he would do with it. He said it would be burned!!!! I said that I could do that for him, but he wasn't buying it. Anyway he was really nice about it and gave us some wood from his own supply.
The weather is now turning - humidity up, temperature up, but often rain in the afternoon.
Saturday
Joined in the Buffalo River Trail run, which I thought was just jogging round the park with a ranger and the kids. I arrived at the 'Picnic Area' at 7.45 only to find that the start was at the University Prairie science Center - A Mile Away! However I did get there in time for the start, did a reasonable 5k, then had to walk another mile back to the campground! Still it was a very pleasant walk through along the river.
Sunday
Found out that there was a Phenology field trip going on, so joined in, thougt I would get my head bumps and dents used to tell my future, only to realise that is Phrenology, phenology is about the study of plant and animal life cycles, so we duly had a good wander across the prairie and found some Northern Leopard Frogs and a Garter Snake, as well as some very pretty flowers, in particular Prairie Smoke.
There were a number of young kids on this little field trip. So I had a great joke for them.
I mentioned that they had been hunting buffalo on these prairies for nearly two hundred years, since 1816, so next year would be the 'bisontennial'! I loved that one, and people actually laughed, though the kids didn't get it.
In the afternoon we took a ride out to Fargo to eat at the Golden Corral, which was fun.
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