Day 3
Distance: 72.16 mi
Average: 14.3 mph
Time in Motion: 5:01:29 hours

Jesse left right after we got up. I ate a donut and some OJ at the "Bus Barn," before taking off. I felt I had left too early as I pedaled west. I was the only biker for miles and it was still dark. The light that was available showed Lake Sakakawea to the south. As the light became more available, the scenery was ever more breathtaking. I could see for miles. Unfortunately, it was too dark to take pictures. I tried, but my light meter convinced me to give up.

Today I shot 100 speed T-Max. I'm saving my slide film for the badlands.

I stopped in New Town at a café and had a huge bowl of Raisin Bran. There was too much cereal to eat and too much OJ to drink. The service was wonderful.

[NOTE: I should mention my sighting of Earl Bunyan. As I pedaled into New Town from the east, I noticed a tall statue of sorts standing next to the street. I snapped some photos of Earl, chuckled at the sight, and continued on my way. I later learned the story of Earl Bunyan. Earl is the cousin of Paul, with whom I am sure you are familiar. While Paul was a lumberjack, Earl was a famous cowboy and rancher in these parts. According to legend, Earl ran a ranch that had 2 Million cattle and employed 12,000 cowboys to run it. A cowboy named Fred LaRocque built the statue in honor of Earl back in 1958 after inspiration from a comic book. Today, according to my trusty booklet, a group called the "50 years in the saddle club" maintains the statue.]

After breakfast, I headed west. Not far out of town, I saw a "Historic Site" sign and debated whether or not to take it. It looked a steep climb, so I thought it might have a great view. It was a tough climb (the first of many today) but well worth it. There were great views of the Four Bears bridge and an old town site. I snapped lots of photographs.

Old Sanish townsite:

After a speedy descent from the lookout point, I perilously approached the narrow Four Bears Bridge. Barely two lanes wide and very long, the bridge is a bit frightening. The woman pedaling in front of me lost her flasher. It simply fell off her pack. There were no cars in the immediate vicinity at that time, but she didn't want to stop and pick it up. I don't blame her.

When we turned south it was great scenery all the way. Lots of photo-ops.

Watford City did a wonderful job of hosting our tour. They had great shuttle services for us. While strolling about town, I purchased a few interesting books: Dakota Day Trips by Cliff Naylor and Monica Hannan, and Dakota Mysteries & Oddities by William Jackson. Some of the sights and places we're touring are surprisingly well documented in these books. Both books mention the Paul Broste Rock Museum. The Dakota Day Trips book discusses the Indian Scout Cemetery and Earl Bunyan.

I wanted to look around the Museum in town tonight, but it was closed.

Today was filled with steep hills and amazing descents. It was an awesome day. I did get rained on a bit while leaving the Christian Academy rest stop (the Watermelon Woman greeted me there - a very energetic, excited woman who not only dished out free watermelon, but also dressed as one!).

I should say a bit about the Christian Academy rest stop. The rest stop was set up at the Christian Academy; a private, nondenominational school. There was a public school just across the highway, but it sat empty and abandoned. The Christian Academy supports all twelve grades and has a total of only seventy-five students. It was an interesting place to say the least. As a rest stop, it was very expensive. The food was good (sandwiches on homemade buns) but I'm not sure it was worth the cost. I did enjoy their theme of watermelons. I don't know that I'll ever forget the watermelon lady - it's sad, but I can't recall her actual name.

All in all, it was a fast day with great scenery and fun riding.

Points of Interest:

• Earl Bunyan, East side of New Town. (see photo link above, in the text)
• Old Sanish town site, just West of New Town. (see photo link above, in the text)
• Four Bears Bridge (see photo link above, in the text)
• Four Bears Casino