Over the Fourth of July weekend, I traveled to the Bottineau area to take in Rockin' The Hills, hang out with a few friends, and do a little geocaching along the way.

At the rock festival, we got a little wet and cold. But the music was great. We heard 3 Doors Down, Seven Mary Three, Blessid Union of Souls, Puddle of Mudd, and Nickelback. Before the show, I was more of a Nickelback fan than a 3 Doors Down fan. Now I can't get enough 3 Doors Down. It's good stuff.

On the night of the Fourth, we missed all of the "big" fireworks shows in the area. We had a small show out in my parents driveway at around one or two in the morning, technically on the fifth of July. It was fun just the same.

The geocaching ate up more miles and time than I thought it would. I found nine caches over the weekend and sped back and forth along highway 83 on my way to and from Bottineau.

When you find nine geocaches around here, you're bound to see some interesting things. I found a ghost town, the grave a local legend, several giant turtles, an amazing rainbow, and wreckage from the World Trade Center.

The most memorable of the stops was the WTC wreckage at the International Peace Gardens near Dunseith, ND. The twisted rivets and beams marred by fire elicit an emotional response from all who pass by. There were a few of us snapping photos of the wreckage, as if it were a tourist attraction. It is, I suppose. And that feels wrong.

Above are nine photos. First is a flower in the Peace Gardens. Second, the WTC wreckage. Third, the Whee'l Turtle in Dunsieth. Fourth, the group of us on top of Tommy Turtle in Bottineau. Fifth, the big turtle in Turtle Lake. Sixth, ghost town of (I think) Sanger. Seventh, an abandoned smokehouse on the southern shore of Lake Sakakawea. Eighth, a rainbow near Wilton. And the last picture is of a bunch of us hanging out at the cabin on my parents' land before heading off to the concerts.

Happy 4th of July.