Confluence of Giant Skeeters & a Charmeepy B & B

     Yesterday we took the Lewis and Clark Trail out to Fort Buford, a bit west of Williston, and learned a great deal about the astonishing Sitting Bull, including how he ceremoniously surrendered at Fort Buford before leading his family and people to Canada.  At the Missouri-Yellowstone Interpretative Confluence Center, there is a fascinating exhibit detailing the history of the Lakota (also sometimes called Dakota) tribe and how Lewis and Clark (and many after them) valued this area where the two rivers come together.  It was all interesting and worthwhile... 

until we drove back through Williston to the Cut Bluff Overlook to see where Lewis & Clark camped, only to be overcome by the largest mosquitoes any of us had ever seen.  That was the fastest walk to and from a large rock memorial than you can imagine.  If I'd had my wits about me, I would have gotten video of Daniel's flailing dance/walk, but I was too busy trying to fend them off myself, albeit in a much less humorous way!

Totally not worth it!

    Since we were afraid to linger there a moment longer, Dana opted to wait to use the bathroom for the next natural stop.  Two hours later, he practically drove into the gas station when we arrived in Minot (rhymes with "why not?"). Thank goodness we had the foresight to know that checking into a B&B rarely is a quick process, and there is no lobby bathroom where one can relieve oneself before listening to the very nice, very slow old gentleman painstakingly tell you how to enter a code on the door to unlock it.

    I've not seen Barbarian as I'm not a fan of horror films, but I am a fan of my brother's blog, so I'd read enough about it to immediately get those vibes. Daniel and Maddie both watched the film and immediately confirmed that they, too, were feeling a bit uneasy. Still, we had a wonderful dinner at The Starving Rooster and had the whole house all to ourselves to check out the upstairs record collection and finally watch Fargo snug in our (locked) room. Meanwhile, we just finished a delicious breakfast of strawberry French toast, and though we've yet to have a single word exchanged with the Mrs. (who does the cooking but otherwise remains out of sight), we are about to check out (a day earlier than we had initially planned, it's true) unscathed. 

    

    We've opted to leave a night early to have the opportunity to spend a night in Devil's Lake on land owned by one of the tribes here in North Dakota. We look forward to a resort pool, a beautiful view of the lake, and, of course, some gambling for Dana's birthday.  Dana has been a great sport during my quest to explore all 50 states, often spending his birthday in a state he initially had no interest to ever visit.  The least we can do is make sure he has a delicious steak dinner and some time at a Black Jack table! 

    In honor of the many times he has done his famous point in astonishment pose over these many years, I'll leave you with one Maddie took of him gawking at Dakota Thunder and another of him contemplating his mortality at the Ox-Bow Overlook, the furthest point in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Happy Birthday, Dana!  Thank you for celebrating your birthday in North Dakota.

Clearly just getting better and better as he gets older!