A Land of Vast Silent Spaces

    Yesterday I spent lots of time thinking about politics.  From our first day here, I've found myself contemplating how and why a state like North Dakota is so reliably "red" in each election (or at least each election in my memory since they haven't voted for a Democrat in the National election since 1968, though they have elected Democratic governors and senators during that time).  

    When we drove our first leg from Fargo to Bismarck, Dana gestured to the vast landscape surrounding us, void of any evidence of population, and echoed a sentiment we often hear on CNN during elections - "Land doesn't vote, people do."  Though this state has the minimum required 3 electoral votes for its population of  673,000 (roughly the same as it was in the 1920s), each of those electoral votes grossly overrepresents their citizens. We spent some time on that drive doing the math and really brought the point home to all of us when we compared the numbers to our home county of reliably blue Broward and its 1.9 million residents whose passionate support of a Democratic candidate can mean next to nothing.

    I've been sharing on this blog - and noting even more often - the many signs of progressive values we've encountered over the past week. We learned during that first drive that only a third of the tiny population even voted in the 2020 election, further illustrating my "amber waves" thesis shaped these past decades of traveling America that our country is decidedly purple when it comes to our political leanings.

    However, it wasn't until we sat down for breakfast at The Cowboy Cafe, surrounded by photographs of the ranchers who have lived and dined in these parts since the 1880s that it really sunk in what it means when people talk about voting a certain way to protect their "way of life."  

Note the brands on the booth behind Daniel

and on the frames of each photo!

        Today was a day for exploring the south unit of TRNP (its expedient acronym) and soaking in Roosevelt's observation that this is "a land of vast, silent spaces."  Though the South Unit is the more popular portion of the park for tourists to explore, we only encountered another dozen people over our past couple of days here, and we rarely had to share a hiking trail with anyone, so we did get to experience a bit of what it must have been like when Teddy first encountered this place (sans paved roads and informative signs and markers, of course!)

Daniel ponders his future

The last part of the 48 mile loop is closed for construction, so Dana drove us out (about 30 miles or so is open), and Maddie took the wheel for the drive back.  We stopped at various trailheads along the way, taking in the vistas and getting our steps in.  We saw dozens of prairie dogs in "Prairie Dog Town," a flat part of the park where they apparently like to call home, but I was only able to finally snap a photo of one of them (helped me better understand the old "whack a mole" game, I'll tell you!)

    For our final 10 minutes or so driving through the park, we saw rain threatening on the horizon, so we headed to The Cowboy Museum in Medora, where we were gratified to see the exhibit of Native Americans, the "first cowboys," was given a prominent position and America's complicated, often horrific, relationship with this land's original inhabitants was explored with honesty. DeSantis would have a heart attack if he saw a museum exhibit making white people feel this guilty in Florida!

Learned so much about branding!

Teddy's home base cabin now sits about 7 miles north of where is was when he lived there.

    Juxtaposed with that powerful and disturbing part of the museum was an exhibit on ranchers and rodeo stars, including this year's high school class of those continuing in the tradition.  So I was right back to reflecting on the whole "way of life" thing. 

    Teddy Roosevelt was a Republican who believed in conserving the land, used his Winchester rifle to hunt for animals he would eat, and he spent as many hours in his small log cabin reading from the books in his hutch as he did on horseback exploring the vast silent land that shaped the rest of his life and his Presidency.  North Dakotans are proud of Roosevelt's legacy and likely still want to think of the current party as a reflection of the man they respect and celebrate.  I'm curious to see if Gov. Doug Burgum, who is expected to throw his cowboy hat into the ring this Wednesday in Fargo, might put back on the map the sort of Republican North Dakotans value.

                               

Roosevelt's original clothes and saddle for his horse adorn his replica in the museum.

The original hutch that held Roosevelt's books

    We toasted this stark and beautiful place with a "Painted Canyon" specialty drink in the bar where Teddy once sat, though he rarely drank alcohol, the bar menu assured us.  Next up in the Ukrainian cultural center, the North Unit (where we may be the only people for miles), and a night in Williston (in the furthest northwest portion of ND we'll visit).  Onward!

                                        

Salem Sue and Sunsets

    Yesterday was a day for exploring Interstate 94 and its hidden gems along the way to Medora, the southern gateway of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, our home base for the next few days. After our encounter with Dakota Thunder the day before, we were udderly excited to spend some time with New Salem Sue, his even larger (at 38 feet high to his meager 26 foot stature) Holstein cow-nterpart ;P 

Shenanigans!

    

    Next up was the Enchanted Highway, an exit off 94 where one artist has added his metal sculptures throughout the years.  Since it would add over an hour to our trip to drive the entire span, we opted to spot just a couple of them, including the jumping deer I was most eager to see that came up on the earlier side of that detour.

    Dickinson, which also touts itself as the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, is a charming little town of about 25,000 people, which is also home to the Ukrainian Cultural Institute since North Dakota is home to one of the highest population of Ukrainians is America.  A few of us are hoping to go back to visit it over the next couple of days.

    We did make a pilgrimage to the Brew Coffee House, housed in a chapel where Teddy Roosevelt once worshipped; even the woman's bathroom has a stained glass window!  Not only was it a gorgeous and historic setting for our afternoon caffeine boost, but the owner was yet another of the kindest people you could ever want to meet, insisting we take a couple of mugs to remember our stay.

Original pews from the time Roosevelt attended services!

 

    Ten minutes down the road, we had entered the National Park, though there was no gate or entrance fee to mark the moment. Instead, there was a sign welcoming us to the Painted Canyon Visitor Center, which we decided to explore before checking in to our hotel.  

    We wound up taking a longer hike that we'd initially expected, especially the boys, who opted to go a bit deeper into the canyon than Maddie and I did and then got just a bit lost on their return.  An hour later they emerged, sweaty but victorious.

    We arrived at our Rough Riders hotel, where Teddy Roosevelt once stayed, around 5:00 PM, ready to shower and eat, as our last meal of the day had been around 9:00 AM and we had expended far more calories than we had initially anticipated. Each room has a custom "Teddy" bear, and a deer greeted us just outside the hotel as we headed towards dinner.

    I had picked up some park info and read about the Wind Canyon Trail, a .4 mile loop that is a favorite for sunset viewing, so we took another foray into the park after dinner, arriving at the trail just about 10 minutes before sunset.  The 30 minute drive through the park was equally spectacular, offering not only golden hour drenched vistas but also the promised herd of bison creating a "traffic jam" for just us and one other car.  

    While we have arrived here just a week before the "season" truly begins, with the famed Medora Musical, gospel brunches and all the rest starting after we have left, the benefit is fewer crowds.  As we took our leisurely walk around Wind Canyon, soaking in the cool breezes, the stunning vistas, and each other's company, we recognized how incredibly lucky we are to get to create and enjoy these experiences together.

    As I drove out of the park around 9:30 PM, we suddenly saw the most outrageously gorgeous moon any of us has ever seen. While photos don't do it justice, we pulled over and soaked it in.  What a glorious gift Teddy Roosevelt gave us when he protected these lands.