August 22, 2014. Amber waves of grain!

CAMPGROUND:  Cottonwood Campground inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  4 stars out of 5.  Typical national park....no electricity or dump.  Water to fill water tanks available.  Nice wooded sites.  Stand-up grills.  Flush toilets and electric outlet in bathroom.  $10; $5 with senior pass.

LOCATION:  Near Medora, North Dakota, in southwestern ND

WEATHER:  Rain most of the day. Highs in 60s

We managed to get the trailer ready to go in the morning in the rain.  We drove through eastern Montana, then western North Dakota in heavy rain showers.   Field after field of wheat and hay.  Some farmers have cut their fields; others are now waiting for the rain to end.

Sadly for George, we left Montana, the state that recently made it legal to pick up road kill, without anything to show for it.  We did see old-looking road kill that we passed on, and almost hit a flock of wild turkeys, but missed them.  Maybe next year.....

We found a site at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  We visited the visitors' center, watched a film, and toured the cabin he had lived in.  

Then, we took the 30-mile scenic drive around this section of the park.  These are called badlands, too, but are different from the ones in South Dakota.

 While driving, a wild stallion started racing alongside us.

It was thrilling.  He ran into a heard of bison and made them scatter.

Lots of bison have been re-introduced to the park.

Back at the campground, we took advantage of a 2-hour window  when it stopped raining.  I hung things out to dry, and George cooked dinner over a nice campfire.  (See next blog for campfire photos.)

DINNER:  Brats and sautéed cabbage.

Ate inside as it started to rain again, with candlelight!  (Not so much to be romantic, but to save the camper's battery. :-).