While On the Way to Idaho ...

Monday, June 26
We left Michigan Monday and after 350 miles, stopped for the night in Ashland, Wisconsin, where we met a delightful Austrailian man who is touring the USA for the first time beforereturning 'downunder'. What a wonderful brogue. He has found Americans really coordial and welcoming. I felt like I was talking to Crocodile Dundee!

Tuesday, June 27
After 450 miles we parked the Texas Molly II at a neat spot in Jamestown, North Dakota, west of Fargo, where we met an older couple (like us). She was a 1st grade teacher for 40+ years. They are not full-timers, but Helen has genuinely interested them in going full-time. Exchanged email addresses. We'll see where it goes. We are upstairs in a bar where many of the locals were enjoying their 'end of a long day beer'.

Wednesday, June 28
We are now parked in Dickinson, ND, after a 'short' 200 mile day. Short because we stopped in Mandan, ND, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, where General George Custer and his wife lived and he commanded (as a 23 year old general) the 7th Calavary. It was from Fort Lincoln that he led a force against a Native American force wherein he was killed. We were given a tour of the Custer's home by a Native American guide whose great grandfather was a scout for Custer. We were told it is bad manners to call them Indians. There is, we were told, still bad blood between the Native Americans and local white folk. When our guide mentioned the hostility that still exisit between the Native Americans and the whites, I said to him, "We really screwed the Indians," he replied, "It's not over yet!"

North Dakota is a beautiful state...rolling plains and thousands upon thousands of acres of Sunflowers and Lavender. You can, with a little imagination, see Indians (sic) and cowboys riding the plains.

Tomorrow, it's on to Little Big Horn battlefield below Billings, Montana, then to on toward Idaho and 'home'.

Thursday, July 29
Well, we did not make it to Little Big Horn battlefield as planned. Rather we continued to Billings and then parked Molly II on I-90. We stopped to try to assist a couple in a large motorhome who had experienced a blown tire which ripped out part of the undercarriage of their RV. It's a 100 degrees here and our a/c has got the rig inside down to 84. It'll be fine by nightfall. On toward Idaho tomorrow.