In to Minnesota to spend time at The Lake

From Bismarck, ND we traveled on to Star Lake, MN. Curt’s sister and husband have a cabin there and we try to get in a week there every year; this time it worked out to be only a couple of days. The weather isn’t always cooperative, but we did manage to get a nice pontoon ride in and played lots of cards.

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 World’s largest buffalo at Jamestown, ND.
A storm went through the Jamestown area last week. Looks like strong winds and hail.
      
Welcome to Minnesota    
Pelican Rapids, MN has a few pelicans in town.  

Curt’s sister has a kitten that they’re taking care of until it gets big enough to stay in a farm barn. She’s so tiny.      
     

We had breakfast at East Silent Lake Resort one morning and took a tour. It’s a beautiful area.

      

From there, on to see the granddaughters and more family.

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On the move again; Cross Ranch State Park, Dickinson and Bismarck.

Crossing over Lake Sakakawea again, passing some coal mines in the area and we’re on the move. We stopped at Cross Ranch State Park since it was on the way back to Dickinson but there were only a couple of spots open and they’re a pretty tight fit for our size. Cross Ranch has a couple of different loops; The Governors Centennial Campground with 29 sites, 5 group sites, 15 tent sites and Sanger Campground with 15 sites. They do have cabins and yurts to rent also, and even a tipi. There’s a nice large visitor center. Cross Ranch is open year round. They are located 17 miles southwest of Washburn. I didn’t get any pictures of the park as it was raining when we were there. I do have copies of their brochures though.

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With a short stop at Sweet Briar again (one of our favorite free spots),  
on to Dickinson (getting our “personal” spot!),   to visit with my dad and get annual medical and dental exams done.  Leaving the clinics with three bandaids (blood work, Zostavax and tetanus vaccinations), and clean teeth. From there to Bismarck and a DEXA scan (bone scan for osteoporosis), and I’m ready to go!

While in Dickinson, Curt took out our propane tank, so we are now propane free and totally electric and solar.

    
Some of our reference points along the way: Geese in Flight sculpture at Gladstone Assumption Abbey at Richardton,   Salem Sue at New Salem  

We stopped in New Salem to dump our tanks at Tesoro (free) and fill water at Cenex (free) and fill fuel (definitely not free!).     

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Happy birthday wishes to our son Dean, August 16th and daughter-in-law Valerie, August 14th, (and to Curt August 23rd)!    

 

Fort Stevenson State Park, Garrison, ND

Fort Stevenson State Park is about 2 miles south of Garrison and is still on the north side of the river. Garrison is known as the “Walleye Capitol of the World”.  Fort Stevenson State Park is 549 acres on the tip of a peninsula between de Trobriand Bay on the east and Garrison Bay on the west. There are two marinas and boat ramps, a replica guardhouse, which is also a visitor center and museum. They have cabins and campsites, from full service to primitive. There are about 10 miles of trails. A swimming beach and picnic shelters are on the east side of the park. They even have a prairie dog town!

                               

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Our site is a pull-through site, with 30/50 amp, water and sewer. We have a picnic table and fire pit. No internet in the park, but ours works. Verizon is 4G 2 bar with booster. We got 10 TV channels with antenna, two have local news and weather.


The Park takes its name from a 19th century frontier military fort located on the north bank of the Missouri River about two miles southwest of the park site, established in 1867. The fort was officially abandoned in 1883 following the surrender of the Sioux.
                     

The Lewis and Clark Expedition made two campsites near the present day Fort Stevenson State Park, along with trappers, traders and explorers. Due to the changing course of the Missouri River and creation of Lake Sakakawea, many of these campsites are covered with water. The Garrison Dam is one of the largest earth-filled dams, constructed from 1946-1955, with a cost of approximately $294 million and furnishing hydroelectric power. Lake Sakakawea, behind the dam, forms one of the largest man-made lakes, with a surface area of 383,000 acres.
                         

On our trip from Lewis and Clark SP to Fort Stevenson SP, we moved in to more farming area, and no oil wells. We did pass a couple closed missile sites.
                     

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