Page 30 - USA ROAD TRIP SUMMER of 2000

flowers, and the flowers.

We will move on to visit a replica of Fort Mandan tomorrow. Lewis
and Clark wintered here in this area in 1804 before pushing on

along the Missouri towards the west coast. Perhaps it will be
cooler tomorrow.

WASHBURN to TEDDY ROOSEVELT NP – SOUTH UNIT

Monday - When Lewis and Clark returned from the Pacific Coast to
civilization in the East, they occasionally divided their party in

order to more thoroughly explore the territory. They almost
missed rejoining at Yellowstone as one of the parties had pushed

ahead early and hastily to escape the mosquitoes that were

bedeviling them. Unfortunately for us, many of those nasty
critters’ progeny awaited us at Fort Mandan this morning. Let’s all

give three Hip, Hip, Hoorays for Deet Bug Spray. We escaped with
our lives and blood intact.

The Fort replica shows how small it was – about the size of our

house. Small, low-ceilinged rooms accommodated the men for
four months of brutal winter weather. There were 33 of them and

one dog. Each room had a fireplace so perhaps they were able to

stay warm.

We decided we could make as good time traveling the state road
200 as the frost heaved I-94 so we turned west again on the back

roads. As another example of the seriousness of the winter
weather, there are road signs reminding the residents that the

emergency phone number to call in case they’re stranded in the
car is printed on their driver’s license.

This part of the country was not the bottom of an ancient sea.

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