Page 38 - USA ROAD TRIP SUMMER of 2000
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Up early tomorrow to head to the North Unit of this great
National Park. Too bad it’s so far from everything else in the world.
But, on second thought – it’s been great having the whole place to
ourselves – literally.
TEDDY ROOSEVELT NP – NORTH UNIT
Thursday - We left this morning in very dense fog. Then we ran
into the usual roadwork complete with the lines of traffic that
must follow a lead car. Lois read me sections of Milton’s Paradise
Lost. A somewhat tense couple of hours but we arrived in good
order.
The North Unit is “only” 24,000 acres whereas the South Unit is
46,000 acres. The road into the North Unit is 14 miles long and not
a loop. We drove the whole route and familiarized ourselves with
the areas of geological, botanical, and wildlife interest for further
exploration. The road starts at the Visitor’s Center at the level of
the Little Missouri River. It winds through a series of canyons and
low river bluffs for a few miles and then climbs steadily upward to
the high plateau of prairie grassland that offers panoramic views
of the river valley below.
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