2018, Day 10: AKA Bon Jovi Day

WHOAAAA, WE'RE HALF WAY THERE

WHOAAAA, LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

(aka Bon Jovi Day)

Remember the town we talked about earlier, before we experienced North Dakota's vengeful response to mockery? He made it!

Rugby, ND. Town of who-knows-how-many at the belly button of North America. The weather is beginning to look up. The wind seems to be stemming from the exact center, as well, since it now is blowing from behind. Maybe he'll get tailwinds the rest of the way?

Mom is enjoying the unique scenery, which so far has included ceramic fast food, tiny colorful houses, sculptured interpretations of the Aurora Borealis, and an obelisk. And lots and lots of flat land. She said,

"It's interesting to note that North Dakota is a very clean state. There are some old barns that are falling down, and some old houses that need renovating, but almost without exception the area around them is neat and tidy."

I'd probably attribute that to the low population, but hey. Maybe North Dakodans are just extra tidy people.

From Dad's journal:

5/15/18 The winds are still relentless. But this time, finally, they were mostly at my back, from the southwest. Couple that with a general descent overall, and I was able to cover a lot of territory. At times I was in high gear going around 20 mph. The wind speed was usually 15-20 mph, so it really propelled me on my way. I didn’t tire as quickly, but the day did get pretty warm, topping out around 80 degrees. I didn’t so much get a sunburn as a wind burn. It really dried me out. We went from Towner to Penn, which is just 13 miles short of Devils Lake, which is where I had originally hoped to be by end of day today. There is still an outside chance I can make Minnesota. Thursday is predicted to have heavy rain. We will have to see how much and when. Total miles today: 63.50, in 5:30.

"The Northern Lights" tower