Medora, ND to Billings, White Sulphur Springs and Columbia Falls, MT– June 22-31, 2015

Medora – Monday, June 2 we pulled out of Medora around noon, not wanting to rush since our overnight would be spent in a Cracker Barrel parking lot in Billings, MT. The day was glorious: mostly sunny with some clouds and temps hitting the low 80s. Our drive took us along I-94, and as we drove words to the song ”O, give me a home where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play…” came to mind. We did see quite a few antelope and deer! We arrived in Billings at 5 p.m., just in time to have dinner. FYI, there are a few companies that will allow you to stay in their parking lots overnight (although it depends on city ordinances), such as Cracker Barrel, Cabela’s, and the ever popular Walmart.

The next morning, after a relatively good rest, we had breakfast at Cracker Barrel and departed a bit after 8:30 a.m. Again, we headed west on I-94 to Highway 89 North, taking us to the small town of White Sulphur Springs, MT, and the Conestoga Campground where we camped for 3 nights. The drive was relatively easy, through farmland mainly, but we did run into a slight construction delay on 89 which delayed us for about 10 minutes. Wish we could’ve stopped along Hwy 89 when we saw a family of antelope not too far from the road: Papa, Mama, and 2 little fawns. So darn cute!

The campground has just 49 sites, and few amenities other than the office/store/clubhouse, and laundry facilities. That said, it is one of the best maintained campgrounds we’ve been in. They have full hook-ups, fast, in RV, internet, tubs of flowers and young trees at each site. We were surprised to find that there was a Model-T club in town that week and quite a few of the owners were camped at our campground.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DXsNAB86Dk&feature=youtu.be

It was difficult to imagine what we’d find to do in such a small town. The average population is under 1,000—mostly farms and ranches in the outlying area. But alas, we managed to stay busy!

White Sulphur Springs lies at the heart of the Smith River Valley in west central Montana. For centuries the area’s hot springs have drawn folks to the region to visit the local untreated springs, which are apparently comparable to the to the famous springs in Baden Baden, Germany. (Who knew?) This area was used by Native American tribes for years and was referred to as the Valley of Peace.

Dick did a bit of outdoor housekeeping on the camper Wednesday morning. It’s amazing how dirty the camper can get! He cleaned off the seemingly millions of bugs, washed the exterior windows, and the slide awnings. That day we met Ron and Pat, full-timers for over 25 years, from the San Marcos, Texas area. And, I should add that we met their little pug named Missy, as well.

Clockwise from top: The Castle, parlor, tea room
the recoigraph (early version of a copy machine),
and the master bedroom.

Thursday while I stayed put and did laundry, Dick rode the motorcycle around nearby Newlin Creek Reservoir. He saw a few sand cranes and horses. That afternoon we decided to visit the town’s infamous “Castle and Carriage House.” No photos were allowed inside, but we did capture a few from their website.

The Castle is a 12-room mansion built in 1892 by Bryon Roger Sherman. This Victorian landmark is made of hand-cut granite blocks hauled by oxen from the nearby Castle Mountains.  All rooms were laid with hardwood floors and covered with Belgian and Oriental rugs. In the bathrooms were washbowls (painted, as is in vogue again) and stands of Italian marble; the light fixtures were of crystal and brass. This Victorian landmark is now the home of the Meagher County Museum, and is complete with period furniture, mineral samples, clothing and artifacts from the region's past, mostly donated from the locals.

The hot water system was interesting. Sherman installed a large water tank in the attic, supplied by heated water from the basement heating system and pumped by a windmill in the northeast corner of the yard. In 1894 he enlarged a pond on his ranch that was fed by an abundant spring, and laid a 20” pipe about 150 yards down the hill to a two-story electric light plant in the basement. The electricity was then carried into town on bare wire strung on pine and spruce poles. The plant could run only about six hours before the pressure of the pond became too low, so consumers learned to plan their activities around the 'on' hours, but they could lay claim to living in one of the first towns in the state to have electricity.

Sherman didn't live in his stone castle too many years before retiring and moving to California. About 50 years later, the Meagher County Historical Society restored the structure to much of its Victorian splendor. In the 1990s, the group built a large carriage house behind the castle to house the carriages and sleds that had been stored in several ranchers' barns, as well as the old bank, a schoolroom, a stagecoach from the Canyon Ferry line, two horse-drawn fire engines, and saddles, chaps, and mementos from the days of the open range. Sure wish we could’ve photographed the interior, as there were so many cool things in both the carriage house and castle. One of my favorites was this burlwood carved organ (photo scanned from their brochure).

Antique burlwood organ.

Friday morning we departed for Columbia Falls, MT, just 284 miles away and adjacent to Kalispell and Glacier National Park. We drove 2-lane and mountain highways the entire way. Again we experienced a short delay of about 15 minutes, caused by rock slide repairs, but we did see beautiful scenery: mountains, rivers, and lakes. We left White Sulphur Springs with temps in the mid-60s, arriving to our new RV park, Glacier Peaks RV Park, where we experienced temps in the low 90s. (The temps didn’t get much better from there!)

Clockwise: Glacier Park RV Park sign, office, the park, and our site. 

We arrived to our new campground just before 3 p.m. and were set up by 4. That evening we planned our 4-day, 5-night stay in this beautiful part of the country.

Glacier Peaks RV Park has 60 RV sites, including RV pull-through sites and tent sites, all nestled beneath pine trees that reach the skies, and with full hook-ups. There are also, cabins for rent, and on-site laundry facilities.

Saturday began our full day of sight-seeing through Glacier National Park. We chose the West Entrance, located just off Highway 2, and after a stop at the Canadian Visitor Center (just outside the park) we proceeded to the Park’s Apgar Visitor Center for detailed information on how to make the best use of our days here. We elected to start our drive on the “Going-to-the-Sun Road” which heads northeast through the park. Photos and words cannot describe the beauty of what God created and left for us to enjoy.

This 50-mile long stretch of road rises 6,646 feet to the Logan Pass Visitor Center. This road follows the shoreline of McDonald Lake and eventually hugs the cliffs below the Continental Divide to the Pass.

Our next stop was at McDonald Lodge, located at the northeast end of McDonald Lake. Added to the National Register of Historic Places, the McDonald Lodge was built in 1913 (originally the Lewis Glacier Hotel) in the Swiss chalet style, by John Lewis, a land speculator from Columbia Falls, MT. It was built during the time when it was the trend by railroads to build destination resorts in the areas of exceptional scenery, thus attracting tourists to the area. Great Northern Railway acquired the hotel in 1930, renaming the hotel in 1957 to what it is today. Over the years the hotel has changed hands many times, but it has always retained the name. The 3-1/2 story lodge was extensively renovated in 1988-1989, restoring details that had been obscured over time, or damaged by the Snyder Creek flashflood of 1964. The foundation and first floor walls are built of stone, with a wood-frame superstructure. The lobby is a large open-space that extends to the 3^rd story, with a massive fireplace and concrete floor scored in a flagstone pattern that has messages in several Native American languages inscribed into it. Balconies surround the open lobby (as well as the exterior) which is decorated with skins and taxidermy mounts of several native species acquired or trapped by John Lewis in the park. Many of the original furnishings have remained with the lodge, such as hickory chairs with log frames, the piano located in the lobby, a large table and many of the trophies. Other furnishings are reproductions of the originals.

Our next stop was at the Johns Lake Loop for a 3-mile round-trip hike to the lake (actually more like a pond) hidden deep in the woods. The path takes you through moss-laden woods with huge boulders and tree-falls, and back to the road to a magnificent waterfalls along McDonald Creek. On our way back to the truck we elected to detour from the path, walking the road and stopping at other waterfalls along the way. The "glacier bloom" made the water in the rivers, creeks and falls a beautiful ice blue.

We made quite a few photo-op stops along the way to Logan Pass, 33 miles from the west entrance. Again I say there are no words to describe the beauty. We attempted to find a parking spot at Logan Pass, but due to the beautiful “weekend” day, there were none to be had so we continued to the east entrance to the park, again taking every opportunity to stop and take photos. Traffic was quite heavy, and a slight delay due to road construction on the east side of the pass made for slow going. (The Montana Department of Transportation has to work on the roads when the weather is decent due to the heavy snowfall and winter road closures.)

These are scenes taken throughout the park. There are so many beautiful vistas.
The red buses are tour buses available for 1/2 or full-day tours through the park.

From the east entrance to Glacier we drove north to Many Glacier, another beautiful area of the park, boasting the Many Glacier Hotel. Another destination hotel, it was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914-1915 along the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake. The 215-room hotel is very secluded; every room is rustic, yet comfortable with modest amenities and old-world style accommodations. There are no televisions or air conditioning in the rooms, but do have private baths and direct dial phones. The idea is to have guests get out and enjoy the outdoors, including bus tours, boat cruises, horseback riding, tennis, etc.

Our drive back to our RV park was long, as we elected to take a different route: Hwy 89 to Hwy 2…almost 100 miles rather than the 80-or-so miles through the park. As we neared Columbia Falls we noticed that a fire had broken out along the North Loop road through Glacier National Park. Officials closed that road to traffic; what had started off as a 5-acre fire in the forestry area west of the park quickly grew to 20 acres, then 30 acres, and by Monday night it had grown to at least 60 acres and had sparked a few fires in the Park. The forests here are so dry that anything can spark a fire.

The day was long and hot (99°)…and rather than cook dinner when we got home, we stopped to ask where the “best burger to be had” was. What a surprise! It is at Tien’s Place, an Asian restaurant adjacent to a casino in Columbia Falls. So, off we went… The burger was delish, and it was served with the crispiest and best French fries! YUM! Oh, and the Montana-brewed ale was pretty good, too!

As I mentioned, the temperatures were hot! They registered in the high-90s and low-100s. WAY too hot to do much outdoors, so we took Sunday off and stayed around home. We did manage a trip to Kalispell, just a few miles away, to Walmart to load up on groceries, and then a stop at DQ for a couple of blizzards. YUM—the perfect “snack” in the middle of a very hot day!

Monday was another long day, as we again headed through Glacier National Park. On our way we were fortunate to find parking at Logan Pass at the pinnacle of the drive through the park. We stopped in at the visitor center, but found the excitement to be on one of the hiking paths leading through snowpack to Hidden Lakes Nature Trails. There was a mountain goat making his way through the area, calmly eating and strolling along. Cool! Apparently there are many more as this is a mountain goat study area, but one is all we saw. Oh, we did see quite a few ground squirrels, though.

We captured the goat on video making his way up the walkway to better feeding grounds; he was just a few yards ahead of us.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRwVQY2ayrk&feature=youtu.be

Then, on to Waterton Park in Alberta, Canada, just a mere 138 miles away. Also located with Glacier National Park, it is referred to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, created in 1932 by the U.S. and Canada. Waterton, a gorgeous little town, within the park boundaries is “open” only during the summer months. (During the winter months snowfalls can reach 10-15’ in town, winds can reach up to 100 mph, and temps can dip well below 0°F for days on end. Population can soar to over 2,000 during the summer months, while the winter months boast less than 90 according to the 2011 census.)

It was recommended to us that we take a lake cruise, so that’s what we did. We boarded the “International,” a 125-passenger cruise boat for the 2 hour-15 minute cruise to the southern end of Waterton Lake, to historic Goat Haunt. (Its name comes from Goat Haunt Mountain, an 8,641-foot high summit to the east, perhaps named by the Blackfeet for a concentration of goats there many, many years ago. But mountain goats do not inhabit Goat Haunt. The elevation is too low and the heavy forest surrounding it is not their favored habitat. The only goat is a metal weather vane on top of the observation pavilion at the Forestry Station located there.) There are no roads to Goat Haunt, which is actually in the U.S.; the only way to get there is to hike, or by water. Waterton Lake, the deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies, dips below 400’, and spans the international boundaries of the 2 countries, marked by a straight swath of cut trees through the forest. The cruise offered us photo-ops of scenic bays, mountains and beautiful wilderness surroundings in both old and new-growth forests. Although we didn’t see much wildlife, only a couple bald eagles, we certainly enjoyed this little cruise.

Clockwise from top: the International cruise boat, Jeremy was the docent for the cruise (very interesting and very
entertaining!), the tectonic phenomenon (the wood is angled bottom right towards the middle top between the plates),
and one of the bald eagles who nicely posed for us.

The trip back to the dock took us past an interesting geological phenomenon (see above), where two tectonic plates came together and were pushed up. A piece of wood was caught between, and over the years has become petrified. Pretty cool!

The Prince of Wales Hotel overlooks the harbor in Waterton.
The scenes are taken of Waterton Lake.

Located in the town of Waterton is the historic Prince of Wales Hotel, perched high above Waterton Lake. Built by the Great Northern Railway to lure American tourists north of the border during the prohibition era, it has the distinction of having been built by an American railway company, as opposed to a Canadian company. It was added to the National Historic Site of Canada in 1995.

The site for the hotel was selected in 1912 but it took until 1926 to get the land leased from the Canadian Government; construction began soon thereafter.  The original plans were for the hotel to appear similar to a French of Swiss chalet, with a long 3-storied, low-roofed building with a central lobby and approximately 300 rooms. Mr. Hill, president of the railroad, changed his mind several times, so that some of the building had to be rebuilt 4 times! Today, the building is complete with just 86 rooms in 7-stories, crowned with a 30’ bell tower. All materials and supplies for construction were shipped via railway to the town of Spring Hill and then transported the last 25 miles by mule team to its destination. Numerous obstacles faced the construction crew, including a spring thaw that turned the 25 miles of road into a muddy quagmire and high winds that blew the building off center twice. The fear of these high winds almost caused this project to be abandoned, but the building was finally completed and opened in July 1927. Today, the building will sway slightly when the winds are heavy, but there is no danger because the building is anchored to its site by large cables installed from its loft, through the structure and into the ground.

Leaving the town of Waterton we drove to Red Rock Canyon hoping to see black bear, grizzlies, elk, moose, deer and whatever other wildlife might be there, as was mentioned in the materials we received about Waterton. Unfortunately, we saw only the hind side of a cinnamon bear, a small deer, and quite a few little furry creatures, most likely ground squirrels. It was probably the wrong time of day.

The 9+-mile drive to Red Rock Canyon provides gorgeous views of alpine meadows filled with colorful wildflowers, hanging valleys, and of course, the jagged mountain peaks of Glacier National Park.  And, Red Rock Canyon itself needs to be seen to be believed. We were surprised! Layers of red and green bedrock layers offer a brilliant contrast to each other and the lush surroundings of the area. Glacier-fed streams flow through the canyon, making for the perfect place to cool off on a very hot day! The parkway itself follows the ancient buffalo trail used by First Nations hunting parties hundreds of years ago.

Leaving Red Rock Canyon, our drive back into the U.S. and back to our park took us about 3 hours, so we didn’t arrive back ‘til almost 8 p.m. It was a long, but wonderful day. We are so blessed to be able to see this vast and beautiful land. Thank you, God, for all you’ve created.

Tuesday, as I write this, Dick is off on his motorcycle riding around Flathead Lake. The temps are in the 90s, with just a few clouds floating by. These are some of the photos he took during his ride.

Dinner tonight was at Tien's Place, where we noshed on Chinese food. Dick had sweet and sour prawns; I had medium spicy cashew chicken. YUMMY!!

Tomorrow we leave, heading to Newport, WA for 5 nights, where we look forward to visiting with friends whom we’ve known since we moved to that area (Coeur d’Alene, ID) in 1990. More on that next week.

Until then, blessings, dear friends. Stay safe!

RJ and Gail

Forest Hills Golf and RV Resort, Detroit Lakes, MN to Red Trail Campground, Medora, ND – June 15-21, 2015

Our journey continues…

Sunday morning we left Cloquet, heading to Detroit Lakes, MN and the Forest Hills RV and Golf Resort, where we would spend 4 nights. I covered the park details in last week’s blog. Although there wasn’t much action there we managed to find things to do.

Monday, the day after we arrived at Forest Hills RV and Golf Resort, we took advantage of the internet in their family activity center to catch up on emails and all things internet. This park has no cable or internet at the individual sites, so we had to pack up our gear to go either to the family center or to the local library in town.

Winegard stock antenna:	Channels:
North-South	0
East-West	1
Southeast -Northwest	1
Southwest-Northeast	0
The KING Jack	Channels:
North	18
Southeast*	9
Southwest*	9
West	22
East	19
*my rotation did not allow a due south setting.

Tuesday morning Dick installed a new “KING Jack TV” antenna on our camper, in order to improve our local TV reception. It’s a replacement for our original equipment, Winegard ‘batwing’ antenna, which had given us good reception if the local TV transmission towers were close by. Otherwise—not so good. The closest TV transmission to Forest Hills Golf & RV Resort in Detroit Lakes was in the Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN area, some 40+ miles west of us. We tested the reception before and after installing the new KING Jack antenna. WOW! What a difference! Here are the results of our test:

You can check out more information on the official KING products web page at kingconnect.com.

The weather was a bit chilly for outdoor activities, so we hit the library on Tuesday afternoon. In addition to screaming internet, Dick found a few books on their book sale table. He was happy!

The Detroit Lakes Public Library was built in 1913 with a $10,000 grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the library, designed in the prairie school architectural style, features lead and stained glass windows and doors, with a completely unobstructed interior. It also is noted for its orange and clay-tiled hip roof. Originally just 4,142 square feet on two floors, the library offered just 1,000 books to its readers. In 1985 the library building was expanded to what it is today.

By the time we were done at the library we decided dinner in town was on the agenda, so we headed to Zorba’s, considered the best Mexican and pizza joint in the area. We were rather skeptical: Greek name, Mexican fare and pizza…hmmm… It’s kinda crazy, but in all their advertisements, menus--actually anything in print—has all “s’s” changed to “z’s”. Was rather hard to read, and their menu is extensive, but here’s an example, taken from their website, zorbaz.com:

“Zorbaz on the Lake waz conceived in 1969 and eztablizhed juzt barely in an old candy ztore by a dizgruntled zpeech teacher and hiz dental azziztant wife. The name comez from the popular 1960'z movie Zorba the Greek ztarring Anthony Quinn. Zorba waz fun loving, free zpirited, carefree and happy.

Exactly the atmozphere and attitude the teacher and hiz bride wanted for their no zhirt, no zhoez, no problemz northern Minnezota lakez area beach bar. Why Mexican food and pizza inztead of gyroz, lamb and baklava? Why not!

Many call uz a reztaurant but that'z not exactly how we zee ourzelvez. We are a great timez Mexican and Pizza Joint. We have the bezt ztaff in the midwezt and we are zelf-zervice with a zmile. We have the lakez area'z bezt beer zelection, our pizza dough iz homemade and our zalza iz frezh daily. There are gamez for kidz of all agez and you can come by car, boat, znowmobile, or float plane. Tie up at our dockz. Preferred by Jamez Buffet.”

We each had a “pregnant burrito” (one each of beef and chicken) and margaritas. YUM! They were quite possibly the best burritos we’ve ever had. We’d definitely recommend Zorba’s if you’re in the Detroit Lakes, or one of their other 10 locations throughout Minnesota. Check out their website for locations at zorbas.com.

A visit to the Becker County Museum was on our list of things to do, on Wednesday. As we’ve done in the past, we wanted to learn as much as we could about the area.

“Development of the Detroit Lakes area began in 1871, as the Northern Pacific Railroad grew westward through Becker County. Settlers from the East reached this new territory to discover a small, country community called Tylerville or Tyler Town. Tylerville consisted of a collection of buildings near the cabin of Mr. Merwin Tyler, a 12 by 14-foot cabin that also served as the local hotel and post office. Mail, brought by the Northern Pacific Railroad, was emptied onto a bed for the locals to help themselves.

Detroit Lakes was founded by Colonel George Johnston, who came to Minnesota in 1871 to select lands for the New England Colony. Consequently, Detroit Township was established. The name Detroit came about when a French Catholic Priest camped on the shores of the nearby lake with a view of the sun setting across the water. The water was low and revealed a sandbar, creating a narrow strait that glistened in the light of the setting sun. The Priest exclaimed, “What a beautiful strait.” (The French word for strait is “detroit.”) Thus, the city was named Detroit. However, as a result of continuous postal mix-ups between Detroit, Minnesota and the better-known Detroit, Michigan, a special election was held on September 7, 1926 to change the city's name to Detroit Lakes. This name stuck and has remained ever since.

Beaver and other fur bearing animals were heavily trapped throughout Northwestern Minnesota in the early 1800's. And, in 1873, Detroit Township boasted the first grain warehouse built west of Duluth on the Northern Pacific Railroad line. To add to the excitement of an ever expanding town, packs of wolves howled in the streets at night, and bears were a common sight. The telephone system was introduced to Detroit in May 1884 with just 6 telephones in operation. Until 1885 when the county purchased firefighting equipment, firefighting was handled by early settlers who worked together in bucket brigades. The new equipment came in handy when the Holmes Opera House burned in 1888, and the 1914 fire that destroyed 22 buildings, including the beautiful Hotel Minnesota, an elegant four-story hotel.

Here are a few photos taken at the Becker County Museum, most depicting life back in the day.

Tributes to those who served in the military, the announcement of Lincoln's death and funeral, a
bicycle made in England but transported to Detroit Lakes in the 1880s, a parrot who upon the
death of his owner wouldn't eat so starved himself to death, a human hair wall decoration, and a
rosemaling chest are just a few of the items we thought were of interest.

Other items of interest were the moonshine still (favored by one Judge Kukoske most
Sunday mornings), the arrowhead collection (this is just one of 4 displays), the 1800s
gun collection , a display of toys from the 1800s, a vintage hair curler, baskets made by
Native Americans, and their regalia.

 Thus ends our stay in Detroit Lakes.

Thursday morning we did the final packing up to begin our long trek to Medora, ND, a mere 378 miles away. We pulled out of Detroit Lakes at 9:00 a.m. Thankfully the roads were excellent, and it was a pretty straight shot to our destination, “The Red Trail Campground” in Medora. Since our drive took us into Mountain Daylight Time we had an extra hour added to our day, so we arrived at 2:30.

Some of the following information was taken from Wikipedia, with my thoughts and other stuff thrown in for variety. Here are some photos from Medora to give you an idea of what a cool little town Medora is (population 112).

These photos are of some of the historic buildings in Medora:Joe Ferris General Store, the Mercantile, the Post Office and Bank,
the Rough Riders Hotel (so named after Teddy Roosevelt),
St. Mary's Catholic Church commissioned by the Marquise de Mores, and
a memorial to those who have served in the military, 

More of Medora: the Children's Park built by Harold Schafer, the Medora trusty weather report,
Dakotah Stores, an old wagon , the remains of the Marquis' meat packing plant,
and the  Medora Fudge and Ice Cream Depot.

Medora was founded in 1883, along the transcontinental Northern Pacific Railway, by French nobleman Marquis de Mores (pronounced Moor), who named the town after his wife Medora von Hoffman. His vision for this town was to develop a cattle empire and meat packing plant, shipping refrigerated meat to Chicago via the railroad to provide urban consumers with a better quality meat. The Marquis invested heavily in his dream, building the packing plant, buying cattle and land, and employing cowboys and workers. For 3 years Medora hummed with activity. He also built houses, businesses (including ranches and a stage line), and a Catholic church.

Although the plant he built could process 150 beef carcasses per day, finding cattle that were fit to butcher was difficult, due to the ongoing drought in the badlands. The Marquis left Medora after the plant closed in 1886. The family seldom visited Medora following the collapse, a failure due to fierce competition from major Chicago-based meat packers, the effects of bad weather and drought, market failure, and his inattentiveness to his business interests. His dream, however, created a romantic legacy that lives on in Medora.

The Marquis’ most striking legacy is the rustic but aristocratic 26-room home, called “the chateau” by locals, overlooking his town and enterprises. Rich furnishings and oriental carpets, as well as fine accoutrements accommodated the family and their wealthy guests, including Theodore Roosevelt. The family occupied the home for 3 years, returning to New York during the harsh winters. The chateau was maintained by caretakers until 1936 when family members gave the Medora properties to the State of North Dakota.

--

Roosevelt first visited the badlands in 1883, and before returning home he became interested in the cattle business, joining 2 other men as partners in the Maltese Cross Ranch. Returning the next year he established a 2^nd open-range ranch, the Elkhorn, as his own operation and principal residence, north of Medora. The prospect of big game hunting had drawn him to this area, but he soon realized that the large herds of bison were gone, having been decimated by hide hunters and disease. Alarmed by the damage being done to the land and its wildlife, witnessing the destruction of some big game species, and the overgrazing of the vast grasslands, Roosevelt quickly recognized the need for conservation. When he became president in 1901, Roosevelt pursued this interest in natural history by establishing the U.S. Forest Service and by signing the 1906 Antiquities Act under which he proclaimed 18 national monuments. He also got approval for the establishment of 5 national parks and 51 wildlife refuges, and set aside land as national forests.

“I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota,” said Roosevelt when reflecting on the influences that affected him throughout his life.

February 14, 1884 brought tragedy to President Roosevelt’s life, when news reached him that his wife and mother died within hours of one another. Alice Lee, his wife of four years had died of Bright’s disease, a severe kidney ailment, just 2 days after having given birth to their daughter Alice; his mother died of typhoid fever. Following this devastation, Roosevelt ordered those around him not to mention his wife’s name. He abandoned politics, leaving the infant Alice with his sister Bamie, and at the end of 1884 left for the Dakota territories, where he lived as a rancher and worked as a sheriff for 2 years. Raising cattle and acting as a local lawman took most of his time, but he did find time to indulge his passion for reading and writing history. After a blizzard wiped out his prized herd of cattle in 1885, Roosevelt returned to eastern society and politics.

In the evening of April 7, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited Medora on a presidential tour of the American West, with most of the folks residing in the Badlands turning out to welcome him on his whistle stop. Roosevelt said later that “the entire population of the Badlands down to the smallest baby had gathered to meet me… They all felt I was their man, their old friend; and even if they had been hostile to me in the old days when we were divided by the sinister bickering and jealousies and hatreds of all frontier communities, they now firmly believed they had always been my staunch friends and admirers. I shook hands with them all and…I only regretted that I could not spend three hours with them.”

A local hotel changed its name that same year to the Rough Riders Hotel. The hotel is now owned and operated by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.

As a side note, Custer spent some time in Medora on his way to Montana.

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Red Trail sign, office, our site, and one of the
resident park bunnies.

Red Trail Campground is located just off exit 27 on I-94 in Medora. The campground, family-owned and operated for 4 generations, is nestled just below a butte on the southeast edge of this historic town

Although the campground is older, the 100 sites all have free WiFi access. Full hook-ups are available in most sites; cable is extra. One of the nice features of the park is escorted parking to the site; and, they stay around until you’re situated. Cool, huh.

Thursday, the day we arrived, the weather was in the cool 60s; we were hoping the sun would begin shining for us, and we didn’t have much of that in Detroit Lakes!

By Friday the sun had come out and the temperatures began to climb. Yea! For a town the size of Medora, population about 112 (2010 census), there’s a lot to do! We started our touristy activities that day, by visiting the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

As an aside one of the best bargains in the USA is the Senior Pass.  As part of the American the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass program, U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are at least 62 years old can purchase a Senior Pass for a one-time processing fee of $10.  The Senior Pass provides the following benefits:

·         In National Parks that charge an entrance or standard amenity fee, the Senior Pass admits you and the passengers in your car or other private vehicle.

·         In National Parks where a "per person" entrance fee is charged, the Senior Pass admits you plus three other adults (who need not be seniors). This is an especially good deal if you are also traveling with grandchildren, because children under 16 have free admission.

·         The lifetime national parks Senior Pass also gives seniors a 50 percent discount on federal use fees charged for camping, swimming, boat launching, parking and tours.

·         In some cases where use fees are charged, only the person named on the Senior Pass will be given the 50 percent discount.

·         The senior pass is non-transferable and does not cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or concession fees charged by private companies

The Senior Pass to national parks cannot be purchased by mail or online.  It must be purchased in person at a federal area where entrance fees are charged, or at regional offices of the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Proof of age, such as a valid driver's license, is required at the time you purchase your senior pass.

For more information about the National Parks Lifetime Senior Pass, call the National Park Service at 1-888-ASK-USGS.

With the Senior Pass we were admitted to the Theodore Roosevelt National park at no cost (the regular rate for entry to the southern unit was $30/vehicle).  We have used our Senior Pass all over the U.S. in National Parks, Corp of Engineers camping and Civil War battlegrounds – WHAT A BARGAIN!

Access to the southern unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park is right in the town of Medora. The visitor center located at the park’s entrance provided us with information to make our visit there very enjoyable. Within the center is a 17-minute movie about the park and Roosevelt’s time in the area. Behind the center is his restored “Maltese Cross” cabin, a small 3-room cabin, with real glass windows, and an attic, both of which were rare for this area at the time he built it. The museum at the center displays Roosevelt’s personal items, and includes ranching artifacts and natural history displays. While visiting the center, the nationally known actor Joe Weingard who portrayed Teddy Roosevelt in the History Channel’s The Men Who Built America, was there to further add interest and to answer any questions we had. (He was very believable!) Weingard has appeared at the Whitehouse for a portrayal of Roosevelt for President George W. Bush.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park entrance sign and visitor center;
the Maltese Cross "cabin" (just one of the 2 "homes" he built),
the living room, kitchen and bedroom in the cabin. The desk, corner cupboard,
trunk did belong to Teddy.

Joe Weingard as Teddy Roosevelt met us in the visitor
center; Teddy's pension for birds is interesting as he
started the art of taxidermy when he was just 11 years old;
bison in the park, and a few vista shots.

We elected to drive the 36-mile scenic loop through the park, to get a glimpse into what Roosevelt saw that made him fall in love with this area. We were fortunate to see bison, hundreds of prairie dogs, and wild horses.

While on our tour, at one of the overlooks, we met Dick and Louise from Florida, with whom we chatted for quite a while. They spend 2-3 months on the road in the spring and up to a month or 2 in the fall. Dick isn’t quite ready to give up his house, although Louise would take off in a minute!

After our scenic drive we had lunch at “Boots Bar and Grill,” located directly across the street from the park’s entrance. I dined on a grilled chicken sandwich and house salad, while Dick had chicken quesadillas. Sure tasted good, as we were starved! For dessert we walked down to the Burning Hills Emporium for a few scoops of ice cream. Nothing’s better on a hot day—sunny and 85°, with 11% humidity. Sure felt warmer than that!

Saturday our mission was to take in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s north unit, located about 70 miles away up highway 85. This park offers a 14-mile driving tour through vistas as seen by Roosevelt during his time here. The northern park is situated along the Little Missouri River.

Although there is a herd of long-horn cattle here in the park, as well as big horned sheep, we didn’t see any. However—we did see hundreds of bison along the drive.

While the southern park is beautiful and the vistas extraordinary, the northern park offers more diverse and unusual geological formations that aren’t as readily seen in the southern park. We saw beautifully colored striations, slump blocks, and cannonball concretions.

Striations

Slump blocks are formed when huge sections of bluff gradually slide intact to the valley floor. Canyon walls are too steep to support a top-heavy formation and through continued erosion the face of the parent bluff is moved further back from its original position. Blocks generally tilt as they slump so the bands of color on the bluff and the block can be matched as to their origination.

The other intriguing formations are the cannonball concretions. (We saw evidence of these in Arkansas, too.) These unusual formations are hard, compact masses of matter formed by the precipitation of a considerable amount of cementing material around a nucleus, such as a leaf, tooth, piece of shell, or fossil. They can vary in shape, hardness and size, and can be found ranging in size from minute to huge, such as the giant, red concretions we saw in the park, which are almost 10 feet in diameter! It was interesting to see them, as they look as though they don’t belong where they appear, protruding from a cliff side, or “thrown” randomly in piles. So cool!

Slump blocks and cannonball concretions

Returning to our camper for lunch, we rested for a bit, deciding on what to do for the remainder of the day. (Medora is packed full of stuff to see and do!) We decided to walk into town, just a few short blocks away, to purchase tickets for the Medora Musical preceded by the Pitchfork Steak Fondue dinner. We’d been told by friends Jamie and Ann (whom we met at Bay View) that this is not to be missed. We’ll be attending both Sunday night.

Our next stop was the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame, a museum dedicated to the preservation and promotion of North Dakota’s Native American, ranching and rodeo communities, and rich (and colorful!) western heritage. This 15,000 square foot interpretive center features travelling, as well as permanent, culture exhibits, a Hall of Honorees, archives, as well as a theater and gift shop.

Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame

The idea for this museum was conceived in 1994 and came to fruition, complete with a new building, in 2005. As seasoned western icon Evelyn Neuens, her sister Goldie Nutter, and 40 Years of North Dakota Rodeo author Phil Baird drove home from the 40^th anniversary of the Y’s Men’s Rodeo in Minot (ND), they realized that the state’s rich rodeo history was scattered to the wind, and that facts and faces were fading with each aging generation. Baird proposed that they initiate an organization to honor North Dakota rodeo competitors. Neuens said, with a determined smile on her 83-year old face, “Let’s do it! I’d rather wear out than rust out.” In May 2005, the barbed wire ribbon was cut and the dream became a reality. Today, annual memberships and endowments keep this fascinating piece of culture alive and well.

We thought the horn chair was interesting! The Indian Horse mask
is decorated with painted porcupine quills; the Indian saddle is
made of rawhide, wood and buffalo bones.
 Silver Buckles, Native American pouches
and vest; tributes to barrel racers and bronc riders

The museum had this huge longhorn in the lobby area to welcome you; angora chaps, a very extensive
 display (12 panels!) of barbed wire; a display of what a general store would look like, wall displays of tools,
a side saddle, a rim stretcher for repairing wooden wheels, and a Ukranian chalice cover from the 1750s
carried by Leon Trotsky when he fled Russia for Mexico (the cover was a gift to Dr. Stuche of
Garrison, ND who had befriended Trotsky).

A stroll through town revealed more history, as we ended up at the Billings County Courthouse Museum. In 1900s the museum building was originally made up of 2 apartments joined together by a central common storage area between the two. In 1913 a 2^nd floor was added to the central part; the 2^nd floor housed the courtroom, the judge’s chambers and the clerk of court office. The courthouse symbolized the orderly administration of justice in a county that is one of the least populated in North Dakota. After the original unit was enlarged, the south wing was used as a jail. (A new courthouse and jail was built, adjacent to the old courthouse, in 1983, converting the original courthouse into the present museum in 1986.) The displays depict the history of this area, dating back into the early 1800s. The thing that blew my mind was the huge display of barbed wire. Who knew there were so many types! My, oh, my…

Sunday morning was a morning of rest and relaxation, before heading out to see more of the town before our steak dinner and musical at the Burning Hills Amphitheater, located in Medora.

Our first stop was to the historic Von Hoffman house, commissioned by parents of the Marquise Medora de Mores, The Baron and Mrs. Von Hoffman for their occasional use. Constructed in 1884, this home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Several years after the Von Hoffman’s last trip to the area in 1885, James Foley, Sr., and his wife Gertrude lived with their children in the home. In 1914, the de More’s transferred ownership of the house to the Foley family (James Foley, Sr. was the manager of the de Mores’ property in Medora for 35 years; he was named the unofficial Poet Laureate of North Dakota, and wrote the North Dakota State Hymn).

This recently restored home includes a collection of original furniture and period furnishings. The upstairs gallery displays the Ferris family’s correspondence with their friend Theodore Roosevelt.

It's difficult to see, but there were about a dozen bumble bees collecting
pollen from the lavender bush; then we noticed these butterflies.

The Chateau visitor center; the Marquis and Marguise de
Mores; their children Louis and Athenais (photo dated 1881) and
the youngest son Paul (photo dated 1905)

On to the “hunting cabin” of the Marquis and Marquise de Mores, the Chateau de Mores. The chateau itself is a 2-story, 26-room wood frame building, and although not a true chateau it was given the name by the locals, as it was considerably more luxurious than most contemporary homes in the area, which were mostly constructed of sod or logs. Built in 1883 as the summer residence of the Marquis’ family, it was occupied only seasonally by the family, and only for 3 years, from 1883 to 1886. During the harsh winters of North Dakota, they would return to New York and France, returning in the spring. After the decline of the Marquis’ business interests in Medora, he returned to the chateau only twice, in 1887 and in 1889. Medora and their children visited only once more, after the Marquis’ death in 1903. From then on the home was maintained by caretakers, who would ready the house for occupation, but the family never returned. The eldest son, Louis, gave the caretakers permission to operate the chateau as a boarding house in 1921, but during this period the house suffered from theft and lack of maintenance. The home and land on which it sat was given to the State of North Dakota in 1936 on the condition that it be maintained and open to the public. The Civilian Conservation Corps restored the home from 1937 to 1941, and again in 1995. The chateau is now a historic house museum and contains many of the original furnishings and personal effects of the de Mores’ family. You'll notice that the interior photos are very dark, due to no electricity in the home i keeping with life at the time. 

The Chateau de Mores (front and rear), dining room, kitchen,
dish washing room, and  a display of wine found in the cellar
(over 600 bottles, including bottled water)

The Marquis' bedroom, smoking room, and his bathroom. The Marquise's room is next,
her parlor and the nursery and nanny's room.

Traditonal bathtub (your feet hung out!), one of the many bedrooms, a maid's room, and
and example of a straw mattress

The "hunting room" where preparations were made for the many hunts that the de Mores participated in.
(The Marquise was a better hunter and shot than her husband!) A hunting chest in which fresh meat
was packed in salt for transporting back to the Chateau.
The upstairs hallway, which also served as a church until the Catholic Church in town was completed.
"Paper" stained glass made from colored tissue paper and sealed with a substance making it appear
like real stained glass.

The Tjaden Fondue Terrace, meat being prepared for fonduing,
our meal and a rainbow that blessed us as we were eating.

At 5:30 we drove further up into the badlands hills for our Pitchfork Steak Fondue dinner at the Tjaden Terrace adjacent to the amphitheater. Their chefs loaded 12-oz. rib-eye steaks onto pitchforks, then fondue them in large vats. For $29.00 per person we enjoyed our meal of steak, baked potatoes, coleslaw, baked beans, fresh veggies and dip, brownies, cinnamon donuts, lemonade and coffee. What’s not to like? (As a side note, the Pitchfork Steak Fondue dinner was featured on the Food Network’s show Best Of.)

Sitting at long tables, we shared our meal with about 200 other folks, and met Stu and Janice from Pennsylvania, and Dan and Sheryl from Arizona.

A short walk across the parking lot brought us to the Burning Hills Amphitheater. Built in 1958, the first production was “Ol’ Four Eyes,” a tribute to Theodore Roosevelt to help celebrate his 100^th birthday. The amphitheater was carved out of the side of the badlands in Burning Gulch by volunteers, cast members and boys from the Home on the Range Ranch. Seeing between 1,000 and 1,200 people, it was constructed of wooden benches with rustic buildings that formed a set around the stage. Natural acoustics meant no sound system would be needed.

“Ol’ Four Eyes” ran until 1963 when it was replaced by “Teddy Roosevelt Rides Again” for the 1963 and 1964 seasons. Former North Dakota businessman Harold Schafer bought the amphitheater in 1965, and started the Medora Musical. In 1991 the amphitheater received a $4.1 million facelift, which added additional seating (now seating up to 2,900), a new stage, escalators, and wheelchair ramp. The new Burning Hills Amphitheater was completed in 1992, and the new construction was completed in 1997. Another renovation took place in 2005 which upgraded the sets and stage, allowing them to move left and right, forward and back.

The Medora Musical stage and sets, with the Burning Hills
Singers and Coal Diggers band.

The Medora Musical celebrates its 50^th year with a “rootin’-tooinest, boot-scootinest show in all the west!” This high energy, western-style musical is dedicated to the legacy of Roosevelt, America’s 26^th President, and the time he spent in the badlands of Dakota Territory. Songs performed by the Burning Hills Singers (12 young men and women from all over the U.S.), the Coal Diggers (live western on-stage band), the Queen of the West and Wild West Prestidigitator, live horses on stage, and featured entertainer comedian Carl Guerra, kept us entertained for over 2 hours. At the close of the show, the scenes parted, and lights and a pyrotechnic show across the Missouri River valley kept us in awe. What a treat! This is a show not to be missed, and worth the $39.00 per ticket.

Here are a few vidoes to spark your interest in visiting this fabulous production:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kibys1e2aLk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUuzicqivHY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOu-Q6qzz-g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHt6uJE-CcM

The show hosts, Burning Hills Singers, The Medora Trail Riders, "Mr. Bubbles" (a tribute to
Harold Shafer who financed the operation (and rebuilt most of Medora), the "Rough Riders",
comedian Carl Guerro and the National Anthem with a huge flag flown between the sets.

The finale with fireworks and a celebratory display on distant hills
of the 50th anniversary of the Medora Musical!

A note about Howard Schafer: Howard rose to national acclaim as the original maker of Glass Wax, Snowy Bleach, and most popular of all, “Mr. Bubble” bubble bath. This man has a rags-to-riches story, alongside folks like Herbert Hoover and J.C. Penney; but all through his life his heart remained with his home in North Dakota. Schafer purchased, renovated and improved numerous facilities in the Medora area, including the popular Rough Rider Hotel and Ferris General Store in Medora, which were taken apart board by board and then painstakingly reassembled. Today, Howard’s widow, at age 90, still spends her summers in Medora, walking through town, meeting and greeting folks along the way.

Wow! That was a lot to pack in to just 4 days, but we certainly enjoyed everything we saw and did in Medora. It’s worth a stop if you’re in the area.

That’s it for this week. Our next overnight stop is in Billings before we head for Glacier National Park.

Until next time, hugs and blessings,

RJ and Gail