MN, ND, SD

Today I drove for hundreds of miles in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Clearly the hilight was visiting Lake Itacsa, the headwaters of the Mississippi. It rained all day, but the drive was beautiful nonetheless. I did almost hit a cow as he ran across the road, and I tried to get a picture of him scurrying. A newsworthy note is that the beet slicing plants in Fargo were closed today because of the rain and the radio advised the temporary workers to not show up at the plants as there would be no slicing today.
I am staying in Selby SD tonight and at the local tavern I listened to a very informed, and very volatile, discussion of the upcoming presidential election. It is interesting to hear what people from different parts of the country have to say. For the record, there were equal impassioned arguments for each candidate. Tomorrow I am going to visit the house where my mother was born in Mobridge, SD. I am not sure why I am visiting there, but I am.
As you all know, what is continuously staggering is the sheer size of this country. I drove stretches, 100 mile stretches, of North Dakota where there was nothing but wheat fields, a handful of cows, and corn. The small towns in the part of the country have old style main streets where the cars park in diagonal spaces.
As part of my plan of trying to never go home again (i.e. go to Canada) I would say that I could visit where I am now, but not live. It is beautiful, but it is flat and almost barren.
I also got a kick out of the sign promoting furs. Clearly that is an industry in this area.
I also decided today that I would turn around any time I saw something worth visiting, and I am finding myself making horribly hilarious and dangerous U turns all of the time.

The food photo is me enjoying a pot of Cousin Cindy chili at a very cold and wind rest area in North Dakota. The little portable stove works great and the chili was hot and hearty. Thanks Cindy.

-scm