Joy in the Journey

Skip and I love adventure. We treasure exploring our amazing country. We’re pleased to share that we are back on the road! We’ve begun a 5 ½ week trip through North Dakota, a corner of Wyoming, lots of Montana, then returning to Minnesota through South Dakota.

In a recent blog post, favorite author John Eldredge wrote: “…God also filled the world with a renewable supply of something our souls need daily: beauty.” We aspire to share beauty with you as our readers that it may nurture your souls.

First stop – a delightful visit with our SOWER friends Tammie and Sheldon Schmiess who live in Sabin, Minnesota. We experienced what two days of country living feels like, and we loved it…fresh green beans from their garden, local corn on the cob, homemade apple pie with apples from their trees, and long walks on country farm roads to burn off those calories. Their property includes a quintessential farm home, barn/shed, garden shed, two enormous gardens, pastures, a trail through the woods, remnants of tree forts and more. Games in the evening topped off our visit. What joy!

Next stop – Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora North Dakota.  We spent our first day traveling the scenic drive through the south end, coupled with a marvelous though windy hike through a prairie, complete with prairie dog homes and with views of badland buttes. We returned to Medora for a walk through this quaint town. On day two at this national park gem, we ventured to the north end which we found to be even more spectacular. More bison, prairie dogs, and majestic vistas filled us with joy.

On our final night, we attended the famed Medora Musical. The talented cast wowed us with dance, music, horses, flags, story-telling and more.  Pure Americana. We loved it!

Before leaving our site at Sully Creek State Park in Medora, we hiked the Maah Daah Hey trail south of the state park, and oh… what a reward. The view was magnificent, including the winding LIttle Missouri river carving its way through the landscape.

After two nights at a marvelous Harvest Host ranch in Billings, we’ll be on our way into Wyoming to visit the Big Horn National Forest. Hope you’ll come along for the ride!