2012 Rolling Over the 100K - Part 7 of 10

2012 Rolling Over the 100K

Part 7 of 10

Hob-nobbing with the Big Shots!

Dinosaur Park, ND

Rolling Over the 100K

Hob-nobbing with the Big Shots!

 

You get a nice feeling when you're wet and cold and hungry and you unexpectedly see a McDonald's restaurant still serving breakfast. An egg McMuffin and a hot coffee was just what I needed to boost my dwindling energy levels. I wasn't sure where I was but as I walked through the front door I looked at the address. I was in Glasgow, MT. My God! This is a big State. No wonder they call it the “Big Sky State”. Since this was a rural town the clientèle were mostly local folks and predominantly farmers. They were a talkative and cheerie lot and everyone seemed to be in good humour except, perhaps, me. I was a little down because I hadn't been totally dry since I left British Columbia and I was getting fed-up with being damp all the time. An old chap accompanied by his wife sitting at the next table struck-up a friendly conversation with me and they cheered me up. He was very interested in BC and in my destination, Ottawa. His wife was saying that she'd like to visit both places sometime as soon as her husband gave up some of his many jobs. I told them stories similar to what you are reading in my blog. They told me local jokes and I was sorry to see them finally get up and leave. The old guy had the courtesy and good manners to help his wife put on her raincoat which totally impressed me. Chivalry isn't dead after all. As they were walking towards the front door, he came back to tell me how he and his wife had enjoyed my company. He was very sincere when he said that the next time I come through their town they would be honoured to invite me to their house for a meal. I was a little overwhelmed and I shook his hand. He reached in his pocket and gave me his card saying, “That's where you can find us.” I put the card in my pocket without looking at it. The next day I was looking in my wallet and I read his card with surprise. It read, "Mayor, City of Glasgow, MT”.

Dinosaur Park, ND

There were certain landmarks I recognized from earlier trips after I had finally crossed into the beautiful State of N. Dakota. Apart from seeing the welcome sign, it wasn't long before I was passing by the array of windmills with their giant blades rotating gracefully in the gentle breeze. Although not its real name, I found myself driving through Dinosaur Park where entire fields were covered with man-made brontosauruses, tyrannosauruses, tetra-dactyls and other pre-historic beasts that I wouldn't even try to guess the names of. What this did for me was comforting. I'd seen these animals before and it provided me with reassurance that I was making progress and that, indeed, I was now well over half-way towards Ontario's western border. Until now, it had simply been mile after endless mile without markers. I decided to stay at the Northern Lights Inn in Rugby, ND, that night. I wanted to get an early night's sleep in the hope of reaching Duluth, MN, sometime during the following day. I was disappointed with that hotel because someone was using a cordless drill in the next room during the middle of the night. I was angry enough to get the night clerk to knock on the door and ask them to stop. I went with him. It turned out that the room was not booked that night. It was dark and empty. The noise I'd heard was being generated by a maladjusted air-conditioning system that was running ten times more powerfully than it should have been. This resulted in audible high-pitched “whistling” between the snug-fitting doors. Mind you, I am grossly over-sensitive to unwanted noises and I am irritated by them. I just can't help it. Nevertheless, I felt like such a fool.

Rolling Over the 100K

Even though I woke-up to rain once again I resolved that I would reach Duluth, MN, that day. It was much easier that I thought it was going to be because many of the quaint small towns I remembered from the last time I was out this way were now by- passed through extensive reconstruction of Route 2. This was both good and not-so-good. On the one hand I made better time than I had anticipated due to a lesser number of stops. On the downside I missed visiting those small towns because they provided you with a better understanding of life in small-town America. The rain cleared by mid-day and I had covered a great distance in just a few hours. Route 2 had been converted to near Interstate calibre now. I was cruising at 70mph and keeping pace easily with truckers; camper-wagons; domestic automobiles and other motorcycles. The greatest surprise, however, were the powerful pick-up trucks that prevailed west of the State of Minnesota to the Pacific coast. Ninety-nine percent of them carried no load whatsoever. I don't know why they are so popular. I'm convinced it must be a “macho” thing. By now, I was getting excited – 099,992 Kms was displayed now on my odometer. It appeared to be rolling faster than it had before. 099,993 Kms ...099,998 Kms.....099,999 Kms …..and, finally, I rolled over 100,000 Kms as I saw the beautiful City of Duluth, MN, in the far distance. I couldn't pull over and enjoy the moment. There were no shoulders to pull over to; I was surrounded by corrugated steel guard-rails. State Troopers would be on your back instantly if you did anything to stop or even slow down traffic unless it was a life and death emergency. I love Duluth. Its absolutely gorgeous. At the very first opportunity after crossing all the bridges and elevated ramps I stopped at the first Burger-King and I congratulated myself with a whopper-burger and a giant root-beer. Before continuing east on Route 28, I took an hour in the early evening to walk along the shore of Lake Superior and admire it's awesome beauty. I was impressed with a plague mounted by the shore in tribute to the Mariner's that had fallen (photo as shown).