Day 19: Williston, North Dakota

This was our second day of wiiiinnnddyyy weather. Our friend mentioned that the wind actually drives some people mad; I could see how that could happen (and so could Nick, with his tall ears). But wind aside, what a lovely day. We drove from Minot to Williston and had a late lunch at a surprising place--Jack and Jewels BBQ. Who would think that in the northernmost corner of ND that there’d be terrific BBQ? I suppose the oil boom could help explain it, but what a treat.



Then our friend, who is an Episcopalian priest, showed us her in-town church (and later her country church). It’s always interesting to see where someone works, especially when it’s so different from anywhere I’ve ever worked.

Then we arrived at her 690-acre ranch. Gorgeous. On a plateau looking down over the Missouri (I hope I got that right!). Nick was in doggie heaven being off leash chasing his tennis balls.



Then, at 5PM, Marianne was able to show us the sights. We ended up doing an 80 mile tour (!) around the “neighborhood." We saw the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. Kind of neat to have just seen the falls of the Yellowstone and now to see the end of it, as it flows into the Missouri. Water level quite high; perhaps explains the record-breaking mosquito season!

Then we visited the Fort Union Trading Post—a very well-preserved 19th century compound used to promote (and protect) trade. Here’s Lisa and Marianne in the entry--notice the wind!




My favorite, favorite stop was the Fort Buford Graveyard. Every single grave had the cause of death on it. (This would be before any kind of medical privacy laws ;-) Lots of suicides—maybe it was the wind or mosquitos!










When we got back to the ranch at 9PM (and yes, the sun was still up), the rest of the family had barbequed up some great burgers and steaks. What a feast! Sacked out after midnight and slept like a baby under the completely quiet North Dakota sky.