Day 33-Bismarck,ND to Glen Ullin,ND (61/1,484 miles)

Western North Dakota welcomed me back to my Lewis and Clark journey today with 97° of heat this afternoon! Fortunately, it was a dry heat and I was able to enjoy the tranquil beauty of this region. 

At 7:30 this evening the temperature was still 96°, so I decided to spend the night in a beautiful little b&b that has air-conditioning! The inn is owned and operated by a charming couple who graduated from Glen Ullin high school in 1947 and 1955, at which time they said it was 3 to 4 times as big as it is today. They told me that the 2018 graduating class had only nine students! Things have become so bad that Glen Ullin high school had to merge football programs with long time arch rival Hebron high school! I am told that the reasons for the hard times here in Glen Ullin can be traced to a number of things including the decline of small family farms.

I am riding a new touring bike, a Sasa Marrakesh, Which I have affectionately named Black Beauty. Unlike my long time touring bike, a Surly Long Haul Trucker named Big Blue, Black Beauty has disc brakes. Big Blue’s  rim brakes would have been in adequate for the mountains I will encounter this leg of my tour.