Newtown, ND

Paul described his 75 mile scenic ride through the “mini” badlands today as tortuous, a tough day (though not nearly as hot as Cincinnati!) With alternating head winds and cross winds and hill after hill after hill on Route 1804, he still had to contend with the biting flies. Of course the first establishment he saw when he arrived at Newtown for the night was a Tastee Freeze, so he rationalized that a “flurry” was in order to regain enough strength to find a campsight. Unfortunately, the campground was 4 miles off the beaten path, and he was advised that the town was full with Indians arriving for “the biggest powwow” of the season being held this weekend. So even though the sign at the Sunset Motel said “No Vacancy”, Paul stopped in to scout a place to lay his head. In the small lobby was a gigantic stuffed grizzly that the owner/manager had shot (7 times) in Alaska and, lo and behold, after about 20 minutes of telling his tale and getting to know Paul, the owner found a spare room to let. With few options for dinner, Paul was headed back to the Tastee Freeze before returning to the Sunset for an early bedtime. He should sleep well tonight. Ann