Day 39 – Wednesday 7/6/22

Mobridge, South Dakota to Linton, North Dakota – 76.3 Miles

Today was an ordinary day, and that’s good. Ishmael needed no special attention, nothing fell out of the sky, and the miles required little effort. The story of the day may be more interesting if something happens that makes it difficult, but I’ll take the “easy button” every time.

Yesterday, I ended up in Mobridge, about 16 miles west of Selby. If I’d thought about it a little more, I probably should have stayed overnight there, which would have given me a straight path north towards Linton. That would have saved about 20 miles today, but the downside would have been missing some great scenery along the Missouri River. So, the morning’s ride began by retracing my route six miles east to pick up state road 1804.

South Dakota has a lot of farms and gravel roads for accessing them. I don’t think of a gravel road as being suitable for high speeds, but whoever’s posting the speed limit signs must.

In the opposite direction, you’re on your own.

The weather report was favorable, but some early morning clouds had me concerned. Eventually, they drifted away to the SE. The landscapes for the first 40 miles were beautiful. Rolling hills and a great road over them, mostly within sight of the Missouri River.

The climbs today were nothing like the hills of Missouri, as the effort I put into getting to the top paid off in what seemed like an equally long downhill run. When I did get to higher ground, the view was excellent.

The only sounds heard when pulled off to the side of the road are wind, birds and occasionally cattle mooing. Cars can be heard about a minute before you see them. It’s would amaze someone used to the city and the suburbs.

At 38 miles out, I reached the town of Pollock, population 240. It’s a farming center and a resort area for fishing and boating. I stopped at the Prairie Market for a drink and supplies, then sat on a bench outside the store and wondered what it would be like to live there.

Ten miles east and two miles north of Pollock was the North \ South Dakota border. Crossing it gave me State number 11 and put me closer to a left turn towards Oregon later in the week. I marked the occasion with this video.

I had a flashback to my youth when I saw this sign. Before Freddie Mercury, Lawrence Welk was probably the best frontman in the band business. My parents thought he was great, and since they controlled what we watched on television, we had to go along.

North Dakota was flatter than South Dakota. With the wind at my back, I was doing 18-mph and was fine with that.

I don’t know how this pond got there, but it’s scenic.

Lawrence Welk was born 2 miles out of Strasburg, North Dakota in 1903, had German parents and didn’t speak English until he was 21. He learned to play the accordion, then got out of there in his early 20’s to get a degree in music and start a band. Strasburg has a Welk swimming pool, a “Wunnerful Inn” and a few other nods to his legacy. The family homestead is a museum but wasn’t open when I rode by.

With the excitement of Strasburg behind me, I arrived in Linton a half hour later. It’s a larger town than Strasburg, but has declined in population in the last decade, and is now below 1,000. There are three hotels, one overpriced, one reasonable and one that should be condemned. I chose the reasonable “Don’s Motel” and have no regrets.

Food choices are limited, but the meal at the “Grill and Lounge” tonight was good. After the salad bar and “Lion Burger” (Swiss cheese, onions and mushrooms), I didn’t need any more to eat.

Walking around town afterwards, there was an interesting assortment of architectural styles. I’m sure the town grew slowly, and what was contemporary one decade didn’t repeat itself later.

Outside of a sporting goods store was an unusual vending machine. If you want to go fishing at 2 AM and need bait or lures, this is the answer. It’s not the question people are asking where I live, but the first rule of marketing is to know your customer.

Grain elevators are always interesting to look at. The amount of acreage needed to fill these up must be substantial. I have zero knowledge of farming but appreciate the people who learn the trade and do the work.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Bismarck. Unfortunately, there’s a forecast for rain, but nothing violent or excessive. I hope.