The center of everything

In my mind, eastern Montana and western North Dakota were both flat. It was an eye opener to ride through endless rolling hills. Up and down, up and down all day. It made me wish for flatter terrain.

Yesterday, that wish came true. Route 2 out of Minot was dead flat. And dead straight. There was no scenery. Just endless miles of road that disappeared into the horizon. At that point I was jonesing for a little topography to break up the monopoly.

We ended up in Rugby, which is the geographic center of North America. Like many small towns in Montana, the old downtown looked a little run down, and the new commercial strip along the road was a little too commercial. The hotel was empty, but only because all the relief workers who are there helping with the rebuilding (and demolition) of Minot like to go home on weekends.

North Dakota has shaped up as the state of change: Williston is booming with oil work and traffic, Minot is still rebuilding from this summer’s flood, and now I’m in Minawanka, which is on the expanding shores of Devil’s Lake. The lake has been filling for the past decade, and as the water rises, it’s been taking farms and roads with it. If the lake goes up another 4 feet it will take this town with it as well. That might contribute to the ghost town feel of the downtown: the grocery store has closed, and the only dinner to be found is at the town bar.

The route continues south and east towards Fargo. The weather looks a little iffy for the next couple days, but the winds will be strong out of the west, which will make the miles easier.

Best joke of the day: North Dakota is the only state where you can watch your dog run away for three days.