Made it to my 49th State !!

Good morning from Beach, North Dakota.

I crossed into North Dakota after dark last night. But when I got out of the van to take a picture of the stateline sign, I turned off the van lights, just leaving the flashers on. ( Good people of North Dakota left a parking area on the Interstate to do this sort of thing.) I let my eyes adjust, then looking into the heavens, saw millions of stars in the Milky Way. I let the nightsky star chart come into my head. The moon was not distracting the light. No way to capture that in a picture, but, trust me, an awesome sight. The words to the hymn, "How Great thou Art" came into my head.

On the way to the North Dakota stateline, I stopped at Pompy's Pillar. It is a National Monument now, but was a landmark for Willam Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expeditions. He left a signature that is still visible on July 25, 1806. There is a new Interpretative Visitor's Center there.

I am leaving the Interstate for at least a couple of days, heading toward the Canadian boarder and U.S. 52 to begin my trip southeast down that U.S. highway. I will stop at the Flying J in Fargo, N.D. to re-group and use my Flying J wifi account. But, who knows I may find wifi before that. After all, I found it in Custer, Montana last night, population 145, according to the sign on the highway.