2026 Road Trip - Day 10

Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026 - A little bit in North Dakota, then a big loop in Montana, and spend the night in Glendive, Montana! After blogging, I Hit The Road - after 488 miles (and 26 Post Offices, plus 1 closed one), I checked into the Baymont in Glendive, Montana at 7:30 PM:

I thought it would be fun to show the Post Offices I got, next to a more-familiar geography. SAME GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE!

Yea - It is like starting in Boston, going up to Concord, NH, over to Lake George, NY, down to Catskill, NY, and spending the night in New London CT.

That explains why it seems I covered a lot of miles - there are a lot of miles OUT HERE:

I found another way to carry hay-bales:

The speed-limit on this 2-lane blacktop is 70 miles-per-hour! I'm fine with that - I discovered yesterday that going 80 miles-per-hour REALLY KILLS YOUR GAS MILAGE! 70 is a much better idea:

There is a RAW BEAUTY out here, although I wouldn't want to live here:

Time to call "Montana Cabin Masters" (I don't think "Maine Cabin Masters" will travel this far):

Cutest Post Office today - 59222 - Flaxville, MT:

Sometimes the directions are: Just Follow the Telephone Poles:

Then again, sometimes there aren't even any telephone poles:

I was asked "How big is The State of Montana"? To complete the loop down to my hotel, I was on Route 2 heading east for a bit; the milage sign says how many miles are behind me, to The State of Idaho:

I checked into the Baymont in Glendive, Montana at 7:30 PM:

Unfortunately, they have "staffing issues", so no dinner. Reminds me of a dinner/restaurant Wendy and I were in: After our food was served, the cops came in and busted the chef. Today I went down the road and had a GREAT Meatloaf dinner!

I noticed the sun was going down over the Yellowstone River, so I ran outside for a photo:

The Yellowstone River is very beautiful:

After dinner = off to bed! WOW - Thank you God for a wonderful Montana Adventure Day!

Once again, Music for today are albums that I have not heard before (well, maybe I have heard some):

in this morning's hotel room - Robert Plant - Fate of Nations, 1993 album, last heard 6/28/2024 - I really like this album a lot:

On The Road: Huey Lewis & The News - Sports, 1983 album, last heard never - It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on June 30, 1984, and ultimately charted for 160 weeks (over 3 years):

Jackson Browne - Downhill from Everywhere, 2021 album, last heard never - I have always like Jackson's albums, and this will go in the rotation:

James Taylor - Flag, 1979 album, last heard never - this goes in the rotation. "Up On The Roof" and "Millworker" are standouts - Springsteen did "Millworker" [Feb 6, 2006 Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA. The song was performed during the annual MusiCares benefit - James Taylor was MusiCares "Person Of The Year"]:

Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat, 1986 album, last heard never - excellent Leonard Cohen covers:

Jethro Tull - The Best of Jethro Tull (2 cds), 1977 compilation album, last heard never - I really love their first 3 albums, and Aqualung is still pretty good, but everything after that need STRONG THINNING. Keeping maybe 3 songs:

Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return), DCD album, last heard never. I put together 6 versions: 1 studio, 5 live (Berkeley 1970, Woodstock, Atlanta, Royal Albert Hall, and Winterland 1968). I remember being at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and hearing the Royal Albert Hall version on headphones - IT WAS FABULOUS!!!:

Jimmy Buffett - Volcano, 1979 album, last heard 8/09/2019. Wonderful album:

Joe Cocker - Joe Cocker!, 1969 2nd album, last heard never. good classic album:

Joe Jackson - Fast Forward, 12015 album, last heard never. I like Joe Jackson, and listened to this twice because I want to get to know this album:

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/

2026 Road Trip - Day 9

Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 - Before we go any further, I want to post my 1-mile-walk around the Minneapolis Institute of Art (it "colors outside the lines" sometimes, and it does not really capture THREE FLOORS):

also, I'm feeling like my life is now a mash-up of "Where's Waldo?" and "Where in The World is Carmen Sandiego?":

Back to today: Banging across North Dakota, and spend the night in Williston, North Dakota! After blogging, I Hit The Local Library and wrote postcards. Lunch (and dinner) from the same place I got pizza from last night. And the I Hit The Road - after 382 miles (and 22 Post Offices, plus 1 closed one), I checked into the Super 8 in Williston, North Dakota at 9 PM:

Out here on I-94 West, they are SO EXCITED to have you going fast, THEY TELL YOU TWICE!

I bet you were wondering what they do with those hay-bales:

I'm going 75, so this pickup must be going at least 65 on a dirt road:

Maybe it is the "Patton Park" in me, but I have always been a fan of the "Tank-in-Town-Square" motif:

Love's Service Stations are ubiquitous across This Great Land of Ours (today's stop is in the green circle) - they are clean, easy, and reasonably priced (and sometimes have postcards):

I-94 is GREAT - except for the part where they are STILL BUILDING THE ROAD:

Crossing over the Missouri River in Bismarck, North Dakota:

Which brings me to my next question-of-the-day - who would win: The Tank or The Howitzer?

Hey, who's that shadowing me?

The sun setting over Williston, North Dakota:

I checked into the Super 8 in Williston, North Dakota at 9 PM (it turns out I stayed here Aug. 27, 2021):

WOW - Thank you God for a wonderful North Dakota Adventure Day!

Once again, Music for today are albums that I have not heard before (well, maybe I have heard some):

3 albums in this morning's hotel room - Michael Jones - Sunscapes, 1986 album, last heard never - very nice "new age piano" music:

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Yell Fire! Live, 2007 live album, last heard 8/29/2022 - I had to get The Juices Flowing!

Michael Hedges - The Road To Return, 1994 album, last heard never - very nice "new age guitar" music (maybe those "Juices" need just a little calming down):

On The Road: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Zuma, 1995 album, last heard 6/25/2024 - I liked this so much, I listened to it TWICE:

Poco - DeLIVErin', 1971 live album, last heard never - Unlike yesterday, this is a wonderful album, capturing their first two albums (plus Buffalo Springfield stuff) at a concert in Boston (Charles Laquidara [WBCN disc jockey] introduces the band):

Queen - Live at Wembley '86, recorded 1988, released 1992 double live album, last heard never - delete both Queen albums, and make a "Queen by Dennis" album:

Quicksilver Messenger Service - The Best of ..., 1990 album, last heard never - I like their electric-hippie-San-Francisco vibe:

Richie Havens - Alarm Clock, 1970 album, last heard never. keep for history:

Robert Palmer - Best of Both Worlds: Anthology (2 cds), 2002 compilation double-album, last heard never. Very Nice collection of Robert Palmers work, which I like:

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/