Day 5 - Wednesday, 8/2/67

Moorhead, Minnesota to Dickinson, North Dakota

Here's the official schedule for the day:

TIME MILEAGE ITINERARY (Description)
7:00   BREAKFAST College Food Service
8:00   LEAVE Moorhead thru Fargo, Rte. 10-52 (94 Interstate)
  88 miles REST STOP Jamestown (Con't on 10-83)
12:00 100 miles BISMARCK: Several Indian villages en route
Lunch at pleasure
3:45 138 miles BELFIELD: Proceed to Dickinson State College - Supper & Sleep
  Total miles:
330
 

From my journal of 1967:

Left college early and went into North Dakota. Ate in a different Sveden House. Passed through Bismarck. Land was very flat at first, later rolling and hilly. At noon we ate in Ft. Lincoln State Park. We saw a replica of Indian village, remains of Ft. McKeen, museum. Later we stopped at Teddy Roosevelt National Park in Badlands. Saw his original cabin from area. Stopped at Dickinson State College. Slept in gym. Found 1" hole in air mattress. Slept on floor. Did laundry.

From a letter home:

20 miles out of Fargo on Rt. 94. All well so far. In fact, everything's great, except for Mr. Tobin's jokes. For the past two meals we have eaten at a smorgasbord, so today this was the daily word from our leader: "I know you have been eating a lot lately, so watch it when you go through screen doors - I don't want you to strain yourself." (Bad, isn't it?)

We've been busy most of the time. Of course, the bus ride takes most of the day, but we've been busy each night. On Saturday we saw Niagara Falls, Sunday we saw "Heat of the Night" with Sidney Poitier, Monday we swam and Tuesday we saw "Hawaii", which was very good. It has an intermission, it was so long (3 hrs.) All in all the trip is very interesting. Yesterday we spent 1-1/2 hrs at a museum in Chicago. We are now heading to an Indian village in N. Dakota. Everything outside is flat as a window pane, which brings in mind a joke the bus driver told over the P.A. We were going towards some high tension wires, and he said he remembered something odd from his last trip. He told us if we put our hands on the window we would get a shock. "Only a slight pain." As we passed under the wires nothing happened. Then he said "Feel the pain (pane)?" We really fell for it.

Mr. Snedeker, who is calling himself "Abe", says we are approaching the Continental Divide. Yesterday was the "Crossing the Mississippi River" initiation.

Yesterday we held a "trial" against a boy for ruining some suitcase decals (guilty of course). Since he wouldn't pay damages, today is our "Perjury, Contempt of Court and Downright No-Goodness Trial."

Until I re-read the letter above I would have sworn it was Mr. Tobin who had told that window pane joke. I was able to use it years later on my kids, proving that a lousy joke can make a big impact (at least to me!) I don't remember the trial, but I guess it was a way to pass the time.

Ft. McKeen Mandan, North Dakota

Ft. McKeen - Mandan, North Dakota

This was a reconstructed Cavalry outpost. It was way out in the middle of nowhere, making me wonder why would-be attackers couldn't just give it a wide berth and skip a fight. Ft. McKeen was later renamed Ft. Abraham Lincoln, and was where General George Armstrong Custer began his ill-fated march to the Little Big Horn.

Missouri River from Ft. McKeen blockhouse

Missouri River from Ft. McKeen blockhouse

Charlie Berenson

Charlie Berenson

I'm sure the adult leaders would have enjoyed Charlie's effort to entertain me.

Charlie Berenson in a more contemplative mood

Charlie Berenson in a more contemplative mood

Slant Indian Village - Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park

Slant Indian Village - Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park

Part of the park contains a recreated Indian village. We were able to spend some time walking through the area, and it felt good to stretch the legs after all those hours on the bus.

Indian Mound House - Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park

Indian Mound House - Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park

More mound houses

More Mound Houses

Ready for more of Day 5?

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