Fort Peck was not meeting our needs given the heat and dust – no shade on our site, no area for swimming, and way too many house flies so we decided to vacate early. We had already booked a site at Lewis & Clark State Park in North Dakota, and were luckily able to get in a couple days earlier and, as an added bonus, we got the same site for all three days. We left Montana and entered into North Dakota with a van covered in bug splats and a couple bird splats. The prairie grasshoppers are prolific.
Although still in desert, this campground had a little shade and a slight breeze off the lake. We were happy to find a beach with lots of room for Cedar to chase sticks. The campground also has a few short trails and a large fenced dog park. Much more practical for us. The lake water is a muddy colour but clean and the perfect temperature for swimming. The surrounding area shows off desert buttes and prairie grass (teeming with grasshoppers). We stayed three nights.
Lake Sakakawea is a large reservoir on the Missouri River basin impounded in 1953 by the Garrison Dam. It was named for the Shoshone-Hidatsa woman Sakakawea who accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition.
As Chris was walking Cedar one day, he came across a bull snake – almost stepped on it – next to our site. They are not venomous, non-agressive, and about three feet long.
At Rugby ND we passed the geographical center of North America.
Leaving the state park we finally started to see trees again and fields of sunflowers. We drove a short way and stopped at Towner ND where the town park, just a couple streets off the Hwy, offers a few campsites with electric hook-up. They ask for a donation as payment. The park is well maintained with a large grassy area, kids splash area, and a large gazebo. Very nice set up and we felt safe. We walked into the small town where along the main street are some nice old buildings, and a the only busy establishment was a pub.
We passed through Grand Forks on our route the next day. It is a city divided by the Red River which is also the state border between North Dakota and Minnesota. The winding Red River starts in the southern part of these two states and flows into Lake Winnipeg.