Which Ones??

Theodore Roosevelt's Cabin in ND.

Starting in Dickinson, we headed West this morning to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  (The park entrance is only a few miles from Montana, which was funny to me, since we started this trip practically on the Eastern border, with Minnesota.)  It was a tribute to the President who began the National Park system, and also the place where he retreated after some personal losses (his wife and mother died on the very same day, in the very same house).  So, it seemed appropriate to see this particular National Park.  Right near the museum, they had the cabin that Roosevelt lived in when he initially left NY for ND.  

North Dakota Badlands and T. Roosevelt National Park

We headed out for the driving trail to see the rest of the park.  It had a lot of parts that were like the Badlands in South Dakota (quite unexpected!).  But it was a mixture of prairie, badlands, canyons, and other stark landscapes juxtaposed like God shuffled the deck of landscapes, and dealt out this place.  Oh, and I-94 through the middle.  

Hard limestone layers erode slower than the softer sandstone.

Panorama of the park...with...                                                                                                                                Theresa!

Careful, these rocks are dangerous!!

Prairie dog.

There were also several "Prairie Dog Cities", They really were like cities with hundreds of little mounds, and tunnels.  Some of the tunnels went under the road, as we observed three little ones scurry up to the edge of the road, and emerge on the other side.  It was funny the way some ran around playing and eating grass, and others stood as centuries, watching our every move.  Get too close and they sound the alarm (calling out the warning to the rest of the colony).  It was sort of like cube life at the TOC!!

Bison have no regard for prairie dogs!

We saw bison in many parts of the park, including two who seemed to be stationed at the entrance when we arrived and left, and one in the middle of a Prairie Dog City.  We even saw bison "patties" (not the hamburger types) on several footpaths.  Then, on one of the walks we took, there was a herd of bison on the path.  We were not allowed to get close to them, but they were on our trail!

Bison have no regard for people either!

About lunch time, we left the park and headed to the Painted Canyon.  Theresa said there were lots of subtle colors.  I believe her.  But I didn't see anything picturesque.  We continued on back to Dickinson for lunch.  We capitulated and went to the top restaurant in town...a "West-Mex" place.  It was also barely a step above a convenience store.  Well, it was good, and it was a little different than Tex-Mex.  But, I would not recommend coming to North Dakota for it.  Sorry!

No wonder he looks sad...he's CHAINED!

We continued on back to Glen Ullin, where we stopped for Mass at Sacred Heart Church, the very same parish my Great-Great-Grandfather and his brothers helped to build.  It was really cool (for me) being there.  After Mass, an older gentlemen turned around and asked who we were.  I gave my name, and he said, "Geck?  Which ones?"  Clearly he knew a few Geck families, but since my Great-Grandfather left no children there, well, I didn't have a good answer for him.  Then we drove around town again, this time looking for the addresses of where Gecks used to live.  Some of the places were pretty rough looking, and of course we don't know who lives there now, but one place had "Geck" on the mailbox, on the side of the house, and on a bear by the driveway.  Feeling sure this was a current residence for a Geck, we rang the door bell.  No one answered.  Bummer.

We headed back to the freeway and on to Bismarck for the evening.  Theresa found a place--not really a German restaurant--just a place with some German food.  I got this dish with kielbasa, sauerkraut, knoephla (dumplings), and potatoes.  Everyone needs dumplings AND potatoes... It was good!  Theresa tried the fleischkuechle, which was a hamburger patty, with sauerkraut, and pepper jack cheese, in a pastry shell.  Yeah, yeah...pepperjack is not exactly "German".  We topped it off with strawberry-rhubarb ice cream!!  A good end to the day!