May 17, 2019
A Prairie Romance
Towner to Rugby
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Jackie’s avg speed: 7 mph
Scott’s avg speed: 8.7 mph
Weather: 50 degrees, east wind 12-15 mph
Scott woke up with the sunrise at 05:47 and rustled around inside the tent assembling breakfast needs, i.e., coffee. Temps were in the upper thirties, and I dozed a while, too cozy to move. When I woke an hour later, I could hear highway noise and local cars cruising by the park. Friday was underway. Scott poked his head inside the tent. “Would you like some tea?” He is a decisive waker, not a lolly gagger like his wife. After our coffee, hot tea, and oatmeal al fresco, we were ready for the road. In the time it took to break camp and repack, the sun disappeared and the breeze quickened. We were in the weather by 07:40.
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Our diminishing average speeds tell the story of increasingly strong wind as we make our way across North Dakota. The wind and limited lodging options in this sparsely populated state compelled us to adjust our schedule. (Fun fact: North Dakota has 755,083 people and is the fourth least populated state in the nation). We were aiming to be in Grand Forks to see Scott’s brother by Tuesday, May 21. A low pressure system in southern Minnesota/northern Iowa was spinning off layers of wind across the Midwest for a week ahead. We decided to forego a skip day and do shorter stretches as long as our stamina held. Twenty miles to Rugby, twenty-six to Leeds, thirty-one to Devils Lake. We would check the weather map again Sunday night and decide how to conquer the 90 miles to Grand Forks.
The wind blew straight at us all the way to Rugby, but knowing we had only twenty miles to cover, we pedaled steadily without being overwhelmed. The landscape had changed gradually as we passed into Pearce County, still broad and flat, but instead of ponds along the road, the prairie was dotted with lakes.
We arrived in Rugby, the geographic center of North America, at 11:30. The desk clerk at the Northern Lights Inn let us check in right away, if we didn’t mind waiting for the housekeeper to finish vacuuming the room. (No problem). The outside was drab, but inside was comfortable and had been remodeled within the past couple years. The $79 rate included a voucher for breakfast at the Dakota Farms restaurant attached to the inn. The inn also had an indoor heated pool, which, alas, we would not use. Both of us had packed swim suits in our summer gear, which we had mailed to Scott’s brother in Grand Forks where we would swap winter for summer gear. Several motels where we stayed had indoor heated pools, not a soul using them. Doh! It would have been nice to relax with a swim in those places after riding all day.
After a nap, we still had half of a good day ahead and plenty of time to stroll through the Prairie Museum located adjacent to the inn. Within the span of something like a city block, the curators had arranged actual buildings from the late 1800s like a town, with a blacksmith’s shop, bank, jail, attorney’s office, grocer, telegraph office, caboose, and railroad dining car. In separate sheds you could see old cars, tractors, and farm equipment donated by families in the area.
Inside the museum building was an exhibit telling the romantic story of how Marie Downing left her mark on North Dakota history. She was born in Norwich, England in 1853 and as a young woman worked in a sewing shop that supplied clothes to Queen Victoria’s children. The queen had been so impressed with Marie that she hired her as a maid. The queen’s affection grew during the years Marie worked for her. After Marie left her service in 1886, the queen provided her a pension of $240 a year for the rest of her life.
Marie fell in love with Henry Williams, and he was headed for a homestead in Canada. That land proved unsuitable for farming, so they came to the Dakota territory. They married in Devils Lake in January 1887. They had a second marriage license issued to send to Queen Victoria who could not imagine anyone leaving the comforts of England for the wild, untamed prairie. Henry was not cut out for farming. So he rented out his fields to those who could work the land, and he and Marie moved to town. The couple were friendly and generous, though never well off, and gave away or traded the many gifts Queen Victoria had given Marie. Those gifts are now in museum collections throughout the state.
We took a long walk, with stops for a selfie at the geographic marker, lube for Scott’s bike at Napa Auto Parts, and Dairy Queen. While Scott went to buy a few groceries for the handlebar bags, I washed clothes at the grubby laundromat. (Grrrr. My pet peeve is dirty laundry facilities).
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Dinner was all-you-can-eat fish n’ chips at the Dakota Farms, followed by TV news, then bed.
Today's ride: 20 miles (32 km)
Total: 730 miles (1,175 km)
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