Alaska Trip: Day 64 Great Falls, MT to Medora, ND - Day 65 on to Moorhead, MN

Wednesday, September 1^st

Great Falls, MT to Medora, ND

We took the central-route across MT (Hwy-200) where the towns are few-and-far-between.

This “Wide Load” (top of picture) should have been called the “Whole Road” as no-one could meet OR pass it.

All oncoming traffic had to stop and make a “good-sized pullover.”

No accidents - fortunately!
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Medora, ND

We stopped for the night in this small Western Themed Tourist Town.
(population ~100 – 150).

The town of Medora was founded in 1883 by a 24-year old French nobleman,
the Marquis de Mores.
He named the town for his bride, the former Medora von Hoffman, daughter of a wealthy New York City banker. Unfortunately, all of the Marquis’ financial ventures failed by 1886 but the town survived.

We started our town-touring at 7PM and ended it at 8PM. Most of the shops were closed.

(We'd also stopped here a number of years ago.)

Peter's family has a connection to Medora.
The statue above is Great Uncle Harry Johnston, Peter's grandmother Elsie's brother.

The plaque reads “Harry V. Johnston - Badlands Bronc Buster - 1899 to 1915.

Peter’s Great Aunt Mabel (Elsie and Harry's sister) and her husband, Charlie Will, ran the Rough Rider Hotel at one time.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (established in 1947 to preserve the ND Badlands) is at the Medora exit or vice versa!
Oral family history tells that Peter's Great-Grandfather, (Harry, Mabel and Elsie’s Father), Samuel Johnston, owned the Peaceful Valley Ranch which is now part of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Below - a few other views of Medora!

A Badland view from the town.

In 1962, Harold Schafer, a Bismarck, ND, businessman, began a restoration and modernization of the old western town developing many additional attractions. He helped put this small community on the map emphasizing its Western History and its connection to Teddy Roosevelt.

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About the Medora Musical

As part of the tourist draw to the town is the Medora Musical. Every night from June through Labor Day the Medora Musical is performed in the outdoor hillside amphitheater with professional performers based out of Minneapolis, MN. They even have escalators to ride down to the seating area!

A Must See if you are in the area.

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Thursday – September 2^nd

Medora, ND to Moorhead, MN – 336 miles

Strong NW winds boosted our gas mileage from 10-mpg to 13-mpg.

Drive, Drive, Drive ………

Not a lot of pics!

This "scenic Cow" on the horizon welcomed us to Eastern, ND!

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These Wildflowers are from Alaska

Sitka Burnet
(a type of Sanguisorba - new word to me!)