Shortly after we pulled away from our Lewis and Clark campground on the Missouri River in Epping, North Dakota, disaster hit for us. We were on 1804 (note the name of the road reflects Lewis and Clark's travel year as it follows the Missouri River through North Dakota) a two lane road with NO shoulders when we heard a horrible bang and knew we'd blown a tire. Ken was able to slow down and pull off a little on a driveway to a home and oil field but couldn't go any further. It was rather precarious as we were partially into the west bound lane meaning cars and trucks had to make way for one another as they passed us. And in this area everyone was traveling fast!
This is basically the view we had in all directions! Not much of anything.
We called our road service and told them we were in a dangerous spot but it took them quite awhile to find someone with the right tire that could help us. Meanwhile, they did send out the sheriff who turned on his flashers and handled the traffic problem (he ended up giving one driver a ticket when he disobeyed them by trying to cut around the line of backed up traffic).
Meanwhile, trucks like these were constantly going by and also wanted go up and down the driveway we were in.
A woman out on her ATV in the fields heard our tire blow and came along to tell us we'd need to get out of the driveway and suggested we pull into the yard of the home. She would call the people who lived there to tell them she'd given us permission to do that. Blessings on her. We got down in the yard just as the above tanker came roaring down the drive.
When you travel in an RV caravan such as we are doing right now, there is an assigned tailender. It is their job to clean up anything we might have left behind and then always be the last one along the way so as to be available to help if there are problems. So they were the first people to stop and try to help but that put them also in a precarious position on the road. But they did get safety triangles out on the road to alert people to the fact we were stuck and then moved down the road to a pull off a distance away, unhooked their car and came back to lend a helping hand and moral support. How wonderful!!!!!
Eventually the road service found someone who could get the right kind of tire and come make the change for us.
So we were ready to roll again about three hours later. We were minus the fender because the blast of the blown tire had torn it off as well as twisting a door to one of the bins and bending some of the molding on the side of the motor home.
It had been our goal to make a couple of stops along the way so stop we did with the tailenders coming right along with us to enjoy them too even though we would then be quite late getting into the campground. You just can't let a thing like this keep you from the fun of the day.
Our first stop was at
We enjoyed a film about nearby Fort Buford which was built in 1866 to be a major supply depot for military field operations. (the fort was a short distance away but we decided not to go as it was drizzling and was about a one mile walk away) And also spent time seeing some of the displays about the area: its wild life, attempts at gardening to provided needed food for the men, and the story of Sitting Bulls surrender there in 1881. It also provided a view of the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers although trees and bushes blocked some of that view.
From there, we drove to the Fort Union Trading Post (in the process of reconstruction) just a couple of miles away. This fort was created in 1829 at the confluence of the rivers to provide a much needed trading post. It was specifically built for the Assiniboine tribe at their request. They then provide protection.
We got a kick out of this sign that stood between the parking lot and the fort (the parking lot was in Montana and the fort in North Dakota
Just outside the entry that was close to the river was this interesting "tool" used for pressing furs into compact blocks of 100.
The entry to the fort was a bit distinctive with a painted sign at the top. And immediately inside you can see the home used by the commanding officer which is now a museum.
The trading store was built right into the entry way since that was the prime reason for the fort.
Here the chiefs and trading post workers would go through a very involved ceremony of bargaining that could take six to eight hours!! It was their job to establish the going "price" for all of their tribe who then could come in individually to trade for the items they wished to get.
A full size teepee like what would have been set up just outside the fort was set up inside for visitors to step in and check out. Here are Patty and I sticking our heads out the entry way
This was the commanding officers home turned into a museum.
We climbed up to one of the block houses to get a shot of the fort and also of the river running along near its front. It is harder to see now as it has changed its flow and is further away than it was when the fort was built. (the Missouri River is constantly changing where it flows unless special banks have been created to contain it. It carries so much mud that it can change in depth as well overnight)
And here is the Missouri flowing along in front.
As we were walking back to our RVs, we spotted these prairie dogs sticking there heads out of a hole in the hill. There were four of them but I only caught a shot of two of them
We then left all those oil fields behind in North Dakota and began our drive through Montana - Big Sky country where it seems like you can see forever.
We finally reached out first campground in Montana, Fort Peck State Park, around 6:30 pm. We quickly set up and had dinner because there was a travel meeting for the group at 7:00 pm where we officially changed time zones as far as times set for our activities.
We actually entered Mountain Time at the border of North Dakota and Montana. It was funny to see a sign at the fort we'd visited that said the parking lot was on Mountain Time and the fort on Central Time.
Since we have to be up early tomorrow for the next leg of our trip Ken has already gone to bed and I'm headed there as soon as this is complete.
So ends day 17 or our Lewis and Clark Caravan with Winnebago Outdoor Adventures.
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