It took two days to reach Medora from Regina, Saskatchewan.
The first day, we traveled 281 miles, crossing the border back into the US to Williston, North Dakota. This stretch of road was tolerable compared to the previous road surfaces, and there was an exciting anticipation of returning back home to the US and the familiar.
The surrounding landscape was absolutely flat and straight to the horizon as we passed mile after mile of fields in a remote section without town or services. The only structures were silos every so often. Unfortunately, it was also quite smoky yet again, so visibility was poor as we traveled under a grey haze.
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| silos and a train awaiting its cargo |
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| oil derricks and hay bales side-by-side |
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| welcome to the USA |
The border agent was a friendly female, quite chatty and interested in where we toured and what we saw. It was a very different experience from previous crossings with agents who were not only officious but also rude. There seemed to be no issue today about bringing produce back into the US. Last time we had tomatoes and a few other items confiscated. I need not have spent the time chopping and freezing last night.
Also of note is that we crossed the Laurentian Continental Divide twice, each over 2,000 feet.
Although it was not part of the itinerary, we decided to take a side trip to visit the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park since the route took us right past the entrance. There are three units to this National Park that is named for President Theodore Roosevelt: The North Unit, Elkhorn Ranch, and the South Unit, each comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in North Dakota. There was room for us to park the Alpine, and once we unhooked the Jeep, we were off along the North Unit's scenic 14-mile drive up to the Oxbow overlook. It was well worth the trip. The name “badlands” comes
from the Lakota people and French fur trappers who described the area as “bad
lands to travel across.” This is a landscape of heavily eroded distinct
and interesting geological shapes created by the Little Missouri River. It is a terrain that is difficult to travel across as well as having extreme
temperatures and lack of water.
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| a very happy camper |
A short distance later we arrived at Williston Fox Run RV Park, which was located high above the town, obscured today by the smoky haze. Although the park was very basic, there was plenty of room for all of us to fit in one row and it did have full hookups with 50 amp electric. It was great to be able to run both air conditioners in the continuing heat.
Later that afternoon we gathered at the clubhouse in the RV Park for Happy Hour. Our hosts organized a great buffet meal which was yet again much appreciated: chicken, pork ribs, beef, corn muffins, mashed potatoes, baked beans, salad, and for dessert there were brownies and bread pudding. We certainly are well fed on this trip!
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| 20 coaches lined up in a row on this hazy day |
The trip to Medora the next day was a shorter 141-mile drive. What a difference in roads compared to Canada! It was a pleasure driving on our highways. Once again, we passed many farms with their hay bales all rolled and ready for winter sharing fields with several oil pumps and tall chimneys emitting flames in the middle of the fields. This certainly is oil country and as I recall, North Dakota is the 2nd largest producer of oil in the US. The road took us across rolling hills and mounds with badland formations eventually appearing.
We stopped along the way to learn about several fascinating geological phenomena. One of them, cannonball concretions, is found in North Dakota. These spherical concretions were formed within sedimentary layers and now erosion is slowly exposing them.
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| I wonder how long it will take before these concretions become eroded out |
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| angled slump rock on the right side |
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| these formation remind me of the layered Jello dessert my mom used to make or a multi-layered cake |
Our next stop was at the River Bend Overlook, also quite spectacular, where we had an overview of the badlands into the distance and the Little Missouri snaking its way through.
On our drive, I noticed that in some areas the rocks were a greyish-blue color. An information board explained that this blue-black popcorn-like soil that caps the plateau is bentonitic clay which flows when wet. This layer can be traced for miles up and down the river.
The national park, which is fenced to keep commercial livestock out, had bison reintroduced in 1962. Bison have roamed these prairies for at least 11,0000 years but were exterminated in the 19th century almost to extinction. Today they are being preserved and monitored.
A distinct feature of the prairies is the expanse of grass which to me appeared so uniform in height that it seemed like it had been recently mowed. I was wondering why these particular grasses remain short and learned that there are three distinct types of prairie grasslands depending on the amount of annual rainfall: short-grass prairie stretches across Montana; mixed-grass east of that; and tall-grass in the eastern portion of the North American Great Plains where there is the most precipitation. Because the Rocky Mountains rob the Great Plains of moisture, drought-tolerant prairie thrives where forests cannot in the rain shadow of the mountains. Mixed-grass prairie is a blend of short and tall-grass species. The mixed-grass prairie in Theodore Roosevelt National Park supports tall-grass species like big bluestem and short-grass species like buffalograss.
The root system of the prairie grasses adapted to survive harsh conditions. Most of the plant mass is underground and an illustration on one of the information boards showed that roots can penetrate as far as 8 feet below the soil surface. This provides the grass with enough stored moisture and energy to withstand drought or fire. 
Because the Little Missouri River is a free-flowing river, natural flood cycles constantly shift the river's course forming oxbows and ox-bow lakes. Most of the Little Missouri River flows north yet the section of the
river in front of us was flowing east.
This change in the river’s direction was a turning point in the
formation of the badlands. Long ago,
glaciers encroaching from the north blocked the river’s path. By about 640,000 years ago, the water found a
new course, flowing east along the glacial front. The river’s new course was shorter and
steeper, causing it to flow faster. As
the water gained speed, it started carving down into the plains. This was the beginning of the formation of
the badlands. It is mind-boggling to me to envision that one river is responsible for the erosion and formations we viewed! And with such constant erosion, it explains why the river is so brown and muddy.
We stayed at Medora Campground for four days, from August 8th until the 11th. Our "Tom Itinerary" was packed with events one would not typically associate with a remote location like Medora, surrounded by badlands within the Little Missouri National Grassland. However, as we discovered, the small town of Medora (population 121) is also one of the most popular tourist attractions of the state.
It is evident from the geography of the area that this is not a particularly hospitable place. Yet, Medora exists and thrives, and remains a quaint town, proud of its history and survival. Founded in 1883 along the rail line of the Northern Pacific Railway by the Marquis de Mores, the town was named after his wife Medora. At the time, cattle ranching was edging its way further west because of over-grazing. The enterprising young French nobleman saw an opportunity and built and financed several businesses in town including a beef packing plant to ship dressed beef back east, a freighting company, hotel, stores, and the Chateau de Mores, his family summer hunting residence. By 1886, the Marquis and his family returned to France after his ventures ended in financial failure. But his legacy continues.
The rest of the drive to Medora took us past more fields with hay bales, several others dense with sunflowers, the recognizable and familiar badland formations, and eventually across the muddy Little Missouri River to the campground.
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| back at Medora Campground where we also stayed on our outbound journey |
It is evident from the geography of the area that this is not a particularly hospitable place. Yet, Medora exists and thrives, and remains a quaint town, proud of its history and survival. Founded in 1883 along the rail line of the Northern Pacific Railway by the Marquis de Mores, the town was named after his wife Medora. At the time, cattle ranching was edging its way further west because of over-grazing. The enterprising young French nobleman saw an opportunity and built and financed several businesses in town including a beef packing plant to ship dressed beef back east, a freighting company, hotel, stores, and the Chateau de Mores, his family summer hunting residence. By 1886, the Marquis and his family returned to France after his ventures ended in financial failure. But his legacy continues.
Another key player in Medora's history is Theodore Roosevelt who also arrived in Medora in 1883. Plagued with asthma as a child, Roosevelt came to the badlands for his health, to experience a rustic way of life, and to hunt buffalo. He fell in love with the territory, bought two cattle ranches, the Maltese Cross and Elkhorn, and spent as much time as he could hunting and living an outdoor lifestyle. During his time spent here, he came to appreciate and value the pristine wilderness landscape and recognized the importance of preserving wilderness areas for future generations to enjoy. Like the Marquis, after the devastating winter of 1886/87 killed much of the area's livestock, causing the industry and eventually the town to collapse, Roosevelt sold his ranches and left.
He returned to his political career back east and in 1901 became the youngest president in US history, serving until 1909. He never forgot his experiences in the badlands which he claimed shaped him and prepared him for the presidency. During his presidency he was instrumental in creating our national parks.
Eventually in 1947, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park was established, and the South Unit entrance is easily accessible from Medora. Roosevelt's legacy continues as approximately 600,000 visitors come to the park annually.
Medora continued to be an active community following its early years. It has always been a cattle town where the cowboy culture remains strong today. Since 1958 when the Burning Hills Amphitheatre was constructed, visitors came to be entertained by a dramatic retelling of Roosevelt's life in the North Dakota Badlands.
Despite troubled decades following the ranching bust, thanks to the efforts of another key player, entrepreneur Harold Schafer who invested his fortune to revitalize the town, Medora now has a thriving economy centered around tourism.
Now that the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is being built, the town's future is well assured. Groundbreaking will take place this year and the anticipated opening is slated for 2026. We saw the model of the building that will become a state-of-the art library. It will be the first presidential library attached to a national park, pairing Roosevelt's love of the outdoors with his love for learning and reading.
The first event on our itinerary was dinner followed by a musical show at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre. This was no ordinary dinner and musical. High atop a bluff overlooking the river and valley below is an outdoor restaurant serving a Pitchfork Fondue. The theater, an outdoor amphitheater carved into the side of a bluff, adjoins the restaurant and is accessed by steep escalators and an elevator. 
Day 2 in Medora was a kick-back day so we could tour the things of interest to us. We took the opportunity to visit the Painted Canyon. The vistas across the badlands from the rim were breathtaking, despite being plagued by the relentless no-see-ums. One of the tourists at the lookout pointed out the bison he spotted in the distance and another lone one lying down on a rock outcrop.
Day 3 in Medora started with an early breakfast at the Life Skills Center. It was a cafeteria style meal with many different selections: bacon, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, oats, yogurt, fresh fruit.
Then we saw wild horses at the side of the road.
At the Boicourt overlook, we walked out to the end of the trail where we looked out across the park to the south. 
We continued to Buck Hill to the highest accessible place in the park and enjoyed the view across to the horizon. It was spectacular. The topography below was like a relief map, clear and beautiful, outlining the various paths of the rivers that carved out the depressions and left the existing mounds. It was green and vibrant though inhospitable to humans. Yet it had an appeal that drew you in as you gazed across the layers of various sand colors and formations. In the distance, we saw another herd of horses in a meadow far below.
That was the end of the scenic loop so we made our way back again to the Visitor Center at the park's entrance to take a look at Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin that was relocated to the Visitor Center grounds. We saw the bookcase which is significant because he was a voracious reader and a writer, and the fireplace and a large stove in the kitchen area that would have warmed the three-roomed cabin during the frigid winter months.
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| view from the dinner venue |
It was quite an experience as we lined up with throngs of other tourists, mostly retired like us, to fill our tin plates at the buffet line (raw veggies, baked beans, baked potato, salad, fruit salad, coleslaw and roll) and collect our slab of meat that was stuck on a pitchfork and deep fried in barrels of oil. Dessert was a brownie and mini donuts.
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| fondue in oil drums |
After dinner we made our way with the throngs of people to the escalators that took us down to the amphitheater.
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| escalators to the amphitheater below on the right |
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| walkway leading to the elevators |
As we waited for the show to begin, we were entertained by two cowboys on horseback encouraging a magnificent elk to the top of the butte across from us. He obviously did not like it and bugled his displeasure a couple of times. The audience, however, loved it. 
The show was entertaining, its country western repertoire dedicated to the key players influencing the growth of Medora and ensuring its legacy in this unique wilderness location: the Marquis de Mores who founded the town; Roosevelt who ensured the preservation of its wilderness area; North Dakota cowboys who continue to work the land and ranches; Ferris who was the original general store keeper and hotelier; and Schafer who restored and modernized the old west town in 1962. Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation manages the various attractions to ensure that Medora remains a premiere family destination.
There were many families in the audience and at one point the children were invited onto the stage to participate. The show ended with fireworks followed by a sudden light rain shower just as we were leaving to take the escalators back up to the parking lot. I was quite impressed with these "reversible" escalators.
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| a packed audience! |
The Medora Musical bills itself as the Greatest Show in the West since 1965. It continues to be a surprisingly popular attraction and a summer tradition that brings families and other tourists to this remote town every season. When the Burning Hills Amphitheatre was built in 1958, it was called the "most beautiful theater in America." Considering its location and surrounding scenery, it certainly is unique.
Harold Schafer purchased the theater in 1965 when it was about to discontinue its outdoor drama. Harold considered himself an unabashed patriot, admirer of Roosevelt, and fan of the badlands. He believed strongly in his mission to keep the town and the theater alive as a place for families and tourists to continue visiting. His wife's background in theater made the Schafers a perfect fit to oversee the productions of annual musicals which continue to this day.
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| mesmerizing formations and colors and a bison resting on one of the outcrops |
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| badland formations for as far as the eye could see |
We stopped at the gift shop, picked up a couple of patches and national parks scarf for me, and read the information boards about Theodore Roosevelt and his connection to these North Dakota badlands.
From the Painted Canyon, we made our way back to town and the South Unit of the National Park. We first stopped in at the Visitor Center to watch their movie, then continued into the park itself. I was intrigued with how lush and green the terrain was compared to the badlands we saw in South Dakota twenty years ago where it was barren with no hint of vegetation.
We came up on a lone bison munching away. He seemed quite disinterested in the gawking tourists lining the road to take photos. 
Further along we came up on a meadow with a pack of wild horses, and noisy prairie dogs popping up and out of their holes. These are black tailed prairie dogs that looked a lot smaller than others we have seen. 
We continued to Wind Canyon Trail where we hiked to the top for some of the most spectacular views of the river and landscape beyond. It was a hot climb to the top but worth it.
Day 3 in Medora started with an early breakfast at the Life Skills Center. It was a cafeteria style meal with many different selections: bacon, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, oats, yogurt, fresh fruit.
Puzzled about the purpose of this Life Skills Center, I asked one of the staff who explained that the building is home to the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation offices, meeting rooms to train the summer volunteers that work in Medora, a gym for their use, and the cafeteria where our hosts arranged for us to have breakfast. The lady in the cafeteria was from Portland, Oregon, and volunteers here every summer for a couple of weeks. Volunteers are housed in dormitories or in several local motels.
After breakfast, we headed back to the South Unit to continue the scenic road through the rest of the park. It turned out to be a bonanza bison and wild horses sighting day. Soon after we began the scenic loop drive, we came across a herd of bison.
Then we saw wild horses at the side of the road.
We continued to Buck Hill to the highest accessible place in the park and enjoyed the view across to the horizon. It was spectacular. The topography below was like a relief map, clear and beautiful, outlining the various paths of the rivers that carved out the depressions and left the existing mounds. It was green and vibrant though inhospitable to humans. Yet it had an appeal that drew you in as you gazed across the layers of various sand colors and formations. In the distance, we saw another herd of horses in a meadow far below.
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| Maltese Cross cabin |
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| Chateau de Mores |
Day 4 started with a Gospel Brunch Show, another popular draw each summer. Brunch was buffet style offering scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, hash browns, gooey cinnamon buns, donuts, a fruit cup, orange juice and coffee. The toe-tapping gospel review followed brunch, performed by several of the same performers from the Musical. They had good voices and a good gospel-rousing repertoire which they jazzed up and introduced each new song with background on a few of the better-known rock singers who also sang gospel songs, like Dolly Parton and Elvis. There followed a short sermon touting the virtues of giving back to the community, a strong theme that has kept this town thriving over the years. 
After the show, we strolled through the quaint town resembling an old western cowboy town. It is kept clean and tidy, thanks to the many volunteers. On this rather hot day, we indulged in an ice cream then continued strolling towards the Ferris General Store, also an historical landmark of the town. Ferris was a hunting guide, the Medora postmaster, and a successful merchant. The store is the original one built in 1885 as a feed stable store. Roosevelt rented one of the upstairs rooms to use while on his trips to town. After 1887, Medora declined, but the store remained and was soon nearly the only business operating in town. Ferris sold his store and moved to Montana in1909. The store closed in 1925 until 1963 when Harold Schafer bought the building and after reconstruction it once again reopened as a general store. 
Ferris General Store now a popular gift shop
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| Teddy Roosevelt and Michael |
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| downtown Medora |
The North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame is across the street, so we visited that too and learned a lot about the history of the northern plains and North Dakota's western lifestyle. We learned about the region's horse culture from prehistoric times to modern-day rodeos and ranching practices, and the importance of horses to the indigenous Indian culture.
The Indian horse originated from domesticated and feral offspring of two types of horses brought to the New World by the Spanish: the Barb and the Andalusian. Characteristics typical of the Indian horse are found in the wild horses of the Little Missouri Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In the late 1800s, the Marquis de Mores purchased confiscated Indian horses. These horses and other escaped ranch horses became part of wild herds. In the late 1940's, when the Theodore Roosevelt National Park was developed, a few wild horses were inadvertently enclosed within the park's boundary fence. By 1960, they were the last surviving wild horses in North Dakota. These horses have been designated the North Dakota State Horse and are known as the Nokota Horse. These are the horses we saw in the national park.
We also learned about the lifestyle and experiences of North Dakota's Native Americans and the sad treatment by the government.
And so ended our stay in Medora, a fascinating place that offers visitors not only badland wilderness and wild animals, but also entertainment and theater in a unique setting.
Tomorrow we continue to our final destination of the rally, Rapid City, South Dakota, where more adventures await.
