Day 2...Cross Country....

     We arrived in Bemidji, MN  at 7:30PM on Tuesday.  After missing a turn off that took us 10 miles out of the way we pulled into our motel for the night. 
     Wednesday morning we were off to adventures at 10:30.  We happened upon a memorial to Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe.  We also crossed the mighty Mississippi before it became so mighty.  (The headwaters is only 20 miles from Bemidji.)
      All morning I kept versing Kate and Betsy on how to pronounce Bemidji--"Ba-mid-gee", not Mabibgee, not Beemidbi, not Babidknee.  By evening  Betsy had it programmed and could enunciate correctly.

We kept aiming for the border all day.  You'd think we were fugitives the way we were so anxious to get there!  We've traveled US 2 West since leaving HWY 13 north of Park Falls.  Betsy has been my loyal navigator.  Kate has occupied herself "reading" a book by ear. 

     Finally the border into North Dakota.  I had never been to North Dakota, but have heard mixed reviews about it.  Now I would find out for myself.  First we encountered RAIN---not really  bad rain with giant water drops but dainty little drops falling from a low hanging black dome  
      At 3 PM we had a backpackers' picnic lunch inside a shelter in a rest area along the way.  

We did discover something totally unique to North Dakota---to Rugby, ND to be exact.   It is the center of the universe!  Or at least the geographical center of North America!

A rather windy, chilly center it was that day!

At some point the odometer reached 630 miles since we left Park Falls.  I am figuring that to be the  first quarter of our Cross Country Quest.!

Grandma G blogging herself across northern Midwest and Pacific Northwest.

SUNFLOWER FIELDS!!

    This has been a good 2nd "3 senior sisters--and later a niece--great cross country road trip" day in the life of Grandma G.

      "The Lord will watch over your coming and your going both now and forever more."  (Psalm 121:8)