Category
- Art 3
- Bike Rides 11
- Boondocking 3
- Capitals 4
- Food on the Road 2
- Hikes & Trails 4
- Historic Sites 1
- History & Architecture 3
- History & Culture 15
- Kayaking 1
- Museum 3
- National Park 5
- Natural History 1
- Nature & Outdoors 30
- Photography 8
- Sculptures 1
- Shorelines & Water 1
- Travel Journal 42
- Van Life 63
- capitals 11
- hike 1
- historic sites 6
- parks 3
- photography 3
- trails 2
Petrified Forest Theodore Roosevelt National Park
My day started boondocking outside Theodore Roosevelt National Park and led me deep into the North Trail of the Petrified Forest. Between herds of cows blocking the road, wild horses watching my every step, and a lone bison cooling itself among fossilized tree stumps, the hike was a mix of ancient geology and living wildlife. Wide-open prairies, sweeping badland views, and even a glowing cell tower at sunset made it a day to remember.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit)
The South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park turned into a day of detours, surprises, and reflections. From road construction delays and an unexpected film about the James Webb Space Telescope, to prairie dogs stealing the show on the scenic drive, the trip was less about perfect views and more about the experience of being there—even when the loop ended with a forced turnaround.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Unit)
The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park surprised me with its rugged beauty, quiet roads, and some unexpected geology lessons. Driving the 14-mile scenic road brought me to wide river overlooks, bison herds, and one of my favorite features of the park—the Cannonball Concretions. These perfectly round rock formations are still partly a mystery, but standing among them felt like walking through nature’s own sculpture garden. At moments, during the golden hour, the display of colors on the sides of the mountains was spectacularly breathtaking.
Drive to Walford City
A long day’s drive across North Dakota took me from quirky roadside Americana — the W’eel Turtle in Dunseith, built from more than 2,000 discarded car wheels — to the oil-and-farm country near Watford City. Along the way I saw the stark contrast between the state’s two economies: endless fields of corn, soybeans, and sunflowers on one side, and oil rigs punching into the prairie on the other. By evening, I rolled into the north side of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ready to settle in for the night.