Steve Again...

Hello everyone!  Becky is exhausted from another day of taking hundreds of pictures of bison so you're stuck with Steve again!  

We got on the road pretty early this morning since we wanted to visit another NPS site before scoping out the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  We were on the go by 6:30 for the two hour drive plus losing an hour in a time zone change.  The drive was pretty uneventful except for a North Dakota "traffic jam".

Park number 284 for us was Fort Union Trading Post NHS.  We were expecting another frontier fort along the lines of forts we've visited in Kansas and Texas, but this one was different.  Other than a short stint during the Civil War the fort was never used for defense by the military.  The fort is built with security in mind but was run by private businessmen to conduct trade with native american tribes in the area.  The fort itself is a reconstruction but is well designed to tell the story of the fort's 29 year existence.  With Covid restrictions our tour was self-guided but an interpreter was on-hand to tell stories and answer questions about the site.  Another quality NPS experience!

After grabbing some lunch in Watford City, ND, we made our way to North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP.  North Unit has a 14-mile one-way scenic drive that did not disappoint!  North Unit is much more expansive and grandiose than South Unit.  We found ourselves often in awe of the views of the Little Missouri River valley and the geologic formations all around the park.  Just like South Unit the bison did not disappoint and we got stuck in a couple "buffalo jams" as the herds kept crossing the scenic drive.  Becky got some great shots of dirt baths, bison being un-cordial to each other, and lots of calves.

The male in the back is telling them to get a move on!

Oxbow Bend

Dust bath

Not getting along

Still fighting over the better grass to eat

River Bend Overlook

I liked the display of Fall colors here

We're back at the hotel for the night after tracking down beer from the local brewery and some decent barbeque.  Tomorrow promises lots of hiking before we start making our way home.