Day 7 started really well since we were able to get some solid rest, despite the cacophony of mosquito buzzing. Turning off the light source did the trick and no more pests entered our sleeping space. We were up and out before 6:30 AM allowing us ample time to get to our next destination Bemidji, MN. We visited a roadside stop that had HUGE statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. The park was great. It had a 17-mile bike trail we opted not to do . . . I took the time to post the blog and make some oatmeal in the rice cooker since we had access to an electric outlet at a pavilion in the park. It also had an interactive playground for the young people, but since no one was there yet we decided to check it out. There was musical instruments, nature exhibits, a periscope and other cool things for kids (not going to lie, I enjoyed the experience).

After that we headed to the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. This was another excellent experience. I thought I was nuts when I saw pelicans across the lake, but when I went into the visitor center, the ranger confirmed it. We also saw Bald Eagles, Terns, and a family of Trumpeter Swans out in the trail. At the visitor center we saw Hummingbirds, Goldfinches, and something called a Striped Ground Squirrel that looks like a very long chipmunk. The list goes on and on.

Next we went to Fargo, ND to make a gas stop and get some laundry done. We stopped at Sam’s Club for the gas and I grabbed a pretzel (no butter, little salt – a small amount of water helps it stick). We then went to a Flying J Truck Stop to do some laundry and refresh by getting a shower in. All the stopping took a little longer than expected, so we didn’t get to our camp spot until close to 1 AM. You’ll find out how that worked out in the next post.