August 16: New Salem, ND

     From Dickinson to New Salem I rode the Interstate Highway, thereby turning a 77-mile Northern Tier ride into a mere 70-mile ride.  With mild winds from the south, I felt great at mile 50.  With increasingly stronger winds from the south and 90 degree temperatures, I was exhausted at mile 70.  I learned that North Dakota is actually quite hilly from the perspective of a bicyclist, and those hills never seem to end.  I was glad to be in New Salem, home to the world's largest holstein cow, Salem Sue, which overlooks I-94 from a flat-topped butte.  New Salem is also home to the high school sports teams named, appropriately, The Holsteins.  Every high school team in North Dakota must have fear in their guts when they have to face the New Salem Holsteins. 
     I went to a grocery store in New Salem and could not believe how empty its shelves were.  While shopping for snacks, I tore my only pair of non-cycling shorts on the corner of a display rack.  It was nothing that a four inch strip of duct tape couldn't repair.

     I've had a number of people texting me and asking for pictures.  Pictures?  A fine author named Edward Abbey has a great quote that goes something like this:  "A word is worth a thousand pictures, if it is the RIGHT word."  I try to write the RIGHT word, but if you must have pictures, I have been posting a few on my Facebook page.  Anybody can view them. 
     To be honest though, I have not been able to figure out how to post photos on this blog with my stupid Blackberry. 

(Since this was written, I have figured it out and have added photos.)

A big ol' stack of haybales.