August 17: Bismark, North Dakota

     I took a last look at Salem Sue this morning while making my morning coffee and letting the sun dry the dew off of my rain fly.  Like all the real cows I've seen all month, Sue just stare straight ahead.
     Highway 139, a North Dakota Scenic Byway, took me quickly to Mandan where a festival was going on.  Mandan Grilling Days had food vendors featuring barbequed foods like ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, brisket, burger, hotdogs, corn on the cob, etc., live music and adult beverages.
     While I was there, the musical performers were local acts including a twelve year old singer/guitarist who had recently won a prize as the best young act at the State Fair in Minot.  A guy I talked to said I should stick around until evening.  He assured me that a big crowd was expected for a band that was coming all the way from Fargo.
     I hung around there for about an hour and a half and that is something that I rarely do when I am on the road.  I'm usually too anxious to get to my destination.  In this case, my destination was just across the Missouri River in Bismark.  I had a half-rack of ribs and some baked beans and, I must say, it was the best meal I've had since Spokane.  Sorry that I was going to have to miss that great un-named band from Fargo, I went back to my bike and moved on.
     I made a quick stop at the Broken Spoke Bicycle Shop which literally operated out of a guy's garage in a residential section of Bismark.  And he wasn't very friendly.
     Being the largest city since Spokane, I treated myself to a king suite at the Bismark LaQuinta Inn.  Very nice room.  Good view of the city.  Right by the wierd state capitol building.

BBQ festival in Mandan