Coast2coast018: North Dakota's Dirty Little Secret

Bismarck, ND to Steele, ND
45 miles
814 feet ascent
643 feet descent
1,534 calories

North Dakota is very scenic, the roads are the best, and they have a knack for creative road side attractions, but I would be remiss if I didn't make you aware of the dirty little secret I have noticed all the way since my first meal way back in Beach, ND. Flies! Flies, flies, flies, seem to be present at every meal, and they just seem to be accepted as a way of life here. Maybe it's just a short term event related to the Summer, but they just seem inescapable at every restaurant.

I left Bismarck at sunrise in hopes of avoiding the heat today, but not before swinging by the State Capitol building.

Capitol Building In Bismarck

For the most part, the areas east of Bismarck look similar to those west of the city, but with slightly fewer, and lower, hills. And, this seems to be the heavy corn growing region as corn dominated the fields.

Different Types Of Corn

Eight Foot Tall Corn

Something different that I noticed today though is the presence of a rock pile in nearly every field.

For Every Field A Rock Pile

I know farmers don't like rocks because they damage farming equipment, but I've never seen them just piled up right in the middle of the fields this way. To each his own.

Not to be outdone by their neighbors in New Salem, the town of Steele has it's own oversized animal. Instead of a cow though, Steele claims to have the world's largest Sandhill Crane, "Sandy!" Anything to lure those cars off the freeway and to stimulate the local economy. Maybe one of these little towns should build the world's biggest house fly!