North Dakota Badlands and More

Yesterday and today we've been in Hibbing, MN, near the center of the Iron Range in MN. (More about that in a minute.) We're heading towards Grand Marais, MN tomorrow to meet our kids and grandkids for the 4th of July weekend.

From Gillette, WY, we headed north to Montana and then east to North Dakota. Since we were in the South Dakota Badlands, it was only fitting that we went through the North Dakota Badlands in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We decided to brave the South Loop Scenic Road with the RV (and the car behind it). There were a few narrow spots, but none that got us hung up.

North Dakota's Badlands are completely different than SD's. They seem a lot more like the Grand Canyon. And, we were struck by how much greener things are in ND. Again, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The one buffalo we saw in the park. 

Our route took us along I-94 in North Dakota. Like I-90 in South Dakota, much of the drive is boring. But, we were able to see the world's largest sandhill crane in ND. (Andy was looking forward to seeing a big operating crane so was a bit disappointed to see this.) 

After spending a couple of days in Fargo (my old stomping grounds) and seeing my best friend Mary, we headed towards Hibbing. After seeing coal mines in Wyoming, Andy's interest was piqued with the mines of the Iron Range. After we parked at Walmart, we headed to the Hull Rust Mahoning Mine. Described as the "Grand Canyon of the North" it is the world's largest open pit iron ore mine. 

The mine is operated 24 hours a day (12 hour shifts). The mine will be moving in two years so they are filling places right now. 

One of the fun things about our travels is that we run into things we never knew were there. On the way to the Hull Rust Mine there is a Greyhound Bus Museum. Who knew that Hibbing, MN was the birthplace of the business that would become Greyhound Bus Lines? We had fun touring it today and looking at the old buses. 

This is a mannequin, not a real agent!

1950's Bus Drivers Uniform

The Hupmobile, which ferried miners back and forth from Hibbing to Alice, MN 

a 1956 Greyhound Bus

More adventures to come! After Grand Marais, we will be in MI to get some things fixed in the RV. Seems that taking a house on the road wrecks havoc on all sorts of things!