Helloooooooo! Did you miss me? Or did you (hopefully) not even notice I was gone? Steve and I spent the last three weeks traveling through Antarctica, with a few days in the Tierra del Fuego region of Argentina on the back end. There were whales, penguins, seals and sea lions galore – stunning blue glaciers and towering icebergs – brash ice to paddle our kayaks through – big rolling waves on the Drake Passage – new friends with whom to share the experience. It was absolutely epic, and I have a ton of pictures to sort through and stories to type up and share with you – so more coming very soon!
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is comprised of three separate units: the South Unit, the North Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. Staying in charming Medora, we spent most of our time in the nearby South Unit. The North Unit was a long drive away, so we quickly decided it wasn’t going to happen on this trip – maybe another time. But we did want to check out another part of the park, so on our second full day in North Dakota, we piled in our rental car and drive two hours to this small park unit.
Side note: the front grill and hood of our rental car became a grasshopper graveyard. Peanut was horrified and disgusted. Nugget was fascinated.
Elkhorn Ranch is famous as the Dakota badlands home of Theodore Roosevelt. While TR had a few different homesteads in the area – including the Maltese Cross Cabin (to be featured in a future post – keep reading!) – Elkhorn Ranch was his primary, and most-loved, home in North Dakota.
For no good reason that I can think of, I was under the impression that this hike led to an actual preserved ranch homestead that we could check out – like the Maltese Cross Cabin – or at least some interesting Old West ruins. But the ranch buildings are no longer standing, and the most a visitor can see is the suggestion of a floorplan. Not sure if it’s not really publicized that the ranch is no longer there, or my poor reading comprehension – the latter, probably. But note to would-be visitors: this is a lovely hike and the views at the end are rewarding, but there’s no ranch house anymore.
About those views…
The hike culminates in a beautiful meadow surrounded by quintessential North Dakota badlands buttes. Just stunning – and the aroma, I can’t even tell you. Let’s just say if you ever get the chance to stand in a meadow surrounded by sage and breathe in, do it.
Worth every minute of that long drive.
Next week: we channel Laura Ingalls, hike the North Dakota prairie, and find some really cool petrified wood.
For a long time, I didn’t listen to much of anything. The occasional book on CD, podcasts on my commute – that was it. Times have changed and, thanks to Steve setting up my Spotify and linking it to my Echo devices, I now have infinite music. And since I haven’t cut back on audiobooks – quite the contrary – listening time is creeping up and I’m really enjoying that.
First of all, I’m still on my kick of alternating between listening to an audiobook and then catching up on the latest episodes in my (now mostly cleared of back content) podcatcher. It’s a nice way to squeeze in extra reading, and over the past few months I’ve eked out several books this way, namely:
The Christmas Hirelings, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen, by Rhys Bowen
Christmas Days, by Jeannette Winterson
Dinner with Edward, by Isabel Vincent
Smallbone Deceased, by Michael Gilbert
Horizon, by Barry Lopez
And as mentioned above, Steve set up my Spotify account (apparently I’ve had one for ages?) and linked it to my Echo devices, so now I can play any music I want in any room of the house (or my car). After years of professing that I’m just not that much of a music person (except for the Decemberists, of course), I am remembering how much fun it can be to get sucked into a good song or album. Nugget and I have been going down a major R.E.M. rabbit hole on our way to the ski mountain every weekend, and I recently discovered a “90s Road Trip” playlist that turned my car into a time machine. If you haven’t driven home from the grocery store belting out “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” then you haven’t lived.
Sticking with the music theme, I have also been binging on The New Pornographers. Along with The Decemberists, these folks were the soundtrack to my life in law school days. They’re touring this spring (!!!) and playing the 9:30 Club in D.C. (!!!!!) and I’ve! Got! Tickets! (!!!!!!!) so clearly I need to prepare. Although they’re dropping a new album and I expect that will make up most of their songs. It’s not out yet, so – much, much more New Pornographers listening ahead.
Something else that’s coming my way and something else for which I’ve got tickets – Six the Musical! Are the kids tired of me walking around the house chanting “Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded… LIVE!” yet? Yes. Yes, they are. Too bad! My friend Amanda and I have a girls’ night planned when the U.S. tour comes to Baltimore, and we are ready for our crowning glory.
So much music here! What a fun season of listening it’s been. I’m sure this will balance out eventually but for now I am really enjoying reliving the 1990s and remixing Tudor history. What are you listening to lately?
covered in flour 