Monday evening my sister Cathy and her roommate Kathy arrived for a visit from Woodburn, OR. They drove Cathy's pickup so that she can haul back to OR several items being stored at our house and at Dad's house. They had the distinct pleasure of arriving during our several-day span of 100-degree-plus weather (hovering between a sweltering 107 and a chilly 104 Monday afternoon), which was perhaps fitting because the temperature reached 108 degrees three years ago when we traveled to OR to visit them.
It was terrific to have them here. They got to spend time with the girls bicycling and swimming and watching them at gymnastics and playing around the house. Susan and I got to visit with them and enjoy great meals along with the local wines that Cathy and Kathy brought: a 2005 Riesling from Willamette Valley Vineyards in OR and a 2005 Gewürztraminer from Chateau Ste. Michelle in WA ("yum" to both). They got a tour of my workplace and learned more about what I do in my job, and they enjoyed Dickinson's impressive West River Community Center for water fun with Susan and the girls (while I worked--sad face) on a hot Tuesday afternoon.
The highlight of their stay here, however, was yesterday when we all went to Medora, ND. Faithful readers know enough to expect pics of the all-day, all-night event that was our day-trip 30 miles west of here in the heart of the ND Badlands. We left after an early breakfast and made a stop at the Painted Canyon Overlook en route to Medora:
Thanks to the camera's excellent zoom lens, I was able to focus in on the herd of bison moving swiftly in the distance.
Hillary, Susan, Abigail, Cathy, Suzanna, and Kathy
The hike begins.
Does it still count as "hiking" if your dad is carrying you on his back? Hillary says "yes."
Lewis and Clark (Suzanna and Abigail) trailblazed, forging ahead of the rest of us. They were in an exploratory mood.
We descended a steep and treacherous path through a vale. We had to walk sideways down the hillside and cling to that large outcropping to keep from tumbling to our sure and certain deaths.
Notice the formation upon which I'm leaning? The next two pics are of it, too. I thought the pattern was interesting. It's made of a rock called clinker, but everybody in western ND calls it scoria.
See the ever-so-tiny frog in the middle of the clinker pile? That dude was about the width of a half-dollar.
My dad and stepmom, Beverly, had their motorhome at the campground in Medora, and we made several stops there throughout the day to refresh ourselves between jaunts. Dad and Beverly met us for dinner at noon at the Chuckwagon Buffet, where we had a delicious meal near large windows looking out over downtown Medora (with taxidermified bison and elk standing watch near the windows and hovering over our shoulders). Then we went for a trail ride at the Medora Riding Stables. The horses were docile and knew exactly where to go and what to do, making for a peaceful hour-long ride through the Badlands. Two guides rode along; one took the lead position followed by Hillary, Abigail, and Suzanna, and the other guide lingered toward the back of the line where Susan rode Bullwinkle and I rode Bobbi:
Hillary on Moose
Abigail on Nugget
Suzanna on Flash
The afternoon was spent eating ice cream at the Fudge Depot, browsing all the downtown shops (Susan and the C/Kathys), and frolicking at the playground (the girls and I). Then we all toured the Chateau de Mores, which the Marquis de Mores built as a residence for his wife, Medora, and their family during the summers that he had business interests in the area:
A majestic backdrop for an impressive set of playground equipment
These pics of Suzanna, Abigail, and Hillary are taken looking down through a stacked-tire vertical tunnel opening onto a tire swing; I stood at the top looking down at each beauty in turn.
Daddy and daughters on the porch of the Chateau de Mores
That was followed be a deeeelicious meal at the Pitchfork Steak Fondue on the Tjaden Terrace overlooking Medora. The view of the Badlands was beautiful, and the meal was so scrumptious: seasoned, marinated steaks skewered on pitchforks and fondued in oil; baked potatoes; baked beans; cole slaw; garlic toast; crudités; beverages; and brownies for dessert. We enjoyed walking around both before the meal (to work up an appetite) and after (to work off the calories)!
Hillary poses beneath the flags that separate the Tjaden Terrace from the Badlands below.
The line for supper was long, but it moved quickly thanks to the efficient set-up.
Our steaks: all pitchforked and ready to be fondued
What a lovely setting for supper!
Abigail, Cathy, Hillary, Kathy, and Suzanna
To end our stay in Medora, we attended the Medora Musical in the Burning Hills Amphitheater adjacent to the Tjaden Terrace. It was an incredible show: a high-energy mix of comedy and regional and national pride, of dance showmanship and musicality, and of history and pop cultural references. The girls got to join approximately four million other children on stage for one number and receive a gift: a pin-on button celebrating the 60th birthday of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We were especially impressed with the keyboard player in the pit: Jared Lillis, who surprised us once with an incredible yodeling performance (yes, "incredible"--such vocal dexterity and precision) . . . and then surprised us again with an awesome gospel solo, grabbing a guitar and dancing around the stage, leading the ensemble around like a pied piper. We bought one of his CDs on our way out after the show. (I highly recommend that you check out his Web presence here and here, where he uses the stage name Jared Mason.)
The view of the Burning Hills Amphitheater from the Tjaden Terrace
Stage right
Stage left
The Burning Hills Singers and the dude who served as narrator
The dude who portrayed President Theodore Roosevelt
The four million children who responded to the actors' invitation for all the children to come down onto the stage -- can you spot the Moberg children?
Oh, okay, I'll help you out in your search: they're here. (Hillary and Suzanna look a little shell-shocked, but they really were having a good time. This picture is worth only a couple hundred words in their case.)
wow....how cool. I remember most of the stuff you saw. Especially the horseback riding. We were just kids then. (years ago!) And I remember Kevin getting in trouble for jumping off the steps in the Chateau. ! Funny! I haven't been there since.
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