The first real dose of physical grandeur in this trip took place at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where I spent last Sunday and Monday exploring.  The Medora Musical was cute, if kind of kitschy, and the Pitchfork Fondue dinner was a great meal and outstanding memory.  Not only was the food delicious and generously served, but there was live music and the venue, on top of a mesa overlooking the surrounding badlands, was the icing on the cake.  I was also able to take several good long walks with Ollie on the trails around Medora, which was a first for this trip.  The campground was outside of town and open to the sky, and with no other campers on the second and third nights I was able to see the Milky Way very clearly and more stars than I can remember since I was a boy.  On the map Medora is a tiny town, but as the gateway to the South Unit of the national park it has an abundance of tourist services and a fair dose of charm.  This was a spot that was better than anticipated.

On Tuesday (August 8) we packed up and made the 170-odd mile drive to Fort Stevenson State Park.  The park is on the north shore of Lake Sacacawea, a man-made lake created by the damming of the Missouri River.  The Yellowstone River had since flowed into the Missouri River since I had camped by its side last week, so some of the water in Miles City may have since made its way into this very large lake.  The town of Garrison is not much more than a wide spot in the road, but Fort Stevenson State Park is beautiful.  It is roughly on the site where Fort Stevenson once stood.  Nothing is left of the old fort.  But it was built in the 1870s to support the large swell of migrants who were taking advantage of the opening  of the Dakota Territory to homesteading.  It was also seen as necessary to protect several of the more peaceful, cooperative tribes from the warlike and intractable Sioux nation.  The campsites were large, even for a state park, and nicely outfitted.  The only complaint was that the water faucet was directly next to the electricity monument, to the point where I felt surely that I was going to short myself out at some point.  But there was plenty of shade and privacy.  The park sits on a peninsula in the lake, and the numerous trails that go along the lake and through the park afford views that are nothing short of stunning.  And the showers were second to none.  If only the shower in my bathroom at home was as spacious and nicely done, I would be a happy man.  Olle and I took advantage of the trail opportunities and the beautiful weather and walked ourselves tired in our only full day at the park.  Two night were delightful but were enough for us there, and we headed off to Grand Forks, ND on Thursday (August 10) morning.