DAY 28--The Great Plains

Had a chilly start to the day--45 degrees when we got up--but still a tailwind as we rode, so that helped. Went through a lot of gently rolling farmland with nice muted colors of greens, golds, and browns. Many immense fields of sunflowers. The towns are again few and far between, so most of the day is spent just riding and enjoying the scenery. Saw a statue billed as the world's largest holstein.
When we came into Mandan (just across the river from Bismarck) we stopped at the library, and at a gift shop that had beautiful handmade crafts and jewelry from 5 local Native American tribes. We then headed 4 miles out of town to the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. Had a great bike trail all the way out to the park. We stopped at the visitor center which told a lot about the Mandan Indians that had lived in this area in earth lodges in the 1500s-1700s. It also told the history of the fort that was later built, and its eventual demise.
The park is situated at the confluence of the Heart and Missouri Rivers. The campground was down at riverside, and we took a nice walk along the river bank in the evening.