Medora the First Time and a Life Change
We had a wonderful stay in California but that trip had come to an end and we needed to make our way to Ben’s next work camping gig. But that didn’t mean we would not have a little fun along the way. Our first stop out of California would be Reno, NV for a quick visit with more of Ben’s family. We have spent so much time in Reno, it feels like home in some ways. We visit family, we know what resources that are available to us and half the time we do not need the GPS to navigate the city. This visit would not be uneventful as we would get a flat tire on the fifth wheel while we were there. Which would in turn lead to trying to find a shop that had the tire size in stock and that would mount the new tire and change it out for the spare. In the end, we had a tire shop mount the new tire on the rim and changed it out for the spare we had put on the trailer in a parking lot. One of the many reasons we carry our own tools with us. Every time we leave Reno it feel like we are officially back on the road and on our own. And, with that comes the excitement of new adventures and this season we would be making our way into uncharted territory for us.
We were headed to North Dakota this season and were excited to add a new state to our list of places we have been as well as a national park. Once we got to South Dakota and headed north, it would be a whole new adventure.
This summer would be spent in Medora, North Dakota. Home of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Medora Musical. Our first night was spent just outside of town, boondocking. We headed out on this dirt road to the site and when we were almost there, discovered that we would have to climb a hill to get to the site that had seen the erosion that helped to form the badlands. As we slowly and carefully ascended the hill I couldn’t help but pray that our home in tow would be okay and think what had we gotten ourselves into. As usual though, we made it and the stress of getting there was well worth the beauty and peace.
While in Medora we would get to explore and learn about the deep rooted history of Theodore Roosevelt’s time ranching in this part of the country. We would get to walk into buildings he once slept in and visit the remnants of his ranch. The badlands landscape is something to behold in this area and it is not hard to imagine why Roosevelt chose to spent time there.
Beyond, the national park, Medora has many events and activities going on that we were able to spectate or take part in. During our time there, we watched a mud run, went to a car show, got to see and participate in the Flag Day and fourth of July parades, visit the Chateaux de Mores, museums, and the Cowboy Hall of Fame.
If all of that were not enough to keep us busy, we also made some wonderful friends while there with whom we had countless, mini golf and corn hole tournaments.
And, to top it all off, we would go to the Medora Musical and Pitchfork Steak Fondue. The Medora Musical is held in an outdoor amphitheater so large, it has an escalator to help the crowds descend from the hill top to the seats below as well as a multi story elevator. The musical, which is revamped every year tells the story of Medora’s history along with that of Teddy Roosevelt’s. The experience of seeing a show in such a spectacular outdoor amphitheater is something to behold.
As the season was winding down and we were making plans for our next adventure, an interesting opportunity was put in front of us. Ben had applied for an interviewed for a position at the same company I had been working at for almost a year at that point. It made us wonder, if we could have more freedom to travel if both of us were working remotely. We agonized over it, weighing the pros and cons and crunching the numbers. Ultimately we decided to give it a try. This would be the first time we would be leaving a location with no particular job to be at or timeline to be there by.
The morning we were to leave Medora, there were hot air balloons launched in the field next to the campground. We watched them inflate and start to take off as we packed up the fifth wheel and hooked up the truck. Then we walked over to the field to get a better look and say goodbye to our friends. As we started to drive out of the campground, we watched the last of the hot air balloons float over the butte and out of sight and couldn’t help but think, this had to be a good omen for our next adventure.
