Thankfully our bikes were clean when we were ready to head out to church in Mayville ND! The Church we attended was called the Riverside Evangelical Free Church and once again we were greeted and welcomed by friendly members. We’ve observed that there is a predominance of both Lutheran churches and Norwegian ancestry in these parts. We met with the pastor after the service and shared with him about the Hopeline and the Dawson McAllister ministry which he was familiar with. That was encouraging to both of us.
There was a gorgeous garden
right next to the campsite called the Rainbow Garden. It is maintained by the folks who live in Portland and Mayville. After returning from church, Debbie took a stroll through the garden and got these shots. There was an English garden, a children’s garden, an herb garden and several others that were neat and weedless! 
That made the camping experience worthwhile! The wind was not in our favor for most of the day but we plugged away on some bumpy roads and made it to Fargo. We saw lots of huge grain storage operations in several towns that we rode through as well as the railroads that have been present since we started in Oregon.
These operations are clearly the center of the town, both geographically and economically. These small towns are also most typically marked by a water tower rising above most of the structures in the town and labeled with the town’s name.We read in the North Dakota guide that the state was voted the most friendly in a Cambridge study and we have found that to be true on the roads of North Dakota. People pull out to give us lots of room on the road. People give friendly waves and honorary honks as they see us going along the way. Not one person has tried to cut us off, run us over or flip us off, a nice change from the biking Debbie has experienced in Massachusetts.
Oh, that flower garden is beautiful! I don't blame Debbie for taking s stroll. Those cows were certainly a motley herd, I wonder what kind of breed they were? I don't know about you, but my legs are getting tired of all that pedaling! Hope it got a little easier to set up the tent?Keep the pictures coming, they are awesome! My prayers are with you. xxxooo Mom
ReplyDeleteHi Deb and Tim - great to hear from you again and that certainly is a lovely garden. I am so happy that the drivers are polite to you and hope that courtesy continues. Do let us know if you connect with Chuck and Lindy. Much love, Mom
ReplyDeleteDeb & Tim,
ReplyDeleteI am so enjoying reading your travel experiences--the sights and the lay of the land, the people you meet, and your perspective of it all . Even if I didn't know you, I would find your blog entertaining and interesting. I don't know how you have the energy to write anything after spending the day pedaling a bike. Keep up the good work.