Day 6: Thursday (remember we are posting on a one-day delay). Devoid of any workable treasure theories, we decided to pack up the Focus bright and early and make a detour into North Dakota.
Were we disappointed about leaving the treasure behind as we departed from West Yellowstone this morning? Of course we were (are), at least a little. We had big daydreams of meeting Forrest Fenn and starting our adoption process earlier (plus I was only going to sell the movie rights for our adventure if Amy Poehler from Parks and Rec agreed to play my role, haha). But seriously, we have seen SO much of the United States and have enjoyed so much laughter and so many memories together that we really can't be disappointed for long. And hey, like I said yesterday, there's always next year! (But don't mention Forrest Fenn just yet...he's a bit of a sore subject at the moment.) ;)
We had planned to see Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota but decided to visit the small town of Medora instead. Medora has a population of 112 year round, which swells with 250,000 tourists each summer (how tourists find this place is beyond me, but apparently it's the #1 attraction in the state). We met a really nice lady in a nut & chocolate shop in town, who told us about growing up here and about the "Medora Musical", which essentially determines their tourist season. If you're looking for "pitchfork fondue" and the history of "Doc Hubbard" who moved to Medora at the age of 80, you came to the right place.
From there we headed south and spent the night in Rapid City, South Dakota. This trip has been such a change from how Brian and I usually travel! I typically overpack and bring a binder filled to the brim with hotel reservations, pre-paid attraction tickets, and a perfectly planned out itinerary. This time I packed one small backpack containing a few changes of clothes (plus a bunch of treasure notes) and one motel reservation. The rest we made up as we went!
And you know what? I've found I'm actually enjoying the break from my over-planning. We have added 4 extra states and Chicago to the trip, and we have made what would otherwise have been a disappointed trip home into an extra three days of experiencing all America has to offer (and Wisconsin cheese, as Brian and Zach remind me often). Stay tuned!
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