seniors walking across america: POST 620: 05/05/12: SANBORN

Farms sometimes advertise their name with large artful signs.

Walked by this farm during the first leg of the day, walking out of Sanborn BACK toward the town of Vally City...and returning on the freeway, I-94.

Yesterday, Terry telephoned his friend the local County Sheriff, asking if it is allowed that pedestrians walk the Interstate. The Sheriff's response was, yes, but do not let him walk US 2 through the Oil District up North.

Seems everyone is concerned for my safety if I choose to continue up US 52...then West on US 2.
Crime is skyrocketing in the Oil District...walkers would be easy pickins...and their vehicles even more so.

Highway 22 out of Valley City was closed yesterday, so we drove I-94 to Sanborn instead.

This morning, I walked through the "closed" section of Highway 22. The next couple images show what I walked through.

About 1/2 mile of the roadway had been completely washed out by recent heavy rains and high winds. All told, I walked through three such places where the roadway has been temporarily replaced...only gravel / dirt surface.

Needless to say, my walking shoes were caked with mud, but I did safely cross this in process repair.

The in-process repairs left the roadway like quicksand...

Looking back after I had completed crossing.

Note the yellow lines on both sides of the new roadway. These are "oil barriers", designed to keep oil, fuels, and grease from contaminating the entire lake...

Yes, lakes did the damage in all three places I found...not rivers/streams...plain lakes.

The countryside is littered with lakes...some of them quite large. As I walked along, a continuous stream of ducks rose from alongside the back road, circling and as I walked on, landed again in about the same spot.

Nesting?

North Dakota roadways are numbered, all using the above Indian Head icon.

Please say HELLO to Carol.

When I returned to SPIA, still parked at the Restaurant, I popped in, asking if I was too late for breakfast...

Carol jumped off her bar stool...been cooking breakfast all morning...whatllyouhave...

After downing Carol's delicious scrambled eggs and home fries with fresh coffee, she refused to accept my $$. Last night Lynette (the owner) also refused my $$.

These North Dakota folks are a bit different...different in a very pleasant way.

Thank you, all.

Weatherman forecast a large Thunderstorm approaching from South Dakota, to arrive in early afternoon. To be securely settled in before getting poured on, drove SPIA the remaining 25 miles to the town of Jamestown, where we have once again found overnight parking at WAL-MART.

The sky was not threatening, so I walked BACK East on I-94, circled North on one of the side roads and returned to Jamestown on the original road - Highway 22 -.

Still, the sky was looking great with a bright SUN beating down. I walked the few blocks to APPLEBEE's to enjoy one of my favorite light meals, BBQ Riblets chased with a glass of Chardonnay.

Is now nearly 8:00 pm, and still no sign of that storm. Could have walked another couple hours, but am glad for the short walking day. Even so, my feet are tender and sore...from walking the Interstate concrete roadway. Will have to get used to it, though, as I have decided that we will NOT go to Minot and challenge the Oil Fields...we will, instead, walk I-94 all the way to the Montana Border, some 250 miles to the West...

In Montana, we will pick up Highway 200, and eventually make our way North and West, reaching US 2 a bit to the East of Glacier National Park.

One good event regarding my AT&T Cell Phone. My 2-G series phone does not work where At&T has put up the new 4-G towers. Then, I remembered the AT&T man in Carlsbad, New Mexico last Summer, who gave me his "old" 3-G phone. I dug it out of storage, walked over to the AT&T store, where they switched my SIM card to the 3-G, initiated it, and sent me on my way saying I could not automatically access ALL the AT&T towers with no more problems.