Zoomed Across North Dakota

That's what we did yesterday, zoomed.  North Dakota isn't flat like I thought it'd be, it's kinda rolling and it's beautiful.  Long views and fields of sunflowers.  Lots and lots of sunflowers.  We stopped for lunch in a tiny town off the interstate called Dawson.  It's very tiny, teeny tiny even.  There's only one place to eat and that's the cafe behind the gas station/grocery store/general store (I love those kinds of stores.)  When we went in just about every seat was taken so we nabbed the last two counter stools.  When no waitress came I asked the burly guy next to me how we get served.  He looked surprised and said that he supposed we could order off the menu but didn't we want the buffet.  I flagged down a waitress (hey, they were all women) and she said the buffet was chicken, mashed, gravy, salad, veg & bread for $7.50--and they were hand peeling potatoes and whisking white gravy and the fried chicken smelled great.  Score!  We waited.  In about 10 minutes every old person in the room (about 25) stood up and lined up.  (musta been a silent signal)  The line shuffled forward and heaped plates were brought to tables.  Oh mercy, it was good.  One of the waitresses' 12 year old granddaughter kept us entertained with her wry remarks about every one and every thing.  After a lovely meal we pushed on to Dickinson where we enjoyed an hour or so in the Dinosaur Museum, we even talked to the couple that collected 99% of the specimens.  Cool stuff, nice people.  We didn't really need much supper so we hit a Country Kitchen (meh) for and omelet for Durwood and salad and 1/2 a sandwich for me.  I was leery when I saw the NoDak Motel when we got to town.  It's behind an auto parts store across the road from the tracks.  But our room was clean and newly decorated.  Very nice.  Right now I'm waiting while the coffee in the office brews before we have a little cereal in the room and strike out for Montana.  On Tuesday we get to Yellowstone--finally.  It's far, really far.  I don't know why that's a surprise, I looked at the map a blue million times.  Oh, we're on Mountain Time now.