Nomad exploring life wherever I am
No, this isn’t one of those touchy-feeling posts about finding MY center. This is all about finding the geographic center of North America and of the USA. And that’s not as cut and dried as you might think. Well, the geographic center of North America actually is. No one is arguing that it’s in Rugby, North Dakota, a place I visited in 2016 on my way to pick up my Alto trailer in Quebec.
Coming into Valley City, North Dakota from the north, I passed under this amazing railroad bridge. On the way back out of town after a stop for gas and a little breakfast, I pulled over and investigated the bridge with my camera. And then I hit up the internet to learn more…
Avoiding the interstate highways and taking the back roads is easy in North Dakota because most of the roads are back roads. Long straight stretches of two-lane highways go north/south and east/west, with occasional rolling hills to break up the monotony. Not much traffic out here, and not many towns either. But if you pay attention, over the hours, a portrait of the state emerges as the miles go by.
After touring the Great Lakes, I had a nice long 11-night stay in Minnesota, on the border with Wisconsin. The area is part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and that name is no exaggeration! It was a beautiful place to explore in between family dinners, days out with my three great-nieces, a paddle in my kayak, and late afternoon boat cruise with my brother and sister-in-law.
As the last stop on my 2021 tour of the Great Lakes, Duluth was a good pick. Full of good food, interesting shops, and places to visit, it was a massive treat for all my senses. I hadn’t been in this big a city for months, which also meant I hadn’t seen much traffic in a long time so that was an ongoing adjustment. Luckily, I camped near the Waabizheshikana Trail along the St. Louis River so I had a nature escape handy. The views along the trail were indeed fantastic.