We crossed the Canadian border into the US after over 2 months up north. We entered far Western Montana after heading south through the Canadian Rockies, visiting Jasper and Banff . We were tired of the overcrowded Southern Canadian National Parks and the country’s $$5-6 a gallon gas, it felt good to be finally back in the lower “48”. After months in the scenic North, we couldn’t face Interstate driving, so decided to head East on Route 2, a quiet state road than runs just south (50 miles ) of the Canadian border. We followed this lightly traveled road east for over a thousand miles passing through pretty small towns and beautiful productive farm land. The endless vast fields of ripening wheat and soybeans were a visual treat, they stretched to the horizon in all directions. The small towns had main streets unchanged for a hundred years, grain silos dotted the country side.
This part of the Great Plains has been loosing population since the Great Depression. Small, inefficient family farms failed by the thousands and have since been combined with more prosperous farms nearby. Empty, abandoned farm houses dot the landscape, surrounded by wheat and soybeans now growing in the silent fields. The remaining farms appear productive and prosperous, there are no junk cars in yards, no rusted equipment, this part of the farm belt is doing well. There are towns that have clearly contracted with the consolidation of the smaller farms, abandoned gas stations and empty stores are not uncommon.
As we entered North Dakota, the oil rigs appeared and the “black gold” is clearly pumping wealth into this remote state. The wheat fields are dotted with the slowly pumping derricks. The towns are busy a
nd prosperous, the energy boom is here and North Dakota is doing very well. I was told the lack of workers is their biggest problem. The boom and bust cycle burned a lot of people who migrated here 15 years ago. Many left when prices collapsed in 2008 and the State is having a hard time luring back them back. Minot ND is a sparkling , modern small city sitting in the vast Northern Plains. It’s filled with new car dealers, the chain stores you see in America’s prosperous south and east, nice restaurants etc. Help wanted signs are everywhere.
We stated to see the first signs of the great Eastern forests as we approached Minnesota. Small patches of trees started to dot the plains, the first forests we’d seen in a 1000 miles. I couldn’t help but smile as I heard the North Dakotan accents, they always remind me of the movie ” Fargo”.
Northern Minnesota is largely empty of population centers, the land dotted with countless lakes, most void of cabins etc. We crossed two large Indian reservations , and yes, even here, we saw the inevitable Casinos. We stopped in one tiny town and purchased some local wild rice, a delicious treat to bring back to Vermont.
Our rural cross country drive was nearing an end. After studying maps, I realized there was no way to avoid driving through huge cities , toll roads, and industrial sprawl on our way home. The following 3 days would bring us through downtown Chicago and into the “Eastern Urban Sprawl ” that seemed to go on forever. The massive amount of cars and trucks with aggressive drivers weaving in and out was a sobering welcome ” back east “. We already were missing the far North but were anxious to get back to our Vermont farm and our family.
As we neared home, I realized we had driven over 21,500 miles on our long wander across North America. We’d visited 33 states and 3 Canadian Provinces . The bustling East appeared crowded and flat, we had come accustomed to big skies and empty space. It is clearly going to take awhile to readjust to a our previous lifestyle.
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