Thursday, August 3, 2017, Medora, ND
Day 84

An early start on the coldest morning of our trip so far at 48 degrees to take a ranger guided tour of the petrified forest in the TRNP at 9:00 am. To get to the starting point of the trail was about a 20 minute car ride on a dirt road. A surprise visitor at the start of the hike was a wild horse that the ranger said was very unusual in this area of the park. An hour hike with the ranger explaining the geology we were walking among lead to the third largest collection of petrified wood in the U.S. There were cypress tree stumps seemingly everywhere. Millions of years ago, this area was similar to today’s everglades, a swamp. When we reached the petrified forest, the ranger departed and we got to play around the area. Our play area was restricted by a couple of loner bison who decided to graze here. After our hike back, we drove to the Painted Canyon Visitor Center of the park about 10 miles away. We then hiked the Painted Canyon Nature Trail which was a mile of steep descent and then steep ascent all while the blazing sun was heating things up. We then went to the South Unit Visitor Center to view the museum, a film about the park and a guided tour of the Maltese Cabin, Teddy Roosevelt’s first cabin that he stayed in during his first visit to this area in 1883. Next, we did the 36 mile loop again, this time clockwise. Bison herds were everywhere. Especially on the road and we had to wait several times for the bison to clear the road before we could proceed. After the drive, we walked around Medora and entered a little shop, Chateau Nuts, and met the 92 year old proprietor, Norma Myers, the oldest native of Medora. After much interesting conversation and many samples we made a purchase. Dinner in the coach after an exciting and exhausting day.