There was a BIG surprise last night as a thunder storm rolled through the campground starting at about 2:00am and lasting until about 4:00am. First rain we have had since Washington state. FUN!!!

It would have been a shame to leave Bismarck without seeing the State Capital. Rod, Doc Mike, David and I decided to head back downtown and tour the facility.

As we rolled out of General Sibley Campground we came upon what we in the forestry business call . . . a severe pruning job. Yikes!!!!

Still cloudy this morning because of the storm but there was this shaft of light shining through a hole in the cloud. Nice!!

Right across from the Capital was the RR Republican Center . . . close proximity makes for easy lobbying !!!

Connie strikes a pose in front of the Capital. Same type of construction she and I found when we were in Tallahassee, Florida on the Southern Tier two years ago . . . not traditional!!!

The original Capital burned down in 1930 . . .

. . . and what didn’t burn, they dynamited!!!

. . . and the ‘new’ look to the Capital building rose from the ashes . . . hard to even compare this one to Wisconsin’s (third highest dome in the world!!!)!!!

There is an observation deck on the 18th floor offering a good view of the front lawn . . .

. . .in 2007, 8,966 North Dakotans set the Guinness Book of World record for performing Snow Angels !!!!

Quite a view from the top . . . I think I can see to Minnesota!!!

. . . there was a gallery on the main floor of some of the more famous North Dakotan’ . . . including TR . . .

. . .as well as Lawrence Welk, Louis Amour, Angie Dickenson and Bobbie Vee. Many more from the business world and sports!!!

On the way out we were going to head to coffee . . . but as I looked down on my gear I saw the bungees had come loose and one of my crocks was gone  . . . my only off the bike shoes!!!!

. . . I struck off to retrace the route I had taken to the Capital and in the gutter near the RR Republican Center lay my Croc. Yippee . . . I looked up and could have sworn I saw old Ronnie wink at me and say, “So long, partner . . . “

We had a BIG climb up out of the great Bismarck area . . . you can see the Capital dominating the skyline.

Things have gotten A LOT greener the last several days and there is actually water in some of the ponds . . .

. . . and A LOT more corn. Although, a lot of it was not, ‘Knee High by the Fourth of July’ !!!!

Since the four of us were late leaving Bismarck this morning because of our touring the Capital, when, at the half way point of todays 47 mile ride,  we came to our DO NOT MISS turn on Moffit Rd taking us to Moffit and onto Hazelton, there sat Allison in her ‘office’ making sure we and the others had not missed the turn!!!!

Soon down the road there were these beekeepers working with new hives. There didn’t seem to be any crops around. Got to do some research on how and where they place hives . . .

. . . Hwy 83 didn’t seem like much of a Memorial Highway to honor one of the most famous North Dakotans. Of course the last several generations probably have never heard of him  . . . “And Ah One, and And Ah Two” . . . .

Some of the gang were still hanging at the C-Store in Hazelton finishing late lunches, checking email and pushing the fluids!!!

Corvin took a ;short cut’ from our camp at the Hazelton City Park to get too the store. He is going to need to clean up the bike before we get to Fargo where he will probably be getting a new front hub bearing, new chain, new cassette !!!!!