Adventures of SanTony: THE HIGH PLAIN STATES

As we traveled into the next state, North Dakota and with the need to stay somewhere that had electric hook ups we pulled in at the Spirit Lake Casino on the banks of Devils Lake for a couple days.

The casino was seven miles away from the town of Devils Lake but they had a full service grocery store, a 60 slip marina, a gas station and a little village for there Native American workers. Quite a operation with "the company store mentality" as far as for their employees. They even had special times when the Indian Community could come in and use the pool for free, but on a slow
business Monday.

Of course this casino was the same as most with all the games, but no alcohol, so I guess that isn't were the "SPIRIT" part of the name came from... But that was OK because we bring our own. They did however have great deal$ on prime rib and sea food buffets.

Our next stop was planed to be on another lake on the west side of North Dakota outside the quiet little town of Williston..."NOT" even close to quiet or little. My books with camping info are 4 years old before the big oil boom.

Plans changed when we were still 40 to 50 miles from town and saw all the temporary housing, and roughly put together RV parks. So many people have come to this area to work that the infrastructure is way out of whack. Just in the town of Williston the population in 2011 was 14,716 with an estimate in 2015 to be more than 44,000.

Roads are being built as traffic moves along with temporary signs and lights. We counted more than 25 either new or being built Motels just of the main highway and other temporary housing for thousands of work hungry people.

We also thought, were do all these people eat and of course restaurants and supermarkets along with all the other essentials for a town this size...what ever size this town ends up at. It took us just 45 min. to go through this little town.

Or next stay was the Elks Lodge #1764 in Wolf Point about 50 miles into Montana were the rippling effect of what was going on to the east was making a influence, both good and bad on a community with the majority of is residents unemployed Native Americans. We were happy for free electric and a spot in the ally along with free "recent history" lessen from the Elks bartender (who was Indian) on the local problems of the Native Americans. A truly hard thing to digest when you experience it first hand.

Our next stay was about 30 miles east of Glacier National Park at the town of Cut Bank with of course electric and a place to do laundry.

With the weather turning cool, wet and very windy we decided to stay an extra day before traveling in the mountains.

Then we set off on a beautiful drive through the mountains with plenty of great scenery and photo ops.

We had visited Glacier a few years ago and reluctantly decided to pass it up this trip partly because of the cool weather, but mostly because of our electric situation.