Can We See Everything In One Afternoon....

The Fairview Train Bridge
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Our mission was to drive over the Montana boarder so we could set foot down in Montana and say we had been there. Along the way we passed through Alexander. This was one of our favorite little towns in ND. Upon arriving in Alexander be prepared to see a large billboard, not the one welcoming you, but the one warning you. Yes, Alexander’s welcome wagon consists of a huge billboard of the 10 Commandments. Don’t worry if you miss it thought (which you won’t) because they are also posted on your way out of town. No stone unturned in this town, people coming in know how to behave and people leaving won’t forget either. What really got us though was the casino and all the bars in this town. Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Wife but if you want to spend all your money at the bar (called the Roughrider’s Saloon) or gamble it away, I guess that is ok, after all there is no commandment that says “Thou Shall Not Spend Thee Life Savings”.

The Yellowstone River Flows By
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Arriving in Fairview, we stopped at an old railroad bridge and tunnel. The railroad has been out of service for years now but the bridge is still in tact and can be traveled on by foot. The area is poorly maintained and is clearly one of the larger drinking and partying spots for people in the area, broken bottles, and litter were all around the parking area as well as the surrounding river area. The railroad bridge was an innovation of its time because of the way it vertically rose to accommodate large ships and freight ships many years ago. The bridge crosses the Yellowstone River which flow upstream in a northern flow. As we crossed the bridge on foot, we saw the railroad tunnel ahead that housed the continued abandoned tracks. We decided to travel through the railroad tunnel which is unlit and is home to bats, chipmunks, and no doubt other rodents that I am just glad I didn’t have to see even though I knew they were there. As I held onto Joe for dear life, we traveled through the blackness of the tunnel, lead only by the penlight he happened to have in the car. Able to see only a few feet in front of us at a time, I was glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel……literally. Following the light, we came out of the cool dirt darkness, only to realize that the only way back, was the way we came. Passing through the second time was a little less nerve-racking, knowing this time about how long the route would take us. After our walk, we headed out of Fairview and went the 5 final miles further west to cross the Montana border. Arriving in Montana, we were welcomed; like in all the other towns we visited by the “Welcome To …. Sign” I was admittedly excited to have placed a foot down in another state but the town bordering North Dakota was nothing of great interest or appeal. We did love the 4 room hotel a dwelling of ill repute for sure, set right at the corner of town for everyone to see who goes in and who comes out.

If aint “Cattle, crops, or oil” Why Do It.

Better Learn Them Before Going To Alexander
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From the Montana border we headed back into ND and headed northeast to Williston. This super buggy area of the state was where we found one of our first Wal-Marts, a sure sign of high population for these parts. Williston is more densely population than the other towns we had visited by far, but like so many towns around the country, it was filled with the same box stores, restaurants, and retailers as so many of the towns we have visited. We did have dinner at a great family owned restaurant that Milt had recommended to us back at the B&B called Grandma Sharon’s. The buffet and salad bar did the trick and people watching material was in good supply. Joe and I love to people watch. It is not so much about the anomaly of these people but the story behind them that intrigues us. What brings people to live where they are and what keeps them here? These are the questions that boggle us over and over as we travel from one small quiet town to the next.

Welcome To Alexander
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Sunset in ND comes in the summer around 9:45. The early sunrise and late sunsets extended our vacation daylight hours. We were able to see and do so much, much more in fact, than if we had lost light earlier. It wasn’t unusual for us then to still be touring, sightseeing, and traveling later into the evening. We finished our day in Barnegat off with a car wash at 10:00 pm. The car was covered with Scoria Dirt, red dust that is a result of the Scoria Rock that is used on so many of the gravel roads.

Enter The Tunnel
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When we finally returned to the Inn, ready for a long shower and a great night sleep in our number bed, we instead were met by Milt and Vicki back at the inn. She had made a lemonade cake. We got acquainted and learned more about the Inn and Arnegart while sharing some of Joe’s coffee. Our great conversation could have done on all night I think, Milt and Vicky definitely have lots of stories and really interesting insight on how things in Arnegart and North Dakota for that matter click. We were intrigued about the history of Inn, the history of Arnegart, and what drives ND to become successful. North Dakota is big business and there are a lot of big business men involved with the high commodities, cattle, farms, and oil. I was surprised, but shouldn’t have been to learn about how the states commodities are tied to the stock market, help drive the price of oil, and are all too often (unfortunately) at the hand of the government. Milt shared some interesting information about the Wilson Oil Basin which holds more oil than the state of Texas. North Dakota is going through its 2^nd oil boom in history. The 70 dollar price of oil has made it worth it for oil riggers to drop down 10-15 thousand feet down to extract what would normally be too expense to extract, oil.

Things That Go Bump In The Dark
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This area breeds unique individuals that think that if aint “Cattle, crops, or oil” why do it. Arnegard gave Milt Hanson a shot at something different in the renovation of the old school bed and breakfast. Milt was born in Arnegard, left, and like all business owners we have me, he came back to his home town because he missed the sense of community. The town gave him the school for free with a promise and a handshake that he would keep the integrity of the school and his intentions to the agreement that he and the town made. He told me “the town wants me to be successful and is waiting and kind of expects me to fail.” Milt lives in the school and runs a music repair shop in the old cafeteria of the school, in the basement. The “little gym” is his current project. He is turning the gym into a community theater, reception hall, and banquet center. Beyond the little gym was the larger gym housing the basketball court and bleachers. The gym had been converted into a roller-skating rink in the late 70’s and 80’s and still has the rainbow painted on the wall and a closet full of roller skates. Milt walked us through the school. I would call the Old School Bed and Breakfast more of a sleep-in museum than a bed and breakfast. Anyone who has an appreciation for nostalgic memorabilia, loves history, is a teacher or has attended a small town school would appreciate the hard work and passion Milt has put into the Inn. The four guest rooms have the original door plates on them labeled lower, middle, intermediate, and high school. Each room is exquisite each with Sleep number beds, Jacuzzi tubs and rain fall shower heads than come down from the ceiling. The original hard wood floors take us to the second floor. The stairway is decorated with photos of most of the graduating classes from the past. We particularly appreciate the graduating class of the lone senior. On the second floor the original library houses the original text books from the school including Reader’s Digests dating back to 1930 as well as a full set of 1^st edition Dick and Jane Readers. The rooms on the second floor have been turned into an entertainment room, decorated with the band memorabilia and uniforms, a game room with ping pong, foosball, and exercise equipment. Varsity jackets, basketball jerseys, and sports equipment from the past hang from the wall. We loved their team name, the Spuds, who knew ND was a potato growing region! The sitting room and dining room along with the kitchen don’t disappoint. This place is a must see for everyone! Milt reminded us to watch If These Walls Could Talk on August 9 on HGTV. The School is going to be the feature story! WWW.oldschoolbb.com