Leg 24 - Saint Cloud, MN to Harvey, ND

Left the motel in Saint Cloud, MN at 7:05 am. The predicted weather was thunder storms and the morning clouds were an ominous dark gray. I could see a clear horizon in the north west, my direction of travel.

I rode Hwy 10 west out of Saint Cloud and only got into a small sprinkle. The further west and north I got, the more the north west horizon was clear. About 80 miles west I was clear of the storm clouds and into sunshine.

I stopped in a tiny town called New York Mills at a local cafe for breakfast about 110 miles west of Saint Cloud around 9 am. It felt good to be clear of the weather.

When I got to Jamestown, ND I had to make a decision. Should I continue my travel to Blaine, WA in the US or go through Canada as originally planned? Turns out that the mileage from Jamestown, ND to Blaine, WA is the same if I went through Montana and eastern Washington or if I went through Calgary, AB. I checked the weather going north and found it favorable. Nice, because I wanted to go through the Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park.

I took Hwy 52 out of Jamestown heading northwest. The winds picked up a bit, but they were within my comfort level. I stopped along Hwy 52 to take the following photo. The sky was filled with low hanging white billowy clouds. It seemed a surreal scene as I rode the near vacant highway.

Hwy 52 in North Dakota

I stopped for lunch at a Country Gardens Restaurant and had roast turkey and mashed potatoes. The waitress asked what other side dish I wanted and was surprised to see baked apples as a choice. I opted for the apples and was pleasantly surprised. Comfort food sure does wonders for a wandering spirit.

The distance from Saint Cloud, MN to Calgary, AB is a little less than 1200 miles. Riding 400 miles a day would take 3 days. After lunch I took a sip from a bottle of 5 Hour Energy. I didn't want to get sleepy from the big lunch and have to stop before I got in the required mileage.

I stopped in Harvey, ND and checked into the Comfort Inn around 5:15.

Overall, 405 miles and a little over 10 hours.

Leg 24 - Saint Cloud, MN to Harvey, ND

This leaves just a little over 760 miles to Calgary, AB, a very doable two day ride for this 67 year old with a little help from 5 Hour Energy. :-) Harvey, ND is around 175 miles south of the Canadian Saskatchewan province where I will cross the border into Canada for the second time on this trip.