Enchanted Highway and Theodore Roosevelt National Park

We got an early start this morning, a little before the sunrise. Leaving Rapid City we made our way to Sturgis on I90 and then took SD79 north. Just past Sturgis we enjoyed a beautiful sunrise. The drive to the North Dakota border was relaxing and uneventful. Minimal traffic and incredible landscape the entire way. As we crossed into North Dakota we stopped for a picture of the welcome sign. Then we continued on ND22 still heading north.

We drove to New England and looked for a letterbox there but didn’t have any luck, so we backtracked a bit and then headed to Regent. In Regent our plan was to drive the Enchanted Highway. The Enchanted Highway is a 32 mile road with huge metal sculptures spread out along the drive. In 1998 Gary Greff decided to try and help tourism in his small town of Regent. So he planned to do ten sculptures along the road. So far he has seven sculptures in place. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest metal sculpture – ‘Geese in Flight’. We first stopped at the Visitor Center & Gift Shop. By luck Gary was there, so we got to meet the sculptor. He worked in education for most of his life but after a couple of the sculptures were done he decided to stop working and put all of his time into the sculptures. We got a lot of information from Gary and the woman at the gift shop. I picked up some post cards and we made a donation. Then we drove over to the Enchanted Castle Hotel. Gary owns this and has renovated the old school (which he bought at an auction for $1) into a medievel themed hotel. He gave us a tour of the place and we chatted with him for a bit and then it was time to take the drive along The Enchanted Highway. So we drove the 30 miles stopping along the way to see the seven sculptures – we saw them in the following order . . . Tin Family, Teddy Rides Again, Pheasants on the Prairie, Fisherman’s Dream, Grasshoppers in the Field, Deer Crossing and Geese in Flight. All of the sculptures were amazing. They are anywhere from 40’ to 70’ high and are impressive to see. Standing next to one of the sculptures really emphasizes their size. Seeing these was worth the little detour we took and was a relaxing way to get to see a part of North Dakota. Also, along the way we looked for a few letterboxes. We didn’t put a lot of effort into letterboxing since we had quite a bit to do today. We did find one box by shi eh ree . So now I can say I letterboxed in North Dakota. As of today I only have four states left to box in to be done with all 50 states. We did the drive from Regent to Gladstone going from south to north. So we ended up on I94.

Here are a few more links about the Enchanted Highway . . .
7 Ways to Be Awed on the Enchanted Highway
The Enchanted Highway: The World's Largest Sculpture Project
Giant Sculptures Decorate North Dakota's Enchanted Highway
Enchanted Highway (North Dakota) via Drone
Postcards from the Enchanted Highway 

Now it was time to head to Theodore Roosevelt National Park – South Unit. Once on I94 we headed west and stopped in Dickinson (which we will return to later to spend the night) to fill the car with gas and get some lunch. After we completed those tasks we got back on I94 still heading west and took exit 36 to look for another letterbox. We followed the directions for Round Up by patch and easily found the box. I stamped in and then put the box back in its hiding spot. Next, we made our way to the Painted Canyon Visitor Center area of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I got my cancellation stamps and then we took a short hike (a one mile loop) to find Rough Rider by Wisconsin Hiker. Once I found the box I sat on a bench to stamp in and we enjoyed the incredible views of the park. I replaced the box and then we completed the loop and returned to the car. Then we headed to the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We stopped at the pay station and showed our America the Beautiful Pass and got a map of the park and then continued on to the Visitor Center. I got my cancellation stamps, some postcards and a patch and then we got information about driving the south loop road. Then we headed out to begin the drive. We took the road in a counter-clockwise direction. We decided to drive and enjoy the scenery. We first stopped at Ridgeline Trail and looked for a box but didn't find it. We did enjoy the short hike and the views. Then we headed back to the car to continue our drive. We stopped at a couple of other overlooks to take some pictures and admire the landscape. Then at Boicourt Overlook we took the trail out to an incredible vantage point for some spectacular views. After that little walk we continued our drive for the rest of the loop and then returned to the Visitor Center. We saw hawks, mule deer, prairie dogs, an elk, rabbits, and quite a few buffalo. There were also lots of wildflowers.

It had been a long day and it was now 6:00pm. So we decided to return to Dickinson. We found a place to get some dinner and then we headed to the hotel. Now that we are settled it is time to get some sleep - we have another busy day tomorrow.