Day 11: sunflowers and teddy

Scott and I each added a new state by entering North Dakota today. We both have Alaska left. And I still have Arkansas (because Scott drove there on a business trip to add it...without me!) ...maybe on the drive back home?

Visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park was enlightening. I marveled when I read 'River of Doubt' at the courage and determination of those involved.  Learning more about Roosevelt's love for this rugged land helped me understand.  He talks about living the strenuous life: 
I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.

and one of our favorite quotes of Roosevelt's:  It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Seeing the rugged land helped me to know more about the man.

Having the bike ride go through this route seems fitting considering these quotes! 

Scott is in the arena!!

The side roads today were filled with beautiful fields... acres and acres ...of huge sunflowers:

And.... we're camping tonight!! ;)    SO excited...