Biking the Sheyenne Valley

This year's solo bike adventure took my from my front door to the Sheyenne River Valley. Not wanting to spend much on gas money I loaded my bike and trekked southward from the Go on country roads. Some would say this was a physically challenging endeavor. Few of my peers have biked more than 20 miles at 1 time. This whole trip may have been near 200 miles. I didn't keep accurate data but I knew I was making over 40 miles a day.
The challenging part of this trip was mental. The boring terrain of a large portion of the places I biked wore me out. In order to stay somewhat sane I stopped at country cemeteries and the read the stones.
However, the Sheyenne River Valley is magically unlike any parts of Eastern North Dakota. I followed the scenic route from the Little Yellowstone Park to Lisbon and was impressed with all but the last 5 miles.
Some frustrations of this trip also included a poorly vented bivy tent. This tent was like sleeping in a coffin. I'm glad I had a mini fan. Bugs also were a problem. They would not be repelled by any bug dope I used. Fortunately I did not have to fight these insects in the day.
Although it may sound I was miserable, I was not. I enjoy being in the saddle and in particular I like touring. Someday I'd like to a real long distance trip.
What did I learn from this trip? North Dakota is fairly bike able but I would do this route when the humidity and heat are not as high. I need a better bivy tent or I need to modify it. I don't necessarily need a camp stove. I should not have to wear a backpack, it made things even hottier.