Journey to the center of North America: Part 7

Way back in July 2010 the Man of 3 Names and I set out from Grand Forks, ND on bicycles to sojourn to the Center of North America (Rugby.) It has been while since I have written about it so the details will be sketchy, but I felt I needed to complete this one before I move onto the latest bike trip.
  

Near Rolette, but not quite


Here are the previous posts for you to catch up on
Part 1: Leaving Grand Forks
Part 2: Towards the border
Part 3: From Hoople to Walhalla
Part 4: Out of the Gorge and a change of plans
Part 5: Independence in Munich
Part 6: Night at the Hawk Museum

I continue this story as we leave the Hawk Museum and head towards the center of North America in Rugby.




Old farm machinery

 I cannot say enough about the Hawk Museum camp we made. It was cool. We were surrounded by tons of old iron. There was a shower. And it was cheap. I think we may have paid just $5 for both of us. What a deal!
With still a chill in the air we left behind the surroundings of the Hawk Museum and got back on State Route 17 enroute to what I call the Rugby cutoff. On our way we went through Wolford which was kind of uneventful. The route was a bit hilly in sections so it took a while before we reach the intersection. In the distance at Wolford we could see the wind towers but as we kept pedaling they did not get any closer.

Giants in the earth

We did reach them and they spralled out for several miles like sentinals watching over this vast unkept prairie.

I was glad when 17 finally intersected Route-3. We headed south with a bit of tailwind in hopes of making it to Rugby in an hour.

crossroads

When 3 Names and I arrived in Rugby we made our way to the downtown and loaded up on food and supplies. We found a local park and rested for a while before getting back on the road. However we had yet to reach the center of North America. We took route 3 through town until it met US 2. There, just a bit off the intersection of these roads is the monument we were seeking all this time. The stone cairn marks the center of  North America. Or at least it claims to be- the real center I have been told is in a lake south of town.






Behold, the center of North America!

I think we basked in the glory of being in the center for a really short time. Looking back I think we should have just had our lunch there and explored the nearby museum which featured an exhibit of the world's tallest saleman.