"Circle used to have a population of over 10,000 people in the 50's with the railroad. Now, it's just around 600 people. It's nice though. We're all family. Thick or thin, we watch out for one another."

Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thang" blared out over the Badlands as my alarm clock at 5:45. I've never had such a good wake up. It's hard to word the beauty of the landscape just as the sun is coming up. 

Down the Interstate, we passed more splendors of the Badlands. After a few miles, we got off the Interstate and had breakfast at a little cafe in Medora. 

Medora is a strange place at the heart of the Badlands and the gateway to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It has a population of just over 100, is a major tourist attraction, and is thus allowed to sell poor quality food in small portions at a brashly inflated price. Nonetheless, the owner was really sweet. Helga, from Luxembourg, was married to a local rancher and owned the restaurant. She knew eight different languages and worked for the US Army all over the world for over twenty years.

"It looks like rain," she told me outside as I rummaged through my baggage for my cell phone charger.

"Yeah, I heard it only rains 6-12 inches a year here. What's the deal?" I asked.

"Oh, we've gotten 18 inches in the last two weeks. It's been a strange year," she said. "We always need it though so it's a blessing."

We cycled out in high spirits at 7am through the remainders of the Badlands before they turned into rolling prairies.

Then, shortly after the friendliest truck rest stop area in Beach, ND, we hit our next state: Montana. There's about 700 of the remaining 1200 miles or so in this state. Should be a doozy. 

After biking on the Interstate for about twenty miles, we finally got off onto a parallel road where we didn't see a car for the whole ride. We did see rain though and lots of it. We pushed through it.

Shortly after the rain, Josh got his 11th flat of the trip.

We stayed the night in Glendive, MT. One of the larger towns along the route for awhile. The population is 4,000 and climbing due to the North Dakota oil boom. We stayed in a Super 8, drank beer for the first time in awhile and enjoyed ourselves. It was money well spent... but still money spent. I am a frugal bastard.

Today, we got our free breakfast and set out on S200. We'd be on it all the way to Circle, Montana, the only comfortable stop for the day. But before that town, there was Lindsay, MT. 

When they stopped using the railroads here in the 90's, everything in the town disappeared. 

Our maps said there was a bar in tow.n As gigantic and ominous storm clouds rolled in, Josh called the number for the bar and a man picked up the phone. Josh put it on speaker.

"Yeah, we were wondering if there's any shelter here or a restaurant of some kind?" Josh inquired.

The man on the other line responded with a hearty laugh, "Son, there ain't a damn thing in that town."

We ate lunch in an empty grain silo next to the abandoned train depot and sheltered ourselves from the rain.

The rest of the ride to Circle was pretty spiritual. I suppose that's what the word would be. There's so much vastness, and emptiness that it almost cradles your soul in a sense. Many peaceful thoughts and feelings of contentment ranged through my body as Josh tried humoring me and talking. I couldn't do it. Something about the landscape made me feel quiet and small.

There are absolutely no homes out here. The few that are, are abandoned, perhaps old relics from failed attempts at farming during the Dust Bowl. 

We live in a beautiful country.

I could go on and on about the people I met in the town of Circle. At first, it was a bit daunting and as I rolled through the town, I envisioned a tough, gnarled blue collar population that didn't have the time for some kid wasting his time parading around on a bicycle. Turns out, the people are tough and gnarled but they're also some of the most kind individuals I've met along the whole trip. I felt at home.

I met the sheriff, the police dispatcher (in friendly circumstances), the wonderful post office women, and tough old bar owner Bonnie. Every single person greeted me with a smile and warmth. 

We're sleeping on picnic tables in the park. 

Oh yeah, we found Matt again. :)