Because it was going to be hot and humid and we had a fair amount of travel planning to do, we headed into Medora to find good connectivity for phones and Internet. We loaded up a lunch box for the family and planted ourselves in the shade of a spreading cottonwood at the corner of the DeMores School yard. Sitting in folding chairs, we watched throngs of tourists disembark and reload onto buses with Minnesota and North Dakota license plates. Groups of elderly and young alike holding ice cream cones and bags of post cards, magnets and shot glasses passed by us and smiled. Timber, at our feet, panted and lapped up water to stay cool.

 
On our way back to camp, a very large bison was grazing alone by the road.

That evening after returning to the coach, we rode bikes and played Risk. I barbecued chicken while Angela prepared corn, broccoli and rice pilaf, which we all enjoyed as the sun set behind the grove of juniper trees that guarded our campsite. The bugs were relatively light for the first time; our proximity to the Little Missouri River 100 yards away meant that the campground was usually beset by buzzing, biting and stinging insects. So nice was the evening air and the sweet smell of the wildflowers that we lost track of time and finally settled into bed around midnight.