May 2  - Billings , Montana to Bismarck, North Dakota  -Up and on our way - sunny , no clouds, 11 C, windy so still feels cool - saw on the weather channel that a bad snow storm is hitting Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan :(  hope it settles down before we hit area - shoulda stayed in Cali - 90 degrees F in Santa Cruz today.  Scenery very different today as we head into the Great Plains - flat, flat and the more flat with areas like photos below:

Went through a section with these great hills almost like the painted desert.  Very arid here, some irrigation but mostly just parched - along the interstate you see oil wells, grain elevators, grazing cattle(mostly black angus), wheat and corn fields, dry stream beads, Yellowstone River flows beside us all the way and it is definitely low, saw ring-necked pheasants beside roadway and swans in a small lake, sage grouse beside puddles.  Also saw oil refineries along the route, who knew. 

I know that we missed some great historic sites but I did manage to see "The World's Largest Holstein Cow" in Salem, North Dakota

Hey ya gotta take what you can get on the sightseeing tour:)

Made it to Bismarck and relaxing a bit before bed - we are starting to feel the time change so dragging a bit. tomorrow just a short hop from Bismarck to Brainerd, Minnesota.  Over 4 weeks on the road with vists has been absolutely wonderful but we need to get home - yeah we are homesick and need to rest up.  don't laugh but we are planning our next big trip as we drive - tired but still planning.