International Peace Garden, North Dakota, United Statesaug 28, saturday International peace garden campground, NDI
Senility has definitely set in.
I had a major crisis this am. I got up just before 6 am because I was awake. I can't remember exactly what I did - maybe I worked out where I was going...no I think I did that last night. I probably just read my Louise Penny book - I am almost done, then I will have to find a bookstore for sure. I showered, then around 7:30 am I went down for the hot breakfast that the girl in reception told me about. There were parts of it that were hot - sausages and some kind of scrambled eggs that . I extra, extra firm. But they were OK, they could have used the Tabasco sauce I put on the firm omelette yesterday. I got a little carton of orange juice and yogurt, then I found the coffee, and then I tried to balance all the articles - I think I took some milk for coffee in the room later. I had to put the coffee down to open the door.
I had planned to start out around 9 to get to the garden around 10...by the time I packed the car and drove the 20 miles or so to get therre. All of a sudden I noticed it was 8:40 so I had to hustle, I started packing things up and making at least two trips to the car efore going to check out.
Somewhere in this process I noticed I did not have my seeing glasses. So I started looking everywhere that I remembered doing anything in the room and I checked the breakfast room too. I went back to the room and felt the floors - the room light was a bit dim and the patterned rug made it hard to distinguish whether or not there was a pair of glasses there. I went through all my bags. Then I went to the desk and asked if someone could help me look and she offered. She was very nice and looked all over the room, on the floor, behind stuff, in the garbage cans, and asked me whether I had checked my bags. I went through them all a second time. I really could not imagine where they could have gone....no one really unless I left them in the breakfast area IIpeering at some label and then someone liked my cool frames and snagged them.
I came back to the front desk. The girl hopefully asked me if I were checking out. She did know once that I couldn't go anywhere without my glasses, but must have forgotten.
I said no, I am looking to extend my stay. I almost apologiezed. I couldn't stay in the same room because soneone had booked a downstairs room - there is no elevator - so I had to move. I called my ophthalmologiest emergency number and was getting a call back. Meanwhile I texted Kara to FEDEX my old glasses to me. The doctor's office on call got back to me and said since it was saturday, she could not get my prescription, she suggested a Walmat optical department and said sometimes they have 1 hour service. I set off for Walmart, being careful when I crossed the highway, only to find they only had readers and no optical department. I called a few drug stores and dollar stores but nothing but readers. Meanwhile I talked more to Kara who did not sound thrilled by my new misfortune.
So now I was facing a long wait until I could get my old glasses sent to me. What could I do. I could read but didn't have much to finish in one book. I suppose I could watch tv. Thee was a bike path so I could find out how long it was and where it went and take a walk.
After I moved to the new room and put my food in the refrigerator, I took out my computer and went to plug it in and lo and behold, there was a pair of glasses dangling from the charger cord. Hallelejah. I went down to the front desk with my cord and glasses to show the girl at rectiption. She was very happy for me and let me cancel my new booking even though I did use a towel in the room. I repacked the food from with rolling hills, golden wheat fthe refrigerator, dragged all my stuff out to the car from the second floor and took off for the International Peace Garden. I went a different way from the gps so I had to endure the admonitions to make this right turn, then this other one until I got a bit farther and hopped out to take some photos and turned it off. I had found a scenic route on the map and wanted to take. It was indeed very scenic with rolling hills and goldenn wheat fields and little blue lakes with reeds and cattails surrounding them. It was very lovely. It seemed like quite a ways and then I took a turn toward the border and was heading for the crossing and still I did not gss the turn for the garden, but then there it was just before customs.
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The garden straddles the border and I thought I read it was 3 acres but it was huge. I paid the entry fee and was told I had to deal with US customs on my way out. I got a map and tried to follow it and was shocked when the road kept going and going - on the Canadian side - finally I got to someplace marked and found that the scale was much larger than I had though. The Canadian route had a few spots along the wooded road with picnic tables and roofs over them. Interspersed were more of those pretty little lakes. The American side of the loop once I got onto it had more buildings and places to visit. On the Canadian loop, I stopped at a picnic area and finished off my spring rolls from the day before yesterday. They were still quite good - and crispy lettuce - even with the third sauce - the pad thai hot sauce - that I. used as a dip. I visited the game warden's museum ad saw a mannakin female dressed in an Encon uniform from NY state with her name on her badge and everything. I looked at an old lodge with two beautiful granite stone chimneys that was abandoned.
What else?? Finally I went into the middle area with all the flower beds. It was amazing. I have not seen Versailles, but this seemed to be of the same grandeur. They only had one big fountain, but they did have some small ones, and a stream with little water falls going the the middle of the whole huge area. There were several gates to keep things out - not people. There was a bell tower and a chapel and a gift shop. I got all the to the gate and missed the gift shop. When I asked about hotel accommodations withing 2 hrs south of there, I got some east and some west, but nothing in my chosen direction, so I asked about the campground. There were sites available and they had electricity for 25 dollars a night. It is actually quite nice. I don't know htat I would have wanted one in the rain, but it is warm so far today and there is this lovely picnic table. I backed my car almost parallel to the picnic table and got out my sleeping bagt. May I can look for stars tonight. Anyway, once I got my camping decided, I went back to the giftshop. It was not a short walk and picked out 2 postcards. Then I realized I did not have my purse. No purse, no money, I did not buy the postcards. I sort of considered coming back but soon gave up that Idea. I got the car, reserved and paid for the capsite and drove to it and set up my stuff - like sorting my brochures and filing them, charging my phone battery, and doing this blog. Now I am finished with blog. I will put together something to eat and then call it an early night. Maybe I can get an early start tomorrow for the Knife Village Center.
It is starting to get a little chillier and I have my sweater on now too - time for another sweater.
2025-05-22