Minot to Rugby, ND

Miles 68.6
Ride time 4:25
Elevation gain 695'
Miles total to date 1537.8
Elevation gain to date 52,110'
It had rained last night, but it was clearing as we left town this morning. Our route took us on several back roads to get us out of town. It was pretty quiet with not much traffic. We crossed over quite a few railroad tracks and then went by a big train switching yard. After our many lefts and rights, we finally were back on Highway 2. It was a pretty flat ride today. The winds neither helped or hindered us. The thing about the flats is you have to keep on pedeling, no downhills to cruise on.
We passed along some pretty flax fields, some corn and quite a few wetland areas, complete with cattails and some even had baby ducks swimming in them. I heard a hawk today, took it as a good sign. Judy's sign was watching over me today. Thanks Sweetie!
We came upon an area where they had diverted the traffic to only the two lanes on our side for both directions. It was a little too cozy with some of the traffic since we had a very small shoulder. Jennifer and I decided since they weren't using the other side-it was closed to all traffic, that we would use it. It was gravel in some spots...more cyclocross action at times, but we had the whole other side to ourselves for a few miles, no worry of any traffic. We rode that until it was too rough. We then got back on the constricted road, but it was only for a couple of miles, then the construction was over and it went back to a four lane divided highway.
It got hotter and more humid as the day went on. We got into Rugby, which is the geographic center of North America. They have this big stone sign in town so we all stopped and had our pictures taken with it. Today we saw quite a few other cyclists who were all fully loaded for touring.
We met a guy who was riding from Seatle to Maine by himself. He stopped at our Sag stop and we gave him some water and snacks. We saw some others too, two couples who were traveling along the same route as us. I felt so pampered since we don't have to carry anything but water and snacks!
Tomorrow we have a longer day so we will be and out early. We are gong to start to stair step east and south now on our way to Fargo. We will hope for favorable winds!