Synaptic Snaps, Crackles & Pops

Journey to the center of the continent

September 30 Prompt: Wow, it's the end of the month! It's time for our last prompt, and to ask you for any input you may have for future prompts. Here's the prompt for tonight. Where do you want to go on your next road trip? Who would you like to have by your side as you experience this?


As much as I'd like to expand my "knowledge" of Montana to more than the 1.5 mile x 2 mile wedge anchored by the town of Alzada in Montana's extreme southeastern corner, I think I'd have to choose Rugby, North Dakota as my next destination. If you check out my bucket list from our prompt of the 22nd, you'll see that Rugby would check 2 items off the list: North Dakota and the Geographic Center of North America. As it happens, the best route there would go through Center, ND which, according to some, is the actual Geographic Center, so a visit to both locations would definitely get the job done.

The distance is such that it would be a 4-day trip, with Belle Fourche, SD being the most logical layover point at almost exactly the halfway point between Aurora and Rugby. As it happens, the International Peace Garden is 45 miles north of Rugby. If I could gain entry, I would technically have visited Manitoba, too. The road system is a closed loop, so it's not like you could "escape" into Canada and get away with not processing through the Canadian Border Services Agency. An intriguing possibility.

Viewed realistically, there's nobody around that I'd like to have ride along. As few as five years ago, the clear and obvious choice would have been my wife. These days, I find that I'm my own best travel companion.