On the minute leg of my journeying upwardly the Missouri Valley, I encountered dense fog on the bottomlands from Sioux City to Yankton in addition to spectacular views of the Valley further to the northwest, where Route 44 crosses Lake Francis Case, which instantly swallows the river; I too enjoyed scenic vistas across the Fort Pierre National Grassland, southward of Pierre, South Dakota. But the highlight of this segment was provided past times the abundant wetlands across the Dakotas in addition to the avian migrants that they attract.
Due to the underlying geology in addition to the high H2O table, numerous lakes, ponds, "potholes," sloughs in addition to marshlands surface inside in addition to betwixt the hayfields, croplands in addition to pastures. At this fourth dimension of year, virtually are crowded amongst ducks, coot, American white pelicans, cormorants, ibis, gulls, yellow-headed blackbirds in addition to shorebirds; amid the latter, American avocets were peculiarly abundant. What mightiness live considered a spectacle inwards other States is obviously taken for granted hither in addition to rubber pullouts were, unfortunately, few in addition to far between; nevertheless, the migrants made my day, fifty-fifty when observed at sixty mph (see Addendum).
Of course, the lastly highlight occurred when I entered North Dakota for the starting fourth dimension time (my 49th State). This sense was peculiarly rewarding since I was on U.S.A. 83, locally known every bit the Lawrence Welk Highway; after all, Mr. Welk was my maternal grandmother's minute favorite entertainer (close on the heels of Engelbert Humperdinck). Since I spent a cracking bargain of my childhood at her domicile (and, later, she at ours), whatever reference to Lawrence Welk ever brings her to mind. Wish she could cause got been in that place today!
Addendum: To live fair, in that place are numerous NWRs inwards the Dakotas where ane tin safely uncovering the spectacle of waterfowl migrations. If I had to a greater extent than time, I would cause got visited at to the lowest degree a few of them.
Due to the underlying geology in addition to the high H2O table, numerous lakes, ponds, "potholes," sloughs in addition to marshlands surface inside in addition to betwixt the hayfields, croplands in addition to pastures. At this fourth dimension of year, virtually are crowded amongst ducks, coot, American white pelicans, cormorants, ibis, gulls, yellow-headed blackbirds in addition to shorebirds; amid the latter, American avocets were peculiarly abundant. What mightiness live considered a spectacle inwards other States is obviously taken for granted hither in addition to rubber pullouts were, unfortunately, few in addition to far between; nevertheless, the migrants made my day, fifty-fifty when observed at sixty mph (see Addendum).
Of course, the lastly highlight occurred when I entered North Dakota for the starting fourth dimension time (my 49th State). This sense was peculiarly rewarding since I was on U.S.A. 83, locally known every bit the Lawrence Welk Highway; after all, Mr. Welk was my maternal grandmother's minute favorite entertainer (close on the heels of Engelbert Humperdinck). Since I spent a cracking bargain of my childhood at her domicile (and, later, she at ours), whatever reference to Lawrence Welk ever brings her to mind. Wish she could cause got been in that place today!
Addendum: To live fair, in that place are numerous NWRs inwards the Dakotas where ane tin safely uncovering the spectacle of waterfowl migrations. If I had to a greater extent than time, I would cause got visited at to the lowest degree a few of them.
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