We said goodbye to Grandma Rose and headed east. The stark sandhills turned into more wooded greenery and farms. We had an excellent breakfast at a bakery along the way. After breakfast we detoured north to visit Ashfall State Park.

Ten thousand years ago this area had been alot like the African savanah. Camels, rhinos, 4 tusked mammoths and three toed horses were abundant. This park was a watering hole back then. A gigantic volcano in Idaho exploded, dumping ten feet of ash on the unsuspecting animals. The ash perfectly preserved their bones as they drank. In a protective "barn" geologists painstakingly remove the lithified ash from the fossilized bones. It's amazing how well preserved the skeletons are.

At night we camped in Belden's city park. A volunteer firefighter let us into the station to use the bathroom, and also let us shower in his basement.

We first noticed the gradual transformation from west to east here. In Idaho it was all forested mountains. In Montana the mountains gave way to to cattle ranches. In Nebraska the cattle ranches turn into hay fields and then into corn and soy. In Iowa you start to find dairy, swine and chickens. Further east fruit farms are plentiful. Out west towns are separated by as much as a whole day or more of riding. Across Nebraska the towns went from thirty miles apart to fifteen. In Illinois the towns are about seven miles apart. The populations grow steadily. Pretty soon we'ld be in a real city. The gradation is driven by geography mostly, but it's also influenced by the duration of white settlement. This realization of the character of the continent was one of the deepest and most poinient lessons I learned. Each state is similar to it's neighbors, especially at the borders but each one's heart is unique.