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2.5 Weeks + 1000 Miles + 4 States + Countless Encounters. Follow Cindy Gilbert, program director for the Sustainable Design program at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, as she bikes from Montana to Minneapolis to raise awareness about sustainability challenges and opportunities in the region while raising need-based scholarship money for students.
About 150 miles south of Miles City lies a place, "conveniently located in the middle of no place." It's called Alazada, Montana, and is home to the Stoneville Saloon and not much else (there is also a convenience store and post office). The Saloon is a place that one must really visit in person to get the real story but I'll do my best to portray why, despite first appearances, the Saloon is doing it's part to be a bit "greener" and is a safe haven of friendliness.
I was delighted to find some form of civilization after 65 miles of riding without shade or access to food or water (or any amenities for that matter)...did I mention that there are no trees from Broadus to Alazada, MT? I was a bit wary that I would roll up to find another ghost town as was my experience with Volburg, MT, a couple of days earlier. I wouldn't say the Alazada was hopping by any means but there was a Saloon and it was open.
En Route to Alazada, Montana
A newspaper clipping of owner and bartender, DianeAs I waited for my food to arrive I began poking around the establishment. Let me tell you, it could take someone a lifetime to look at every fragment of days gone by in the joint. Everything from mining antiques to Harley paraphernalia to the collection of antlers outside. The Saloon took "reuse" and "repurpose" to a whole other level.
One entire side of the building was sided-in used license plates. A pair of bent motorcycle handlebars stood at the ready over the urinal. The walls of the women's bathroom were papered in the hot guy posters from my youth. The floor was covered in sawdust (to keep the dirt down) from the local sawmill. The list goes on.
As the day wore on, more and more travelers passed through, mostly bikers headed home from or toward Deadwood, South Dakota, although I did meet a couple from Minneapolis. I was honored and amazed at how many bikers told me I was tough for Riding the Talk. (We were sitting on the bar's "Liar's Bench," so maybe I'll take the compliments with a grain of salt.)
As I watched the stars come out and the moon rise before crawling into my tent beside the old abandoned shack outback, I thought about books and how you simply cannot judge them by their covers. Kindness, generosity and sustainability efforts are thriving in the least expected places, even conveniently located in the middle of no place.
More from Ride the Talk:
» Introduction: A Sustainability Roadtrip
» (s)Miles City, Montana
» Reviewing the Backcountry Boiler
» Freedom from Stuff
Cindy Gilbert directs MCAD’s Sustainable Design Online Program. In this role, Cindy fosters a culture of awareness and creativity through sustainable, innovative, and collaborative design. She has extensive research experience in the fields of climate change and polar ecology, and has taught several courses and workshops in the fields of biology, sustainability, and biomimicry. Most recently she served 3.5 years as the founding Director of University Education at The Biomimicry Institute where she developed and managed all higher education programs including the Biomimicry Professional Certification Program, the annual Biomimicry Education Summits, the Biomimicry Affiliate and Fellows Programs, and the Biomimicry Student Design Challenges.
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Talk the Ride: Somewhere in Nowhere Alazada, Montana
Thank you for your comment. I only just saw it! Well, the wind has only been at my front and side since I hit the plains but all is well:)
You're a brave person, not only for riding across spaces few riders probably try (have you seen other bicyclists?) but also for eating in a place that announces "Lousy Food." Keep up the good spirits, and as you Mum said in her comments, may the wind always be at your back. Which it probably will be in the Great Plains.