Yes, the Land Is "Bored" Flat and the Roads Are Even Straighter!! You Better Get Used To It. View Direct West.
"It seems huge, overpowering. The prairie here is huge but above it the hugeness of this ominous grey mass ready to descend is frightening. We are traveling at its mercy now. When and where it will come is nothing we can control. All we can do is watch it move in closer and closer. .. Where the darkest grey has come down to the ground, a town that was seen earlier, some small buildings and a water tower, has disappeared. It will be on us soon now. I don’t see any towns ahead and we are just going to have to run for it. .. I pull up alongside John and throw my hand ahead in a "Speed up!" gesture. He nods and opens up. I let him get ahead a little, then pick up to his speed. The engine responds beautifully—seventy . . . eighty . . . eighty-five . . . we are really feeling the wind now and I drop my head to cut down the resistance . . . ninety. The speedometer needle swings back and forth but the tach reads a steady nine thousand . . . about ninety-five miles an hour . . . and we hold this speed . . . moving. Too fast to focus on the shoulder of the road now . . . I reach forward and flip the headlight switch just for safety. But it is needed anyway. It is getting very dark."
20 Mi West of Breckenridge, MN. Having stopped to photograph a lone windmill here, I realize this is a good open place to "shoot" my second 360 deg full circle panorama.
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(Photo = 102-0298IrfanviewShrp ...... ZMM Page = 025 ...... WayPt = 017`|x|' 1355ft)

We Interrupt the ZMM Narrator's Storm Drama Narrative To Show You The Long Lost Site of Pirsig's Most Famous 1968 Photo!

"Up ahead the other riders, John Sutherland and his wife, Sylvia, have pulled into a roadside picnic area. It’s time to stretch."

EXPLANATION:
….Ever since crossing the Border into ND, Rt 13 has been to the West … “Arrow Straight” … for 40 miles. But slightly South of Wyndmere, ND , Rt 13 suddenly, turns to go the SW SW, only to straighten out to go … Again Go West.
… “Arrow Straight” … For another 26 miles, and suddenly Rt 13, AGAIN turns to go the SW. … HERE the ZMM Route Traveler … should SLOW-DOWN => This is where upon the /\ Above /\ Photo scene appears! This offers proof that HERE, South of Milnor ND. , is the physical site of Robert Pirsig's First Three Of Twelve Color Photos. Click Here, and THEN AFTER Albums Page Comes Up => Click on TOP Album, Alternatively these photos are shown in the First Photo Album In Main Menu At Left.

MORE EXPLANATION =>
….Folks at the Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative, told us that their REA Co-op built this picnic area right beside their own Coop Buildings in ~1966, not long prior to the ZMM Narrator's 1968 trip. Since the Historical Marker Park for Camp Buell , happens to be adjacent, they also take care of the mowing and maintenance of the Park as well as this Photo /\ Above /\ Picnic Canopy Area. RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT “NEW TAB” => After Satellite Map View Comes Up, You will See ~ ZMM Route 13 going by The Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative, AND straight down from the White Roofed Building, you see a Small Whitish Square, by the Driveway. THIS is the => The Picnic Canopy of => The Long Lost Site of Pirsig's Most Famous 1968 Photo!
…. After Satellite Map View Comes Up, you may ClickOn The Plus&Minus To Zoom. You can “Click&Drag” Map In Any Direction, to See More Off Your Screen Edges.

Why Is THIS Rest Stop Not Mentioned In ZMM?
.….As the above ZMM passage indicates, Our ZMM Riders needed to stop regularly to rest and stretch. We note that earlier rest stops in Minnesota on Rt 55, were mentioned, so, why THIS rest stop not mentioned? The answer is immediately apparent:
….This stretch of road from Breckenridge to Oakes is fully occupied with the drama of the lightning storm, the high-speed chase to avoid heavy rain, & the brilliant flash of lightning, whereupon Phaedrus see the Ghost!
….Having a "rest break" here would break all the carefully built drama!! This would not do!!! End Of This Story.

NEW TOPIC: How did Gary Wegner Find the Robert Pirsig Picnic Canopy Shown /\ Above /\ ?. For a long time the geographical location of Pirsig's picnic area has been unknown, despite widespread efforts to the contrary. Finally, Pirsig Pilgrim Gary Wegner, taking leadership, wrote to the County Engineers in the North Dakota Counties of Richland and Sargent. Tim Schulte, Richland County Engineer, replied: “I did some checking with various folks in Richland County and nobody could remember a rest area along State Highway 13 in Richland County. (Continued next photo.)

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(Photo = Summer2006-0217 ...... ZMM Page = 025 ...... WayPt = -017i)

These Commemorative Markers of Buell Camp Are Just West of The REA (Rural Electric Act of 1936) Picnic Area Shown In Previous Photo.

..****************..
….Continued from previous photo, which was on Topic =>
Mr Gary Wegner’s => Finding Robert Pirsig's Picnic Canopy.
….Mr. Schulte, of The ND Highway Dept, surmised that this picnic area could have been in front of the Tastee Freez (Dairy Queen), just off of the State Highway near the town of Wyndmere, in the western part of North Dakota's Richland County. He said "If there was a rest area along State Highway 13 it was probably west of Wyndmere in Sargent County.”

… Gary Wegner Then Contacted Jennifer Manstrom, Wyndmere School Librarian. She replied: “We have done some asking around and we don't think it was in Wyndmere, but more likely the Hwy 13 rest stop is just west of Milnor, beside the current Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative We think the same shelter is STILL there!. If that isn't it, it may be at Gwinner at the intersection of Hwy 13 and the state highway which goes to Lisbon. I hope this helps! But there never was a canopy at the Wyndmere Tastee Freeze.”

….Wonderful!! Getting Closer!
…. Next Gary Wegner contacted the Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative at Milner. Co-op employee Dayna Speich replied: “Congratulations, you have found the location! The [Canopy] picture was taken just west of [our] Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative (then R.S.R.) building at Milnor, ND along Highway 13.”
…Later she helped Gary Wegner identify a precise map location saying: “On the map it looks like it would be between the ‘A’ and the road to the right.” The location is an historic site. That is why they [Pirsig] probably stopped there.
….Gary Wegner also contacted Timothy Reed, Research Archaeologist, State Historical Society of North Dakota (SHSND), Bismarck, ND who referred to the publication “A Traveler's Companion to North Dakota's State Historic Sites.” Click Here.

Gary Wegner replied to the folks from ND => “Thanks again Tim, Jennifer, Timothy, and Dayna! North Dakotans are cool and kind!”

… The Camp Buell State Historic Site is located one-half mile southwest of the junction of ND 13 and County 1. There is a marker on the site commemorating the July 3-4 campsite of the 1863 Sibley Expedition.
..****************..
Right Click & Select New Tab To => View Google Satellite View Of => Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative, And The Adjacent the Buell State Park.

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(Photo = Summer2006-0222 ...... ZMM Page = 025 ...... WayPt = -017i)

In this Flat Land, the Roads Are Arrow Straight.
“We whizz through the flat open land, not a car anywhere, hardly a tree, but the road is smooth and clean and the engine now has a "packed," high rpm sound that says it’s right on. It gets darker and darker. .. A flash and Ka-wham! of thunder, one right on top of the other. That shook me, and Chris has got his head against my back now.“
Near Gwinner, ND. This North Dakota highway is perfectly straight, often for 20 miles at a time. However really bad “S” curves do occur with no apparent reason. Surveying error "off-sets" in section lines? This problem is very evident, in the county roads in Northern Ohio where I grew up.
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(Photo = 103-0308 ...... ZMM Page = 026 ...... WayPt = 021w ####ft)

As Stated on ZMM Page 016, "The farmhouses are clean and white and fresh.”
"A few warning drops of rain-at this speed they are like needles. [At 95 MPH] A second flash...WHAM and everything brilliant-and then in the brilliance of the next flash that farmhouse-that windmill-oh, my God, he’s been here! -- throttle off-this is his road-a fence and trees-and the speed drops to seventy, then sixty, then fifty-five and I hold it there.“
West of Stirum, ND. Here I start my systematic search for a farm house plus windmill that fits above description of "the farm house and windmill illuminated by lightning." The closest examples I found are photos 103-0316 and 103-0350 (later in this Album). But neither of these houses had a water tower + drainage ditch + crossroad. Please let me know where better examples exist in Southeastern, ND. area & adjacent SD.
(Photo = 103-0305 ...... ZMM Page = 026 ...... WayPt = 018`|w|' 1370ft)

Looking South, A View OF Big Cottonwood Trees In Distance.

"The house and water tower have gone by and then a small drainage ditch appears and a crossroad leading off to the horizon. Yes—that’s right, I think. That’s exactly right.
.... "They’re way ahead of us!" Chris hollers. "Speed up!"
.… I turn my head from side to side. .. "Not safe!"
.... "They’re gone!"
.... "They’ll wait."
.... "Speed up!"
.... "No." I shake my head. It’s just a feeling. On a cycle you trust them and we stay at fifty-five. .. The first rain begins now but up ahead I see the lights of a town . . . .“

Ahead, Oakes, ND. Ever since Breckenridge, MN, The ZMM Route travels directly West on Major Highway, ND. Rt-13, which is a "section line" road. This road went by Milnor, ND (Where Picnic Canopy Rest Stop was as discussed previous photo), and continued to (and ended on), ND Rt-1 which is a North-South "section line" road. The ZMM Route here turns onto Rt-1, South to Oakes, ND. This is shown in /\ Above /\ Photo.
…..Note big Cottonwood trees in distance at center of photo. These trees were the (likely) waiting place for John and Sylvia. The trees are beside a restaurant and large parking lot.
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(Photo = 103-0318c ...... ZMM Page = 026 ...... WayPt = 031`|f|' 1313ft)

Big Cottonwood Trees at North Town Entrance.

…. "I knew it [the town] would be there. .. When we arrive John and Sylvia are there under the first tree by the road, waiting for us. .. "What happened to you?" .. "Slowed down." .. "Well, we know that. Something wrong?".. "No. Let’s get out of this rain. “

Rt1 North Side of Oakes, ND. Are these the Big Cottonwood Trees mentioned in above passage? Although unsafe from lightning, this is the (likely) waiting place for John and Sylvia to be sheltered from rain. A restaurant and large parking lot is beside the trees. Although rainfall, on average, is rare in this area, Oakes did receive a very nice drenching the night I stayed there, 16 June 2002.
….The Third Photo Next will show the inside of restaurant.
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(Photo = 103-0319c ...... ZMM Page = 027 ...... WayPt = 032`|e|' 1313ft)

Once-Upon-a-Time Rural Section Line Crossroads, and Now Town Center.
"John says there is a motel at the other end of town, but I tell him there’s a better one if you turn right, at a row of cottonwoods a few blocks down. .. We turn at the cottonwoods and travel a few blocks, … "
South View Main Street Oakes, ND. Many years ago the one major Highway through Oakes went E-W at this traffic light. This is why the two existing Oakes motels are either direction at this intersection. As indicated by the above passage, the Motel Pirsig probably used in 1968 was two blocks West of town center. But this motel was torn down about 2001. There is a newer motel, also on the West side, but on the opposite side of the road and somewhat closer to the stop light.
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(Photo = 103-0323 ...... ZMM Page = 027 ...... WayPt = 033`|w|' 1313ft)

Fifties Style Motel Southeastern North Dakota.

…."…..and a small motel appears. Inside the office John looks around and says, "This is a good place. When were you here before?"
.. .. "I don’t remember," I say.
..... Sylvia has been watching me silently for some time. She notices my hands are unsteady as I sign in. "You look awfully pale," she says. "Did that lightning shake you up?"
.... "No."
.. "You look like you’d seen a ghost."
.. .. John and Chris look at me and I turn away from them to the door. It is still raining hard, but we make a run for it to the rooms. “

E&I Motel Eight Blocks East of Stop Light Oakes, ND. Although the ZMM traveler must turn left to reach the E&I Motel, it is the only remaining Oaks motel similar in style and age to what Pirsig would have experienced in his 1968 trip.

..****************..
DATE-LINE: July 17 2021. by Henry Gurr.
…The Discovery of => The Still Existing Units Of The Former ZMM Motel, Just West of the RR Tracks.
……. (ChangesSinceRobertPirsig1968Trip), As Seen By HSG in 2019.)
Here’s The Story =:
….On my return trip from Montana, I followed the ZMM Route (if reverse), through North Dakota. By the time I reached Oakes, ND on Wed 14 Aug, 2019, it was getting dark. Asking around for a camping place, I eventually was sent to Mr :Paul Roney, who understands my camping request: "Sure! Set up your tent on the lawn under the big oak tree. If anybody complains, tell e’m to call me. And what brings to this area?”
,,,,Stroke Of Good Luck …because when Paul learns about my : “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" Research, he says “I’ve got a Storage Container full of Harleys, and with my buddy go on long trips to Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, etc. Love it!! We camp along the roadside, but have a pistol in case there’s trouble.
…Since Paul seems interested ( MORE Stroke Of Good Luck ),
…. Henry gets out a ZMM copy and reads passages Re Oaks, ND.
…Then AN OTHER STROKE OF GOOD LUCK !!
… Paul instantly recognized the ZMM Narrator’s “turn right at a row of cottonwoods”, and instantly says he OWNS, the remaining part of that Old Motel where Pirsig & Company stayed!! OH WOW!! WHAT A (THIRD) STROKE OF GOOD LUCK!
..****************..
6:03 am: Thurs 15 Aug 2019: 330 Main Ave, Oakes, ND 58474 (GPS = 46.138889, -98.096164)
…..Just As In 1968, when The ZMM Narrator said => “Turn Right At A Row of Cottonwoods.” Henry Gurr did this, THEN Crossed The RR Tracks”
….And VOLA!! The Still Existing Units Of The Former ZMM Motel, Oaks, ND!
Now We Know, For Sure, Where That Old ZMM Motel Was,
….And It’s Still There! Henry Is SO Delighted He gave Paul a copy of the ZMM Book!
..*************** *..
…A) To See My Photos For Above “My Story” => Right Click, And AFTER This Page Comes Up, Scroll Down To And Read The 6 thru 9th Small Photos..
…B) . Google Satellite View: The Red PinPoint Is Henry Gurr Panorama Camera Location. ZMM Motel Is To The South Of Red Pinpoint, and Just West of 3rd Street. Click Here.

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(Photo = 103-0324s ...... ZMM Page = 027 ...... WayPt = 034`|h|' 1313ft)

An Oakes North Dakota Restaurant.
"The gear on the cycles is protected and we wait until the storm passes over before removing it. After the rain stops, the sky lightens a little. But from the motel courtyard, I see past the cottonwoods that a second darkness, that of night, is about to come on. We walk into town, have supper, .... "
Rt1 North of Oakes, ND. 7:30pm Evening meal at an Oakes Restaurant North side of Oakes on Rt1. I also arrived in Oakes in the early evening, have my supper here and stayed overnight in Oakes, but at the E & I Motel. I also experienced rain, but it came and went, quietly, over night.
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(Photo = 103-0321c ...... ZMM Page = 027 ...... WayPt = 032`|u|' 1313ft)

1950’s Metal Armchairs Would "Fit Right In" at The E & I Motel

…" … and by the time we get back, the fatigue of the day is really on me. We rest, almost motionless, in the metal armchairs of the motel courtyard, slowly working down a pint of whiskey that John brought with some mix from the motel cooler. It goes down slowly and agreeably. A cool night wind rattles the leaves of the cottonwoods along the road. "

E&I Motel, Eight Blocks East of Stop Light, Oakes, ND. Summer 2002. This /\ Above /\ Photo of E&I Motel show the only remaining Oaks motel similar in style and age to what Pirsig would have experienced in his 1968Trip. The Motel he probably used was two blocks West of town center, just beyond railroad tracks, and was partly torn down about 2001.

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(Photo = 103-0326c ...... ZMM Page = 027 ...... WayPt = 035`|h|' 1313ft)

I Stopped Here To Photograph A Red-Winged Blackbird On The Green Road Marker Sign.

…A Few Moments Later, Mr. Vern Gebhardt and His Case-International Disk Harrow Rig Arrived & Stopped, For A Friendly Chat.

…"Roads with little traffic are more enjoyable, … where kids wave to you when you ride by, where people look from their porches to see who it is, where when you stop to ask directions or information the answer tends to be longer than you want rather than short, where people ask where you’re from and how long you’ve been riding.“

Luden, ND. After Oakes.ND, I also get back on the road the next morning. I stop to photograph a Red-Winged Blackbird on the green road marker sign. After studying my maps 30 minutes, a huge Case-International tractor rig with disk comes up this side read and stops. Vern Gebhardt (Gephardt? Gephart?), shuts off the engine, and comes over to my car to see if I need help. We have a long & good conversation about the wild life population cycles here. Mr. Gephardt explained his observations on the population increases and disease related population crashes in the fox vs coyote.
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(Photo = 103-0335c ...... ZMM Page = 005 ...... WayPt = 037`|w|' 1384ft)

It Is Easy to Spot a Town On the, ND. Prairie.
"This one, [the narrator’s motorcycle] despite the murderous treatment it got at the hands of those alleged mechanics, seems to have recovered and has been requiring fewer and fewer repairs as time goes on. .. There it is! Ellendale! .. A water tower, groves of trees and buildings among them in the morning sunlight. I’ve just given in to the shivering which has been almost continuous the whole trip. The watch says seven-fifteen.“
Ellendale, ND. is announced by water tower, county courthouse, buildings and trees. All trees you see are those planted for shade and windbreaks. Ellendale, like most towns in the dry dusty western regions, does not run the major highway directly down its main street and business district.
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(Photo = ...... 103-0337f ...... ZMM Page = 039 WayPt = 039`|f|' 1456ft)

Here's Where to Go for Breakfast and Lunch.
"A few minutes later we park by some old brick buildings. I turn to John and Sylvia who have pulled up behind us. "That was cold!" I say. .. They just stare at me fish-eyed… "Bracing, what?" I say. No answer. .. I wait until they are completely off, … and we all move toward the restaurant. .. I try again. I’m walking backward in front of them toward the restaurant, feeling a little manic from the ride, wringing my hands and laughing. "Sylvia! Speak to me!" Not a smile.“
Ellendale, ND. figures it is big enough for a stoplight in this, its main business district! Nodak Hotel name is contraction of “North Dakota”. The restaurant has taken over the whole ground floor, but the upstairs appears vacated. The varnished lobby floor reported on ZMM page 040 has apparently been covered up in the expansion of the restaurant.
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(Photo = 103-0339 ...... ZMM Page = 039 ...... WayPt = 041`|k|' 1456ft)

Very Busy, So Get Here Early.
"I guess they really were cold. .. They order breakfast without looking up.
Breakfast ends, and I say finally, "What next?" .. John says slowly and deliberately, "We’re not leaving here until it warms up." He has a sheriff-at-sundown tone in his voice, which I suppose makes it final. .. So John and Sylvia and Chris sit and stay warm in the lobby of the hotel adjoining the restaurant, while I go out for a walk..“
Ellendale, ND. Here the downtown restaurant is popular and busy, so you better come early! As I discovered, there is delayed service for those who look or act like a person trying to sell something!
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(Photo = 103-0343 ...... ZMM Page = 039 ...... WayPt = 041`|u|' 1456ft)

The Town Temperature and Flowers Clean and Fresh.

…"…now that I think of it, I’ve never been cycling with them [John & Sylvia] before one or two o’clock in the afternoon, although for me dawn and early morning is always the greatest time for riding. .. The town is clean and fresh and unlike the one we woke up in this morning. Some people are on the street and are opening stores and saying, "Good morning" and talking and commenting about how cold it is. Two thermometers on the shady side of the street read 42 and 46 degrees. One in the sun reads 65 degrees.“

Main Street Ellendale, ND. Showing the front of the Nodak Hotel and the entrance to the restaurant.
…Now-a-days, the "clean and fresh" includes a park and flowers and the large bank sign, showing the temperature. *************************
(Photo = 103-0342r ...... ZMM Page = 040 ...... WayPt = 041`|m|' 1456ft)

General Overview of Downtown Ellendale.
"After a few blocks the main street goes onto two hard, muddy tracks into a field, past a quonset hut full of farm machinery and repair tools, and then ends in a field. A man standing in the field is looking at me suspiciously, wondering what I am doing, probably, as I look into the Quonset hut. I return down the street, find a chilly bench and stare at the motorcycle. Nothing to do. .. It was cold all right, but not that cold. How do John and Sylvia ever get through Minnesota winters? I wonder. There’s kind of a glaring inconsistency here, that’s almost too obvious to dwell on. If they can’t stand physical discomfort and they can’t stand technology, they’ve got a little compromising to do.“ Ellendale, ND. The town's single remaining "Quonset Hut" (at far right with curved roof) is one block North of Main Street. Nodak Hotel is at far left.
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(Photo = 103-0345 ...... ZMM Page = 040 ...... Wept = 044`|w|' 1456ft)

Its Not Very Far to the Edge of Town. "They [John & Sylvia] depend on technology and condemn it at the same time. … They’re not presenting a logical thesis, … But three farmers are coming into town now, rounding the corner in that brand-new pickup truck. I’ll bet with them it’s just the other way around. They’re going to show off that truck and their tractor and that new washing machine and they’ll have the tools to fix them if they go wrong, and know how to use the tools. They value technology. And they’re the ones who need it the least. If all technology stopped, tomorrow, these people would know how to make out. It would be rough, but they’d survive.“ Ellendale, ND. West Main Street takes the traveler to these two unused RR stations, an electric power substation, and elevator. A second huge elevator is out of view. ************************************ (Photo = 103-0340s ...... ZMM Page = 040 ...... Wept = 042`|w|' 1456ft)