In the original determination for choosing the roadpath route, the requirements were simple: (1) The roadpath must be a hard surface road; (2) The roadpath must be contiguous across the entire route, (3) The roadpath must not be an Interstate Highway (or any highway which would exclude bicycles) and (4) The roadpath route, in describing the "Northern" and/or "Northernmost" Highways, has as a definition, those highways which remain within the United States nearest to the USA/CAN border without crossing into Canada.

This contiguous roadpath traverses a distance of 4,872 miles, with the western terminus end at the Cape Flattery Trailhead in Neah Bay, Washington, a foot path to the northern most lighthouse in Washington and the eastern terminus end at the West Quoddy Head where a lighthouse of the same name is located and this point is the easternmost point in the United States.

This is a brand new National Scenic Byway, one which has its origin found within my personal desire to travel (as a recreational passage) across the top of the United States. In the fall of 2025, I left the west coast of Washington state headed eastbound on this roadpath with the desire to drive and document the route, recording the specific highways traveled, as well as locations for camping and/or overnighting. I was only able to drive to the state of Minnesota before the temperatures plummeted to near freeze at night, causing me to turn right and drive south to a warmer region (south Texas) for the winter.

Then, in the middle of February 2026, with the temperatures in south Texas soaring into the eighties, I departed my winter hiatus to begin my northbound Journey On™ through North America, traveling east by northeast through the Interior Lowlands Region, then into the Appalachian Mountains Region where I turned northeast into and through New England to the eastern terminus of this new National Scenic Byway, is the easternmost point in the lower 48 states, a coastal lighthouse know as West Quoddy Head Lighthouse located not far from the town of Lubec, Maine, from whence I will begin the logistical eastbound drive of the North Tier Route.

SH 5: 335 miles

This is the primary choice for the ND roadpath of the Northern Tier Route,

but circumstances thus far have prevented me from driving this roadpath.

US 2: 355 miles

Across the Red River at Grand Forks, ND

With the initial goal to drive the entire Northern Tier Route (NTR) during my 2026 Journey On forestalled, I have decided instead to traverse US highway 2 across the rest of the continent, making intermittent long drives with two or three day stops to rest up from the long drives. I have already done two drives of about 450 to 500 miles each and on the last drive was able to cross from Bemidji, Minnesota to Williston, North Dakota, driving for 451 miles for nearly eight hours.

Too, I have also been having to replace a lot more parts on the jammer that I had planned for, which quickly uses up the available funds that I have for this trip. Currently, I am taking a two day rest break from the driving so that I can also connect tomorrow with the weekend meeting in Oak Harbor. Further, after my next long drive, I will be in the Mountain Time Zone, which will allow me to connect with the mid-week meeting there as well.

The next five photos are from the drive west into North Dakota after crossing the John R. Kennedy Memorial bridge over the Red River of the North, which is the border between Minnesota and North Dakota.

Initially, the state of North Dakota was all flat lands and then upon arriving in the western park to the state, there began to appear some hills, not very tall but also different from the mostly flat eastern side of the state.

The coffee cafe is literally in the building right behind the left buffalo in this photo and the overnight parking lot is just to the right of these buffaloes. Notice how much shade is in this area from the very large trees.