Cruising along on Highway 10 in western North Dakota this summer, it doesn't take much imagination to see the land of milk and honey that drew immigrant farmers to settle this prairie. The grass stands thick and better than knee high. Fields of wheat and corn are a startling green. Livestock grazing aren't tempted to greener pastures, because they're all vibrantly green.

It's nature's perfect dedication of the Old Red Trail Scenic Byway.

The byway was dedicated by its organizers on July 4.

Old Red Trail is a hearty ancestor of U.S. Highway 10 and Interstate 94. It was one of the first automobile routes across the northern tier states, before there were graveled or paved roads. Before gas stations. And before satellite tracking systems that allow for real-time mapping of your location on a screen in your dashboard.

Connecting the dots, Old Red Trail linked the prairie towns along the Northern Pacific Railroad - Almont (North Almont), New Salem, Glen Ullin, Hebron, Richardton, Gladstone and Dickinson.

Making the drive, the landscape tells the story of the past, present and future. You look across pastures with beef cattle and milk cows, fields of small grains and sunflowers, and endlessly rolling prairie. You will see the towers of Assumption Abby and a host of church steeples representing many Protestant denominations. And there's industry:New Salem Sue representing dairy farms and creameries, the brick plant at Hebron and Red Trail Ethanol at Richardton.

The designation of this two-lane, black-top highway (with a stretch of gravel as an attention grabber) has been driven by people living in those communities. They are true believers in the value of North Dakota's small towns. This effort acknowledges the past virtues of the Old Red Trail, offers to share the small-town experience with visitors and represents the ongoing struggle the state's small communities face as the economies they count upon change. It represents a reoccurring theme in North Dakota - communities taking charge of their own destinies.

All 10 of North Dakota's scenic byways present a different aspect of the state. The Old Red Trail Scenic Byway offers not only a gorgeous view - just wait until fall - but also reflects the changing nature of community life on the northern prairies. The Old Red Trail Scenic Byway isn't just about landscape, it's also about people.

Pack a picnic lunch and a cooler. Add a camera and a North Dakota bird book. Pick some good tunes. Gas up and take a drive down the Old Red Trail Scenic Byway.