Why should we go to North Dakota?

We have been to every state in the union except North Dakota. We would like to go, but which city should we go to and what should we do? Are there any annual festivals, etc. like that to plan our trip around ?

Why should we go to North Dakota?

I%26#39;ve been to the following places and found ND an interesting place.

- Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the western portion of ND. There are 2 different sections of this park.

- Also a visit to the ND State Fair in Minot.

- Lake Sakakawea has fishing and boating opportunities.

- College towns of Fargo and Grand Forks

- Capital city of Bismark

- Knife River National Historic Site

Why should we go to North Dakota?

Hi Sissy

I agree with Casa about ND. Its far from where the action is, generally quiet and friendly people. We liked Medora (visit its open air theater and visit a play in summer) and of course Th. Roosevelt NP. For Knife River, it%26#39;s a place and it%26#39;s historic and that%26#39;s what it is. You have to use your imagination but it has a great visitor center and the friendliest staff possible. Lake Sakakawea is Missouri River and has the best Big Skies you can imagine. Imo it was a combination between Nebraska, SD Badlands and Eastern Montana. ( You could have guessed-lol)

Tet

North Dakota (Bismarck specifically) offers quite a lot, especially in terms of ';slowing down'; and enjoying life. If you%26#39;ll be vsiting in the summer, I%26#39;d suggest the following for Bismarck:

- Missouri River Boat Cruise - low-cost cruise will take you on a leisurely trip north/south on the river (boat departs from Meriwether%26#39;s restaurant - have lunch or dinner there) ... trips are usually a few hours

- If you%26#39;re interested in exercising ... check out the trails along the Missouri River (Sertoma Park) in Bismarck ... miles and miles of trails ... beautiful!

- Get out to a sand bar on the river and have fun playing sand games like horse shoes, croquet, croshoes (a local favorite), bocce ball ...

- If you%26#39;re lucks you may even catch one of the many summer thunderstorms in Bismarck for an exciting, natural ';fireworks';-like show - Toward the end of June, Bismarck is home to the annual McQuade Softball Tournament ... a three-day softball tourney and party at all softball fields in Bismarck (I believe it%26#39;s the largest softball tourney in the world)

- If you%26#39;ll be visiting toward the end of summer, downtown Bismarck hosts the FolkFest, a fun festival with a street fair and entertainment

- Lots of country driving opportunities and small town festivals/parades/rodeos/demolition derbies during the summer, find one and fake that you%26#39;re a local!

- If you%26#39;re more into indoor activities, check out the Bismarck Heritage Center, at the state capitol.

I%26#39;m always willing to learn Quiltchic, and welcome to the forum, great to have someone from Bismarck here, but what is croshoes??

Tet

Thanks! Croshoes is a game that a local Bismarck man made that mixes croquet, horseshoes and bocce ball. It%26#39;s easy and fun to play (on sand). Basically, you toss bocce-like balls though croque-like stakes. It can be purchased through Scheel%26#39;s (a sporting goods store in Bismarck).

Thx. Cro-shoes! Looks like a quiet game. Saw there even is a world tournament. Also looks some like the french game ';jeu de boules or Petanque'; Perfect for a senior like me!

Tet

The nice thing about Western North Dakota is that it can easily be coupled in with visits to the Black Hills, Yellowstone N.P., or Cody, WY. You might be able to find a way to kill a couple of days in Medora (near Theodore Roosevelt N.P.). Good luck.

Some things to see and do around Medora, ND:

Museums- at the visitor%26#39;s center and also the ND Cowboy Hall of Fame (cowboys, rodeo heroes %26amp; Native American displays - big place)

Stagecoach or wagon or buggy rides around the town

Live cowboys wearing western duds and so rusticly handsome...

There was an old-time photo shop when I was there a few years ago - you could get your photos taken in old west garb (great souvenir).

Shopping for souvenirs

Horseback riding in the hills surrounding the town (given by cowbys as described above)

Tour the Chateau de Mores: 27-room home built by Theodore Roosevelt%26#39;s friend, the Marquis de Mores for his lovely wife, Medora (the town was named for her). I believe most of the things inside the house belonged to the Marquis %26amp; his wife, or are from that era. I loved the tour - would have loved to live in that house!

The Medora Musical is held nightly from June thru beg. of Sept. It%26#39;s held in the Burning Hills Outdoor Amphitheater - great show every time we%26#39;ve gone. Bring a jacket %26amp; maybe a cushion to sit on. Very family oriented, put on mostly by college kids from around the country - including handsome singing cowboys. Patriotic ending featuring ';Teddy Roosevelt'; (played by a local). If they are still doing this ending, you%26#39;ll see why Teddy was called the Rough Rider!

Teddy Roosevelt%26#39;s Maltese Cross Ranch Cabin - near entrance to the south unit of TR National Park. Picturesque among the cottonwoods.

The south unit of the park - features the North Dakota badlands which are more scenic IMO than the SD Badlands, because they have more sage, grasses %26amp; wildflowers (look greener) and still have the pretty multi-color striations in the hills. Lots of wildlife here - prairie dog towns, grouse, pheasants, coyotes, buffalo, muledeer, elk %26amp; the wild horses. We even saw a huge porcupine there once. There is a campground inside the park (Cottonwood), which is beside the Little Missouri River. Buffalo near and sometimes in the campground, and often beside or on the road for real close-up viewing like Yellowstone offers. There are also trails to hike.

The easiest way to get to the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP is to exit I-94 at Belfield and take US 85 up thru Fairfield %26amp; Grassy Butte. You%26#39;ll likely meet several cowboys on this road in their pickup trucks, and might even see some on horseback - a lot of them will wave. You%26#39;ll drive down into the Little Missouri River Breaks (very scenic), cross the river %26amp; the entrance to the north unit will be on your left (west side of road). The north unit features great views of the Little Missouri as it winds its way thru the badlands to join the Big Missouri not far away. We%26#39;ve seen many buffalo and muledeer in this part of the park, as well as many mountain sheep among the hills on both sides of the road before you cross the river to enter the park. The north unit is also home to longhorn cattle - descendents of those brought up from Texas many, many years ago. They are neat to see - if you can%26#39;t find them beside the road a little ways after entering the park, there is a gravel/ dirt road (left turn) that will take you down to the watering tank %26amp; corrals where they should be, then.

The 120-mile-long Maah Daah Hey Trail connects the two units of TR Park and can be used for hiking, mountain biking %26amp; horseback riding. It meanders thru the scenic ND Badlands, giving you a great view of what things were like in Teddy%26#39;s day. You%26#39;ll also likely see some modern oil wells. If you decide to do this trail, tho, you%26#39;ll need to be cautious - even tho there are outhouses and water wells located on the trail now, you should still bring plenty of drinking water with you. Also, there have been several mountain lions seen in this whole area (Billings County, McKenzie County, Dunn County, etc), and they are extremely dangerous. They have killed livestock, people%26#39;s dogs and cats, and have been caught stalking humans for prey. They are not to be messed with. And of course, there are rattlesnakes in this country. Just keep aware of your surroundings, hike in groups of at least 2-3 people, and you should do OK.

A bit southeast of the north unit of TR Park are the Killdeer Mountains which are not as big as those in the Rocky Mtns or the Bighorns, but they are large for the area. There was an Indian battle faught there, and you could visit the battlefield. There is a monument and graves of (I think) 2 soldiers. Many Indians were killed trying to help their families escape up the mountain. Legend has it that they made their way along the top of the mountain to the east end where they dropped down into the Medicine Hole which must be where an underground river once cut thru the mountain. The soldiers couldn%26#39;t find them and said they had disappeared, but the survivors made their way out the north side of the mountain and escaped into Canada. From what I can remember, the US army attacked because they thought the actually peaceful Indian village was that of a Sioux chief who had killed several homesteaders in Minnesota. I think it was later proven that this chief was not with this band of Sioux, so very tragic.

East of Dickinson, you could travel the ';Enchanted Highway'; from Gladstone down to Regent, ND. A local farmer has built huge metal sculptures and placed them along the road - the one right on I-94 at the Gladstone exit is the Geese In Flight, and just down the road is a doe and buck jumping over a fence (Deer Crossing). More include giant grasshoppers, giant pheasants, and a giant farm family. Very unique. We always see real pheasants along this road.

Lots to do and see along the Missouri River, especially near Bismarck, as posted above. I also agree that a trip to ND can easily be combined with visiting the Black Hills, Yellowstone - Grand Teton %26amp;/or Glacier parks. There are many scenic and historical places in between that you folks might not have explored yet. Hope you will consider a trip to ND soon. Did I mention all the cowboys? :0)

If you into archeology, you have to go to Bowman. They have the neatest museum. You can actually go on real dinosaur digs for a day or up to a full week. Bowman is a great place to visit and enjoy the friendly people and shop on the best little downtown in ND. Very clean and well kept main street. Bowman just redid their city park, which is very nice, except for the over abundance of picnic shelters. Don%26#39;t get there too late, or you may get to picnic right by the bathrooms!!!