On the Road Again (Bismarck and Jamestown, North Dakota)

Back on the road again after visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park, my wife and I took a straight line (it seems all roads in North Dakota are straight) to the the capital city of Bismarck.

Entrance to North Dakota Culture Center

After a good night's sleep, and a hardy breakfast, we headed to the impressive North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum. If a person had to choose only one place to visit in North Dakota, this would be the destination because it offers something about everything in the state.

The "Skyscraper of the Prairie"

The center is located adjacent to the state capitol building, dubbed the "Skyscraper on the Prairie" because it stands a whopping 241 feet (that's a joke, folks, because the topography is rather flat). 

Inside the center you'll find exhibits, relics and replicas, from the dinosaur age to modern day, and lots in between. I was stationed at a missile base while I was in the Air Force eons ago, so I found an exhibit of a Minuteman center very interesting since I never got close to one while in the military. 

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Read more about this fabulous place by clicking here. Did I mention that it was free? And yes, we'd like to return and take in other places in this neat city of nearly 120,000 residents, such as Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park and Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.

Our next stop was Jamestown, about 100 miles east of the capital (with an 80 mph speed limit on I-94, the time simply files by), to see the world's largest buffalo monument! Is it any wonder the town of nearly 16,000 residents is known as "The Buffalo City."

The 60-ton concrete monument, named Dakota Thunder, is 25-feet tall. He's been a landmark at this prairie stop since 1959. You can spot him from the highway (we did and had to turn around at the next exit). 

Dakota Thunder

Dakota Thunder is located at Frontier Village and the National Buffalo Museum. We were there during off season (the museum was open) so there weren't many people in the area. But Jamestown has more to offer (but how can you top a giant bison?) such as Fort Seward, Louis L'Amour Trail and the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame (I'm sure all those places would be worth a visit).  

So it was back on the road, heading eastward toward Minneapolis. Let me add that we stopped to eat at the Perkins Restaurant in Fergus Falls, Minn., and I had one of the tastiest omelets I've ever devoured in my life.

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Until the next time....

On the Road Again (Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Medora in North Dakota

The next stop on our whirlwind trip was Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. 

Welcome sign at South Unit

Roosevelt spent several years in North Dakota as a young man, owning a ranch in the rugged Dakota Badlands. He returned to New York in 1887, but living there left on indelible mark on his life: "I have always said I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota."

For me, spending only a couple days in the (choose one, two or all) Peace Garden,  Flickertail, or Roughrider State, it was a memorable experience.  And yes, I would love to return and explore more of the Dakotas -- North and South.

Badlands marker 

My wife, Mary, and I entered the South Unit of the national park at Medora, taking a driving tour through the Badlands. Then we drove another 70 miles or so to see the North Unit, near Watford City. There is also Elkhorn Ranch Unit, the site of Roosevelt's second ranch, located midway between the North and South Units and inaccessible at times because of unpaved and steep roads (we didn't want to put our Prius through that).

The national park, established in 1947 to honor the great conservationist and 26th president, is fascinating -- the museum in the South Unit Visitor Center, prairie dog "towns," feral horses, bighorn sheep, bison, grasslands, and the colorful canyons. The Little Missouri River winds it way through the units. 

Roundup of  bison

One of the highlights was watching roundup of buffaloes at the North Unit, with park rangers using a helicopter to move the herd. A ranger told me that it's done every four years to trim the population, with the buffaloes later transported to Indian reservations as far away as Oklahoma.

Bighorn sheep

Another interesting sight was seeing bighorn sheep along the side of a hill that a helpful park ranger directed us to before we left the area. For the record, the rangers were talked to at the various national parks on this trip were courteous, friendly and most helpful in providing information and directions. 

Bucking bronco statue

As we left the South Unit on our way to the North Unit, we made a brief visit in the picturesque cowboy town of Medora, home of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame and the popular Medora Musical. The small town is the hub to many of the activities related to the national park as well as the proud cowboy and Indian heritage that runs so deep in this part of the country. 

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Next stop: Bismarck, North Dakota.

Until the next time....