Road trippin’ fun across North Dakota
A giant buffalo and cow. A super long railroad bridge. An infamous wood chipper. Steak on a pitchfork. You never know what you may run into on the road. But, we had a blast checking out some roadside attractions along Interstate 94 in North Dakota.
Fargo – Roger Maris Museum & Fargo the Movie
Let’s start with a baseball museum inside a shopping center. Odd? It is when the guy it honors owned Major League Baseball’s single season home run decade for almost four decades. The Roger Maris Museum honors the life and career of the Fargo resident. The museum is located at the West Acres shopping mall. It’s also free to the public.
You can check out the slugger’s uniforms, awards and see some of the baseballs he hit along the way to achieving 61 home runs in 1961 as a New York Yankee. He surpassed the mark previously held by the great Babe Ruth.
Staying in Fargo, the Fargo Theater downtown is home to a wood carving of “Marge.” She’s the lovable police chief in the 1996 movie “Fargo.”
The infamous wood chipped from “Fargo” is located at the visitors center just off I-94 in western Fargo. Visitors don snow hats and have their pictures taken “trying” to push the last remains of a bad guy through the chipper.
Valley City – City of Bridges
About an hour west of North Dakota’s largest city sits Valley City. The community has a strong railroad background. It’s also home to one of the nation’s largest railroad bridges. The H-Line Bridge stretches more than 3,800 feet across a valley. A neat thing about it is that the bridge serves as a backdrop to a city park.
Valley City is proud of its bridges. It offers a list of about six bridges that have historical or community importance. The Rainbow Bridge is the first one visitors pass on when entering town. The original bridge over the creek was built in 1879. The bridges have been replaced through the years. The current bridge is the fourth in the spot and was constructed in 2004. It used the March Arch design, to maintain continuity.
Valley City State University is home to a beautiful pedestrian bridge. The bridge, built in 1901, remains a popular site for photographs, proposals and more.
Jamestown – Home of the World’s Largest Buffalo
A short drive west is the home of the World’s Largest Buffalo. Jamestown is home to the buffalo, as well as the National Buffalo Museum. The World’s Tallest Buffalo stands 29 feet tall and weighs about 60 tons. “Dakota Thunder” was completed in 1969.
The buffalo museum is home to two white buffalo. They are considered sacred animals among Native Americans. We saw the eldest buffalo – White Cloud – grazing near the museum.
Nearby is the Louis L’Amour writer’s shack. L’amour – a western author – was a native of Jamestown. The writer’s shack – at the Frontier Village – is home to his paperback novel collection, as well as some memorabilia.
Bismarck – Capital City
Bismarck is the state capitol. The building is affectionately known as the “Skyscraper on the Prairie.” It’s currently the tallest building in North Dakota, at 242 feet. The 18th floor has an observation deck.
Mandan – Fort Abraham Lincoln
Mandan was the home Lt. Colonel (aka General) George Armstrong Custer would know. He and his wife lived at the Custer home at Fort Abraham Lincoln 1872-76. He and his 7th Cavalry soldiers headed out in mid-1876 for what would be their doom at the Little Bighorn battle. The home now is part of the Fort Lincoln State Park.
Also located at the park is a Mandan tribal village from the late 1500s. The state has reconstructed some of the earth lodges used at the Slant Village. It’s named that because the village was built on a slant of land toward the Missouri River.
New Salem – World’s Largest Holstein Cow
About 30 minutes west of Bismarck is the World’s Largest Holstein Cow. Salem Sue, located just outside New Salem, stands 38 feet tall and is 50 feet long. She weighs about six tons. She is taller than the Jamestown buffalo. The fiberglass cow was built to recognize the area’s dairy industry.
Enchanted Highway
A drive along the Enchanted Highway, between Dickinson and Regent gives visitors a chance to see a lot of “World’s Largest” sculptures, including deer jumping a fence, a grasshopper infestation, farmers, pheasants and a fisherman’s “dream.” The sculptures are one man’s attempt to help local tourism for Regent.
Medora
Medora was our last stop in North Dakota. This town of less than 150 permanent residents is host to several events and attractions.
You can have a steak cooked on a pitchfork at the Pitchfork Fondue. The “chefs” load up several pitchforks with strips and cook them quickly in boiling oil. The steaks are served as part of a buffet. There is a lot of food, and it’s good.
You can catch a musical about North Dakota’s history after dinner at “Medora – the Musical.” The 2015 season just completed. We had a chance to see the show during the musical’s 50th year. It was a blast. They mix an entertaining tale of Medora history with classic and contemporary country songs. It is a fun way to spend a nice summer evening.
If you like cowboy stories or rodeos, the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame may pique your interest. It tells the story of horses and how rodeos came about in the 37th state. It focuses on Native American life and early pioneer days.
North Dakota rodeo cowboys are recognized in a display that features – among other things – saddles. There are early saddles, as well as saddles won during competition. The Hall of Fame has a Hall of Honorees, in which various state residents have been recognized for their rodeo, ranch and entertainment accomplishments.
Last but not least, on the North Dakota road trip is a drive through the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Named after the early 20th century president, Roosevelt National Park allows visitors a beautiful view of the North Dakota “Badlands.”
You can catch other views, as well, of wildlife, including bison, horses and prairie dogs.
North Dakota travel calls the state “Legendary.” They’re not wrong. It’s a beautiful state with some great views and sites to visit. For more information on North Dakota tourism, please visit www.ndtourism.com.
Disclaimer: Thanks to the North Dakota Travel Division for its help in coordinating the visit, the complimentary hotel stays and dinner and the musical in Medora. However, all opinions and views are ours.
