By Kelli Bowen
It is September! Get us OUT of 2020 please for the love of all that is holy!! September means it’s time for Wild Outdoor Women Fall session at Lake Metigoshe! The annual pilgrimage to almost-Canada has become my annual tradition. This year, my South Dakotan sister decided to come along for the ride. Because of this, we decided to make this a ride worth seeing, so we decided to take the scenic route to get to Lake Metigoshe where we planned to camp in a tent. My sister and I are in our 30s and have not camped together, let alone in a tent, for over a decade…this should be interesting.
The direct route to Lake Metigoshe State Park from my house is 268 miles one-way. On day one, we put on 600 miles, so we REALLY took the scenic route. Warning: fun facts and history ahead. Here are our highlights…
Jamestown: World’s Largest Buffalo, Jamestown, North Dakota. This is a 26-foot-tall, 60 ton, concrete statue that is visible from Interstate 94 as you pass through Jamestown, but if you get off the interstate, you’ll drive through a small frontier village and go by the National Buffalo Museum, complete with a live herd.
Bismarck: we decided on our very North Dakota road trip, that we should swing into the state capital and get a pic with the building and bonus-for-us there was a farmer’s and artisan’s market happening! This led to the ultimate breakfast-of-champions: homemade donuts and beef jerkey.
New Salem: Salem Sue is the world’s largest Holstein cow and she sits on her perch outside New Salem, ND. She’s built of fiberglass and stands 38 feet tall. She was built in 1974 as a nod to the dairy industry and people have been pulling over for photos ever since.
Gladstone Exit: Geese in Flight is the northern-most sculpture on the 32-mile stretch of road leading from exit 72 on I-94 to Regent, ND, dubbed “the enchanted highway”. The Regent area is where my family homesteaded until my great-great grandfather was shot over a load of coal and became the first person buried in the Black Butte cemetery (fun fact). Geese in Flight is the Guinness World’s Largest Outdoor Sculpture at 90 feet high and it’s a good reason to stop and stretch you legs.
Painted Canyon: The painted canyon is like the “Welcome mat” to the badlands, and what a welcome! Just off interstate 94 on exit 32, you cross a cattleguard into Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s south unit where you can see the gorgeous panoramic views, take a hike, and see some wildlife. Do humanity a favor though, if you see a bison, keep your pants on and keep your distance. A bison can run 35 miles per hour (which is three times faster than a human). Even if you’re a fast human, you’re not that fast.
Medora: Not even 8 miles away is Medora. Don’t get me started on Medora. I LOVE the town, the area, the history. I could chat Medora tourism all day, but we were on a schedule, so a few photo ops and over the Little Missouri Saloon. The Little Mo is the oldest saloon in Medora, established in 1883, and the dill pickle spears are AMAZING. It’s a must stop when in Medora.
Grassy Butte: we backtracked east a bit and headed north from Belfield and toward Grassy Butte (which is a favorite name to joke about by all young people, and some not so young). We took a gravel road west to get another glimpse at the badlands and on our detour, almost hit a buzzard and saw a pronghorn. It always pays to get off the beaten trail (for the pronghorn, not the buzzard)
Zap: Zip to Zap; in 1969 the NDSU Spectrum “jokingly” promoted Zipping to Zap as a cost-effective alternative for Spring Break. This idea began building momentum and thousands of college kids overwhelmed the small town of Zap. Quickly realizing there weren’t amenities to accommodate them, the drunken frolickers started doing whatever they pleased wherever they pleased and eventually the mayor called the Governor. The Governor brought in the National Guard and this is the only time in North Dakota history where the National Guard has been brought in to quell civil unrest.
Pick City: What’s 180 miles long and has more shoreline than the California Pacific coast? Lake Sakakawea! It is the third largest man-made reservoir in the US. It’s deepest point is 180 feet and there are whales in it. Okay that last one was a lie, just seeing if you are paying attention.
Garrison: Garrison Dam is the 5th largest earthen dam in the world. The dam, that creates Lake Sakakawea, was completed in 1953. It took 5 years to build. The building of Garrison Dam submerged small towns, and tribal communities as Lake Sakakawea grew. The dam and power plant generate between 1.8 and 2.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
Minot: we decided to rest of the night in Minot (why not?) but not before visiting the Scandinavian Heritage Park. Boasting replicas and nods to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, we two sisters of mostly-Scandinavian heritage, enjoyed looking at the displays, including the full-scale replica of Stave Church. The real Gol Stave Church is in a folk museum in Oslo right now. Uffda!
There it is: one day, 600 miles, two sisters, and about a dozen North Dakota sites. The next time you are sitting around in the morning asking your friend/significant other/roommate/random dude what you should do today, jump in the car and see what you can see! I dare ya!
Kelli makes her home in rural Cass County with her husband, two daughters (8 and 5), two dogs, and random poultry. She works for a regional seed company by day and tries to be an alright mom, wife, friend and writer by night.
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