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Trips to Go
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4 Days the I-94 Way
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Categories: Bodies in Motion, Highways and Byways, Set the Kids Free, Stay by Day, The Scenic Route
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Tour North Dakota in 4 days the Interstate 94 way! This sample itinerary takes you back in time where to experience the rich heritage and culture that makes North Dakota unique and the friendly hospitality that we are known for today. Make sure to take part in one of our fun summer events centered around some of the best cowboy action in the west!
DAY 1
Fargo-West Fargo-Moorhead Area
FARGO THEATRE
- The 1926 restored Fargo Theatre features film showings and live productions and is a registered historic landmark. It also houses a restored theater pipe organ, the "Mighty Wurlitzer." www.fargotheatre.org
PLAINS ART MUSEUM
- This strikingly unconventional museum of fine arts is a brilliantly renovated, turn-of-the-century warehouse in historic downtown Fargo. The Plains Art Museum hosts regional and national exhibits, large permanent collections, special events, performances and art classes. www.plainsart.org
HERITAGE-HJEMKOMST CENTER
- The Heritage-Hjemkomst Center displays an authentic handmade Viking longship that was sailed to Norway in 1982. The ship is on display at the center, along with other national traveling exhibits. www.hjemkomst-center.com
BONANZAVILLE
- Fifteen fascinating acres of historic buildings, ranging from a sod house to a church, court house and country store. Specialty museums house antique cars, airplanes, farm equipment and other memorabilia. www.bonanzaville.org
From Fargo, south on Interstate 29 for 26 miles to exit 37. West to Highway 18. South roughly 3 mile to Highway 27 West. Highway 27 will take you to Lisbon and the start of the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway/Backway and through the Sheyenne National Grasslands.
SHEYENNE RIVER VALLEY NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY
- (63 miles, from Lake Ashtabula, north of Valley City, south to Lisbon along Barnes County Highway 21)
Fort Ransom State Historic Site
- 200-man military post from 1867 to 1872.
Fort Ransom State Park
- The park is situated in the scenic Sheyenne River Valley. Sodbuster Days celebrations with demonstrations are held twice annually in the park.
DAY 2
Valley City
BARNES COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM (315 Central Ave. N.)
- This museum features permanent and changing exhibits relating to the history of Barnes County.
HISTORIC BRIDGES TOUR
- Involves eight unique bridges. Valley City was founded in 1872 and is built around the winding Sheyenne River. The Hi-Line Bridge is the longest, also one of the highest bridges (126 feet high) on the line and is on the former Northern Pacific Railway.
VALLEY CITY STATE UNIVERSITY PLANETARIUM (101 College St. W.)
- The planetarium has a special projector that makes it possible to view the daytime and nighttime sky inside a 24-foot dome roof. 800-533-8293
Jamestown
FRONTIER VILLAGE & WORLD’S LARGEST BUFFALO (500 17th St. S.E.)
- The Frontier Village is home to a 60-ton concrete buffalo, buffalo herd and a pioneer village.
NATIONAL BUFFALO MUSEUM & WHITE CLOUD & BUFFALO HERD (Frontier Village)
- This museum houses artifacts, many original artworks and has an observation point for the live buffalo herd, which includes “White Cloud,” a rare albino buffalo.
WALK THE TRAIL OF LOUIS L’AMOUR
- Self-guided walking tour of Louis L’ Amour’s hometown.
PIPESTEM CREEK FLORALS (33 miles north on Highway 281, 1 mile east on Highway 9)
- Hand-made edible bird feeders and wreaths made from native and cultivated plants. Group tours welcome. Reservations not required but are recommended.
DAY 3
Bismarck-Mandan Area
FORT ABRAHAM LINCOLN STATE PARK (7 miles south of Mandan on Highway 1806 or take the Fort Lincoln Trolley to the park)
- 977-acre park located on the Missouri River’s banks south of Mandan. The history goes back more than 300 years when it was home to Mandan Indians. Site of a military garrison in the mid-to-late 1800s. Exhibits relate to the life of the Mandan Indians and the military history of the fort. www.parkrec.nd.gov/parks/FLSP.htm
ON-A-SLANT INDIAN VILLAGE (Located in Fort Lincoln State Park)
- This village was once home to a thriving Mandan Indian population. Reconstructed earthlodges of the Mandan Indians. www.fortlincoln.com
THE CUSTER HOUSE (Located in Fort Lincoln State Park)
- Tour the home of General George & Libbie Custer, reconstructed commissary storehouse, granary, barracks and stables. This was the last home and command of General George Armstrong Custer. It was from here that Custer and his 7th Cavalry rode to meet their fate at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
FORT MCKEEN BLOCKHOUSES (Located in Fort Lincoln State Park)
- Infantry blockhouses set high on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. Same vantage point early cavalry soldiers had.
FIVE NATIONS ARTS DEPOT (401 W. Main St., Mandan)
- Housed in a restored Great Northern Railroad Depot. Authentic American Indian paintings, jewelry, sculptures and baskets, hand-crafted by local artists. www.fortlincoln.com
NORTH DAKOTA HERITAGE CENTER AND SAKAKAWEA STATUE
- State's largest museum has an outstanding collection of Plains Indian artifacts and interpretive exhibits featuring North Dakota's varied American Indian, military and agricultural history and prehistory. www.nd.gov/hist
LEWIS & CLARK RIVERBOAT
- 100-foot paddlewheeler features twin decks and a 70-foot cabin that can carry more than 150 people. Departs in the afternoon, also dinner and sunset cruises on the Missouri River. www.lewisandclarkriverboat.com
Dickinson
DAKOTA DINOSAUR MUSEUM (200 Museum Drive)
- Life-size Triceratops and Pachycephalosaurus outside the entrance. 10 full-scale dinosaurs in a central display. www.dakotadino.com
PRAIRIE OUTPOST PARK
- Several historic buildings, including a general store, post office, church. Germans from Russia stone house, Norwegian stabbur and veteran’s chapel.
DAYS 4-5
Medora Area
Medora is the gateway to the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This authentic Old West cow-town was founded in 1883 by the Marquis de Mores and named for his wife.
NORTH DAKOTA COWBOY HALL OF FAME
- Center for Western Heritage and Cultures: Native American, Ranching and Rodeo. Trail drivers, homesteaders and the sport of rodeo and the impact of the horse on the development of life on the plains of North Dakota. See Sitting Bull's headdress! www.northdakotacowboy.com
BULLY THE PLAY
- One-man performance on the life of Teddy Roosevelt.
PITCHFORK FONDUE
- A unique western steak meal served at the Tjaden Center on the bluffs overlooking Medora.
MEDORA MUSICAL
- Colorful production at the spectacular Burning Hills Amphitheater. Western entertainment and a patriotic salute are part of each show. Broadway-style variety show.
SOUTH UNIT THEORDORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK
- North Dakota Badlands provide the scenic backdrop to this park. Named for the 26th President, it memorializes his contribution to conservation. Visitor’s center and Theodore Roosevelt’s cabin from the Maltese Cross Ranch. The loop drive could provide a view of buffalo, deer, elk, big-horn sheep, wild horses, mule deer and prairie dog towns. Canoe through the Park on the Little Missouri River.
CHATEAU DEMORES STATE HISTORIC SITE
- Elegant 26-room home of the famous French nobleman who founded Medora. Built in 1883. It is one of the three mansions on the prairie.
BULLY PULPIT GOLF COURSE
- Ranked America's Best New Affordable Public Course by Golf Digest in January 2006. Located just 3 miles south of Historic Medora, this 18-hole course is set in the beautiful North Dakota Badlands. http://www.medora.com/bully-pulpit/
OPTIONS:
- Trail rides through the Badlands on the marked trails or the Maah Daah Hey Trail
- Mountain biking through the Badlands on Maah Daah Hey Trail
- Hiking along trails through the Badlands to see nature and wildlife
- Canoeing through the Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the Little Missouri River
THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK NORTH UNIT
- The North Unit has taller buttes and is heavily forested in places. The beauty draws visitors year-round for sweeping vistas of this designated wilderness. The 14-mile Scenic Byway in the North Unit provide easy access to popular vistas and wildlife viewing –you will always see buffalo herds and prairie dog towns, and you may catch a glimpse of wild horses, mule deer, elk and maybe even at coyote. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is open year-round, with guided trail rides and primitive camping available inside and outside the park. www.nps.gov/thro/
WATFORD CITY
LONG X VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM
- The Long X Visitor Center and Museum is the central location for information on the area's cultural, geological, historical, and geographic attractions. The Pioneer Museum features a timeline of the history of the area and Grandma's Pantry and Books giftshop. www.4eyes.net
MCKENZIE COUNTY PIONEER MUSEUM
- This pioneer museum has many artifacts exhibited in the historic classroom.
MCKENZIE COUNTY HERITAGE PARK
- Original trapper’s log cabin, homestead shack, one-room school and original 1915 Schafer Law Office. Mammoth fossil bones discovered in the area.
Dinner at: OUTLAWS BAR & GRILL
- An exquisite dining experience, Outlaws Bar & Grill will tantalize you with a gourmet flavor of the west during your dining experience in this newly opened restaurant & lounge. The exciting décor will intrigue your curiosity about bank robbers through the times. http://www.outlawsbarngrill.com/
Add a day to your trip and plan around one of these major rodeos and catch some of the best cowboy action! For specific dates log on to the websites below or https://www.ndtourism.com/whatdo/events/.
Roughrider Days Fair and Expo (June) - Downtown Dickinson and surrounding city area
- Come enjoy rodeos, an art festival, parade, 4-H exhibits, motorized events, concert, and a spectacular 4th of July fireworks display at the Roughrider Days Fair and Expo in Dickinson. www.roughriderdaysfair.com
84th Annual Killdeer Mountain Roundup Rodeo (July) - Killdeer Rodeo Arena, Killdeer
- The oldest PRCA rodeo in the state includes parade, barbecue, petting zoo, street dances and other events for all ages.
Mandan Rodeo Days Celebration (July) - Mandan
- Three-day PRCA rodeo, art in the park festival, carnival, musicals, all class reunion, baseball games, street dances, parades, pitchfork fondue, 10-K walk and run and much more. www.cityofmandan.com
Champions Ride Saddle Bronc Match (August) - Home on the Range, Sentinel Butte
- Top cowboys and saddle bronc riders from the PRCA compete. Runs in conjunction with North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame inductions.
For a complete listing of all the rodeos in North Dakota, contact the following organizations:
For a complete listing of accommodations, restaurants, events and attractions, please contact:
Bismarck-Mandan CVB
1600 Burnt Boat Drive
Bismarck ND 58503
701-222-4308
800-767-3555
Fax: 701-222-0647
www.discoverbismarckmandan.com
Fargo-Moorhead CVB
2001 44th Street SW
Fargo ND 58103
701-282-3653
800-235-7654
www.fargomoorhead.org
Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation
PO Box 198
Medora ND 58645
701-623-4444
800-633-6721
www.medora.com
Valley City Chamber of Commerce
250 West Main
Valley City ND 58072
701-845-1891
http://www.hellovalley.com
Buffalo City Tourism Foundation
PO Box 917
Jamestown ND 58402
701-251-58402
http://www.tourjamestown.com/
Dickinson CVB
72 E. Museum Drive
Dickinson ND 58601
701-483-4988
800-279-7391
http://www.dickinsoncvb.com
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| Attractions that have been included in this trip: |
| McKenzie County Heritage Park |
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