No joke...I'm taking a 4-day trip there (out of Fargo) to see the state as a tourist in late May.

Have been to the state twice by car and was literally chased out both times by approaching bad weather (once severe thunderstorms, once a blizzard).

Am getting there on a mileage-discounted award ticket on a deal where it was one of few places that had seats. The rental car deal is excellent - 4 days at $45 all-in grand total and unlimited miles. Seems like Fargo is the only place in the state with that.

Weather permitting, the bias is toward outdoor stuff and quiet natural settings, with Theodore Roosevelt National Park topping the list. Other suggestions welcome.

Are there any standout places to eat in Bismark, Minot or Dickinson? Scandinavian? Steakhouses?

I notice Winnipeg also is within driving distance. Does anyone go there if they're bored?

Suggestions welcome.

This doesn't directly answer your question, but the last time I was in Minot I saw a t-shirt that on one side had the Chamber of Commerce slogan, "Why Not Minot?" and on the other side said "Freezin's the Reason"

For what it's worth, a lot of people from Canada drive down to Minot to go to the mall.

Lots of people drive from Winnipeg to Grand Forks to go to the mall, but that's mainly because of the difference in sales tax between Canada and North Dakota, and the general ability of Canadians to manipulate the duty-free limitations to their advantage. The mall itself is nothing special.

To the OP: Teddy Roosevelt NP is worth a visit. Just keep in mind it's a long drive across the state from Fargo. Don't forget to factor that in. It's actually a shorter drive from Fargo to Minneapolis than it is from Fargo to the western half of North Dakota.

The Missouri River corridor through the middle of the state may be worth a few stops.

Winnipeg? Well, it's actually a very nice city but I'm not sure it would be worth a side trip. Make Winnipeg a trip in and of itself and use it as a launching point to explore the wilds of northern Manitoba.

If you are a baseball fan, be sure to check out the Roger Maris Museum in the West Acres Mall in Fargo (www.rogermarismuseum.com). It is free.

Across the river in Moorhead see the Viking ship and the stave church at the
Hjemkomst Center (www.hjemkomst-center.com).

If you head out west to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park consider the attractions in Medora (www.medora.com). You might want to check out the
Pitchfork Fondue. I'm not sure at which point in the spring / summer Medora hits its full stride but the website should help.

If you are into golfing, consider golfing Bully Pulpit at Medora or HawkTree in Bismarck. Both are reported to be very special courses.

For Scandinavian lore, that would be Minot and the Scandinavian Park (another stave church). www.scandinavianheritage.org

Other ideas may be found at www.ndtourism.com

Late May is really too early for the Peace Garden to be in all its stunning glory but if a future trip brings you back later in the summer, it might be worth the drive.

Have a great trip!

I think the speed limit is 75mph on the Interstate. You should be able to safely cruise at 80 without a ticket.

If you are driving past Rugby, ND you will see a stack of rocks marking the geographical center of North America.
The Roger Maris Museum is a nice and free (as mentioned in a previous post).
The best place I found to stay in Medora is an AmericInn. In the summer I have had trouble finding rooms along the interstate - but because you are travelling in May you probably will not have a problem. If this is a concern to you at all you may want to do a quick check on availablity.

I second the suggestion of the AmericInn as your choice of lodging if you choose to stay in Medora.

Yeah, I went out of my way once in ND to see this. Nothing exciting, but if you're a geography nerd, it's kind of cool.

Thanks for the great suggestions. I think I'll make Bismarck the base for all four nights thanks to the Orbitz $75-off deal on lodgings (which dropped the all-in total for 4 nights down to $81, hard to resist). Will try to do TR national park and Minot as long daytrips, possibly on circle routes. Won't get much time in Fargo and will probably have to miss Grand Forks by having a bias toward the western part of the state.

Oh my goodness that will be a lot of driving. I would think any hotel savings would be gobbled right up in gas costs.

A concern, for sure. Ideally the routes back won't be the same as those going out, and daylight would have to be maximized (not that many places are known for nightlife!)

If you plan to do Minot - Bismarck via US 83 you might want to consider taking 1804 along the Missouri River. You would be sacrificing speed for scenery.

Named for the year Lewis and Clark arrived in the area, its partner 1806 runs along the other side. 1804 is hilly and curvy so if you don't like that sort of driving, stick to US 83. Regardless of your route, you might want to consider the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center just north of Washburn on 83.

Also, the main sights at the Heritage Park in Minot are all outdoors so dress accordingly. (The park is right on US 83 which is known as "Broadway" in Minot.) Uff da! That is a lot to remember!

Thanks. I'm definitely agreeable to taking scenic routes. ^

This thread reminded me of a trip I took back in September 2003. Back then, I had found a cheap fare from MSP to Lisbon on FT. As I needed a separate ticket between SEA-MSP and was between jobs, I decided to work in a little side trip. I was trying to visit all 50 states and was probably up to about 41 states by then. I had a large cluster of missing states centered around the Dakotas. A friend of mine who made regular visits to South Dakota suggested that I rent a car at MSP and try to hit a bunch of my missing states.

On my return from Portugal, I rented a car at Minneapolis and drove east and crossed the bridge into Wisconsin. I then turned around and headed west on I-94 across Minnesota. After I crossed into North Dakota, I turned south on I-29 and made my way toward South Dakota. I spent the night somewhere north of Sioux Falls. The next day I continued south on I-29 and made my way into Iowa and ended up in Omaha, where I flew back to MSP in the late afternoon. I think I drove about 6 hours each day and still had time to visit spots along the way.

Over a course of two days and one night, I was able to check off 6 states from my list. I finished all 50 states last year.

North Dakota has a way of making it onto the final five for many people. Michael Stipe of REM told an audience at a Missoula, MT, REM concert in 2003 that it was the only state in the country he hadn't been to.

I got to it first as a sidetrip from MSP (stayed only a few hours because of an approaching blizzard) and as a sidetrip from RAP (stayed only an hour or two because of approaching severe thunderstorms). The RAP trip was useful for adding 3 states.

#50 was Vermont, accessed from Montreal. Thankfully the U.S. immigration person wasn't nosy enough to make me explain the reason for the trip.