We enjoyed a few days away “up north” and in the state of North Dakota. Because we were taking our grandson, Tayden, to church camp at Park Rapids, MN, and then returning to pick him up, we had a few days to explore and see some places we had never been. Medora, ND, was a place that we had been told was worth traveling to see. It lies almost on the Montana border, and is at the entrance of the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Medora is a town of little size, four to five blocks wide and long, but don’t let that fool you about what it has to offer. It is bursting with activities not only to see and experience, but it also includes many places to camp, shop, eat, worship, and stay. The beauty that surrounds the town in the Badlands of North Dakota is amazing. We enjoyed our ride to Medora from the Fargo area, and our first stop was the Painted Canyon Visitors Center. It is on the upper margin of the Badlands with a beautiful view of the broken and colorful land below. In the center itself, we learned about some history of the National Park and what it has to offer from the knowledgeable staff.
Once we had checked in to our motel, we traveled to the edge of town to enjoy an evening “up” on a bluff with magnificent views of the Badlands and the Little Missouri River below. Our taste buds were totally satisfied at the Pitchfork Fondue. We were in a line of a few hundred people to enjoy steak, bison, chicken, or barbecued ribs and all the fixings to go with it. The steak is actually prepared on real pitchforks, and was so tender and delicious. Our meal was enjoyed with some new friends from Florida and North Dakota that came to see the beautiful sights too.
After the meal, we walked to our next destination and traveled “up” again, this time on an outside escalator, to find our seats at the Medora Musical. The setting is a replica of the first buildings of Medora, with a large stage in front. As you look behind and around the stage, again the beauty of the Badlands captivates your attention. The show is a combination of the history of the area, along with dancing and singing of a large cast of young and old alike to entertain you. It was delightful, and it was fun to see so many young families there enjoying the action out under the stars!
We spent the next morning enjoying the Medora Gospel Brunch. It is a fairly new addition to the great activities at Medora, but probably our favorite time spent there. Not only was the food sensational, but the music was fantastic. The performers were top-notch and put on a super celebration in song. A couple hundred of us were there that morning, and the building was pretty much filled with good smells and great visiting and music. The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation also puts on a Magical Medora Christmas Show which travels in a three state area. This year it will be presented at three Minnesota sites – Alexandria, Henning, and Bloomington. Two South Dakota locations as well – Aberdeen and Spearfish.
We took in a couple more “shows”. Todd Oliver and his “talking” dog was hilarious. This man brought much laughter to the audience with his skills as a ventriloquist and a magician. He has been on many late night shows, and is a fourth place winner on American Idol. We also appreciated the presentation of a man who impersonated Theodore Roosevelt and told his personal life story.
The remainder of our time was spent scoping out as much of the national park that we could in the daylight hours. The Theodore Roosevelt National Park was established in 1947 to honor President Roosevelt, and to provide a place to experience the Badlands in our own ways.
Roosevelt first came to the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. Just one year later he lost both his mother and his wife on Valentines Day, which led him back to the Badlands area to grieve and lose himself in the vastness. He eventually became a cattle rancher, and in this broken, but beautiful land found adventure and purpose again. Though his ranch ultimately failed, he loved the rugged beauty of the area. Eventually he wanted to preserve the land from being over used and hunted which led him into ground-breaking preservation efforts. Under his leadership the United States Forest Service was established, and several national monuments were set up. Five national parks, 150 national forests, and dozens of federal reserves were created. Over 230 million acres of protected land were set aside so future Americans could enjoy what he loved.
As we meandered up and around the park itself, we saw bison, deer, prairie dog towns, and to our amazement, about a dozen wild horses up close and personal. We sat on the edge of the road with about six other cars watching these horses and colts. They were actually just feet from us, some laying and others munching on grass. Beautiful creatures and at peace in this rocky, broken wilderness with endless grasses to graze.
If you are looking for a fun place to go for a few days away, we would recommend a road trip north! The beauty and the scenery is completely different than southwest Minnesota for sure, and the area is rich in history. Bentonite, a fine-grained, blue-gray clay defines the Badlands landscape. The dark band of color is a lignite coal seam. Other places are grassy and broken, choppy land. While yet in another place alive with prairie dogs, the vegetation is short and more flat. Something worth seeing and remembering!
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