Where the Journey is the Destination: The Enchanted Highway

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Seth5544

North Dakota has plenty of good things going for it. The oil boom has brought the Roughrider State back to the forefront recently. But although it has been said that ND has no real “major” tourist attractions, it does have a stretch of road 30 miles long dotted with giant roadside gooders called “The Enchanted Highway.” This thoroughfare between I-94 and Regent, ND is home to 7 scrap-metal sculptures and ends in the small town of Regent, where something even more interesting is being built.

The first attraction that beckons you off the interstate at Gladstone, ND, called “Geese in Flight,” is a 110-ft tall, 154-ft wide piece that is Guiness-certified as the World’s Largest Scrap Metal Sculpture. It’s an eye shape with geese portrayed as flying westward. Continue reading →

A Tale of Two Fish – Garrison, ND/MN

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Seth5544

Minnesota and North Dakota don’t generally pretend to be big rivals. Both are very different, and their viewpoints on one another generally differ depending on what side of the river you’re on. We share a handful of towns with the same name (Medina, Underwood, Golden Valley, Rogers, Crosby, to name a few), and some might argue that’s where the similarities end. Well that, and some damn cold winters.
Continue reading →

New Salem Sue, New Salem, ND

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Seth5544

This is New Salem Sue. Built in the 1970’s, this 40-ft tall fiberglass statue commonly makes the best-of lists for roadside wonders around the country. It is the World’s Largest Holstein Cow. She sits high up on a butte, facing the interstate, and is visible for miles from either direction. New Salem Sue represents the local dairy farming found in this area, and is without question, one of the best roadside attractions in the Midwest.

The view from New Salem Sue looks across the open prairie of North Dakota and to the rolling, butte country to the west. On a clear day you can see past the horizon to the neighboring counties. It’s worth every second of the drive off the interstate.

New Salem Sue has been begging motorists off the road for decades and for good reason. It’s a roadside classic, a titan of the Midwest, putting this tiny town on the map and will be around for many generations to come.

While in the area: Keep heading west and check out the Enchanted Highway, or the awesome old-west town of Medora.

5 Reasons North Dakota is Actually Pretty Cool

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Seth5544

As a Minnesota native, I have spent quite a bit of time exploring the vast expanses of our neighbor to the west, North Dakota. I went to college there, was born in Fargo, and have a lot of family and friends all over the state. ND gets a bad rap, due to people’s misconceptions. But, this list will show you 5 legitimate reasons that ND is at the top of the country’s 10 hidden places most people don’t know about, which might not be a bad thing to keep it as such. Continue reading →

Tommy Turtle – Bottineau, ND

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Seth5544

Here in the north-central North Dakota town of Bottineau, on the edge of the Turtle Mountains, sits Tommy Turtle, riding on an old-school snowmobile. One of the all-time classics, this bad boy is worth every second of a trip across the frozen tundra.

While in the area: Check out Lake Metigoshe State Park. One of ND’s best kept secrets. The Lake spans across the border into Canada and is accessible from both countries. This wooded, scenic, recreation-friendly lake might make you almost forget you’re in the middle of the Great Plains.