Margo

Husband and I will be taking a car trip through South and North Dakota next week. We will be passing through Bismarck for a day. What is recommended to see there? What is a good restaurant for dinner. We like off-beat and unusual things, historic sites, scenic drives. We already know about the world's biggest Holstein Cow out on the highway near there. North Dakota is the only state in the USA that we haven't been in so this is it.

Thanks, Margo

mlm59

You must drive about 50 miles north to Washburn to the Lewis & Clark center. We greatly enjoyed visiting there. When we were in Bismarck we also visited Fort Abraham Lincoln and went to the state capitol grounds - a really neat sculpture of Sacajewa. Can't remember the name of where we ate. It was a Mexican place that was okay but nothing special.

Fodorite018

Yup, the Salem Sue Cow! It really is quite interesting. Not too far off the freeway, and you must go to the top.

Margo

Any more recommendations? A good restaurant in Bismarck? Anyone visited the Lawrence Welk birthplace farm near Strasburg, ND?

bachslunch

Haven't been, but my research suggests there isn't much beyond the state capitol building and a nearby state history museum. Both are apparently on the capitol grounds area.

Fodorite018

Margo--I don't remember how far it is, but just west of Bismark is Dickinson and there is a great broasted chicken place there. I think the name is Jack's. Anyway, a friend who is from there recommended it to us and it was very good. It has been a while since we drove through there, but she has mentioned several times that it is still there and still good.

Margo

Here is an update of what we did in North Dakota. Went to Theodore Roosevelt National Park at Medora. Took the lovely 26 miles scenic drive through the park. Saw buffalo, many praire dog towns, pronghorn antelope, and a deer. It was a beautiful day and lovely drive. We stayed in Medora 2 nights at the Americinn, about the only motel in town. We saw the Medora Musical which was nice local entertainment.

Two days later we drove to Bismarck, past the largest Holstein Cow (terribly overrated, I'm afraid) and stayed in the Holiday Inn Express. Ate at the Fiesta Villa--A Mexican restaurant in the old train station. I was served the strangest Margarita that I have ever had, but then I figured that they were so far away from Mexico that the recipe was lost!! Also drove by the State Capitol building which was also the strangest capitol building that I have seen. It looked like at Soviet style building, a 14 story office building, but was lovingly called Art-deco style. Nice statue of Sakajewa nearby.

Finally on the way back down to South Dakota, we stopped in Strasburg, ND, at the birthplace of Lawrence Welk. A typical farm on the praire. Welk left the farm on his 21st birthday and moved to California with his accordian.

Interesting trip, including the days that we Spent in the Black Hills and the Badlands.

Margo

RedRock

Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park

http://www.parkrec.nd.gov/parks/flsp.htm

Margo

Yes, Redrock, we did go to Abraham Lincoln State Park. It was a little out of town (Bismarck) but was on a pretty stretch of the river. Lots of history happened there from Indians, Louis and Clark, military fort and maybe more. We did spend some time in the museum but did not go out to the Fort buildings.

Margo