Roadtrip to Bismarck

I really never thought I would see the state of North Dakota so early on in my life. I love to travel and want to see every state and every country that I possibly can but North Dakota was never at the top of my list to get to first, even when I moved to Montana it was still 7 hours away and what’s there? So I thought I still wouldn’t head out that way. But then my boyfriend moved there and North Dakota became number one on my list. I was able to leave work around 1 p.m. last Friday and started the over 9 hour drive to Bismarck, ND. Going through Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota there is not much to see. Lots of pretty scenery to look at sure but very few signs of civilization. There’s also not a gas station or rest stop every few miles so you really need to plan when you are going to stop in advance so you be sure you can make it there. Anyways, as I drove East I also left the mountains, which was good for my car. My poor, poor, 1998, 4 cylinder, Rav 4. It did such a good job on the drive and I’m very proud of it but trying to get through mountains that things sounds like it is very mad at you. So I was happy to be traveling to flatter lands that would make my car happy.

I took several pictures of the landscape as I drove on. I mean you have to entertain yourself somehow on that long of drive by yourself. And I also took pictures of things I found strange or interesting. One was a dinosaur head sticking out of a building but sadly since I was in a moving vehicle when I snapped the picture a tree happened to be covering up the dinosaur head. Other than that there was the sign for “Bad Route Road.” Seriously? Who named that? And do people actually travel on it because to me I think I would avoid anything called that. There was also a sign for “Home on the Range” and looking off to my left at that moment there were some hills that had “Home on the Range” written on them. The sign for the exit said “No Services” So I’m not sure what goes on at Home on the Range, you can’t even get gas or pee there so I’m thinking it’s just some hills for people to take pictures of. North Dakota, as I have learned also loves ridiculously large structures of animals. I saw a large metal structure called “Geese in Flight” and also Salem Sue. Sue is a giant cow statue in New Salem, North Dakota. There are several more of these things throughout the state, according to North Dakota tourism websites but sadly they were not all on the highway I was driving.

When I did make it to Bismark it was about 11 p.m. and I was very excited because I had to pee very badly from drinking a large Rockstar. (Sorry again to my bf for yelling at him when I first got in, I blame my bladder stress) But I saw Bismarck in the daylight the next day and it was so nice and green. Green grass, green trees, and a river! See in Butte, MT there’s no large river and there’s not much green either. The town doesn’t get enough precipitation to have green. Bismarck also has chain stores. A Kohl’s, Best Buy, and Coldstone should not excite me so but alas they do after 6 months in a town without. I also found a store called Scheels. I had never heard of this place but it was magnificent. It’s an athletic outdoorsy kind of store and I know that does not seem like my kind of place. But I so badly needed new running shoes so that day it was my place. (I have yet to find a place to buy running shoes in Butte) Scheels was very helpful. The girl told me what kind of brands are best for my flat feet and they even had socks for you to try on the shoes with! Silly me, I had just purchased some at Target for the sole purpose of trying on sneakers. Oh well. OH and that reminds me Bismarck has a Target! Again, Butte does not haha.

While in Bismark Joseph and I went to dinner at a local place called “The Walrus.” They have a ton of different beers so I tried one that comes from Wisconsin called Sunset Harvest. It was pretty tasty. The food is not bad as well. Later we went to Captain Jack’s Liquor Land. It’s pretty much a massive liquor store with a pirate theme. We picked up a small heinekin keg because it was a better deal than cans or bottles of beer. Next up was glow in the dark bowling with Joey’s co-workers. Oh man I have not been glow in the dark bowling in a long time. But when you add beer from the bowling alley, nostalgic 90’s music, and a group of fun, nice 20 year olds it’s not a bad time.

The next day I had to head home but not before some brunch at Kroll’s diner. A Bismarck place that serves up some very tasty skillets. The skillets are basically all your breakfast foods mixed together in…a skillet! So yep I had eggs, hash browns, cheese, and bacon all mixed together. Oh and this was all digested while sitting in some sweet 50’s style turquoise booths. But all in all it was a long drive but I did much better with it than I thought I would and it was nice to explore part of a state I had never experienced before.