Chapter 26 - Exciting Road Trip to North Dakota to Visit Long Time Friends

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Hi, it's Corp & Tammy again...this time road tripping to visit friends in North Dakota!

On September 29, we kicked off the trip with a one-night stop in Dilworth, MN where we enjoyed a fun time with Darsey and Pat, friends we have known since our 20's.  As always, they showed us a great time in Fargo/Moorhead with lots of laughs.  

Jumping for joy...we made it to Dilworth!

The highlight of the night was when I discovered Pat's love of Almanzo Wilder from Little House on the Prairie when she was 13 years old.  We spent the next 30 minutes Googling trying to find the most ridiculous Almanzo gifts we could find.

This was the funniest Almanzo Wilder gift we could find! 
It still makes me laugh....who would wear this? 
Oh wait...my friend Pat who still thinks he's a hottie.

The next stop was Williston, ND where we visited Rick, Heidi, and Victoria. 

Along the way, we enjoyed the vast expanse of the big sky.

This sculpture, "Geese in Flight" is on the Enchanted Highway (I-94 by Exit 72) and is the 2002 Genius World Record for Largest Scrap Metal Sculpture. 


The Enchanted Highway is a 32 mile stretch of highway about one hour from Bismarck, ND that features more than a dozen of the world's largest scrap metal sculptures.  When we drove through we had no idea there were more sculptures off Exit 72 or we would have exited for sure to check them all out.  

The closer we got to Williston the more we saw natural gas flames burning off in the distance from the oil rigs.

It's too bad they can't harness some of the energy from the natural gas burning for energy reuse.

We were happy to arrive in Williston after 6 hours of driving.

Jumping for joy again....we made it to Williston!


We toured Williston and visited some fun bars and restaurants – including one with a giant pretzel and a super scary clown.  Reminded us of the Stephen King "It" clown.

Heidi and I enjoying a Mai tai in Downtown Williston.

Saying cheese (left to right) Rick, Corp, Heidi, and I.

Even though it was drizzling, we checked out the massive Lake Sakakawea reservoir.  It's their go to lake for boating and it's 177 miles long.  It is also the largest man-made lake located entirely within North Dakota.  Who knew?

Photo courtesy of North Dakota Tourism.


Victoria had a blast showing us her Polaris RZR!

Victoria gave me a quick ride in her rig and it was a lot of fun!

Victoria insisted Corp drive it too...fun time! 
Next time we visit, we are going to bring our Polaris Ranger and go riding in the Badlands.

It was great spending time with them in their new home.

Victoria and I dancing to "Jumpin' by Pitbull.  She is always the best dance partner!

Heidi took a photo of me lounging on their beautiful patio. Adorned with lovely flowers, the patio featured decor straight out of a "Southern Living" magazine.

Our next stop was New Rockford, ND where we visited Corp's high school friend Justin. I was super excited he took us to see bison at his friend's house – they are huge! 

Justin told us bison are incredibly aggressive and unpredictable animals.  The fence didn't look strong enough to keep them in. 

We also went to Justin's bar, Buck Its, and played a game of chance by spinning the wheel for free drinks.

Corp, Justin, and I in front of his deer rear end beer tap at Buck Its Bar.



I'm spinning the Buck It's Bar Wheel of Fortune.

I won a free drink after spinning the Wheel of Fortune.

Next stop was Devils Lake where we visited the White Horse National Game Preserve.  On the audio tour route, we spotted wild bison and tried to snap a picture, but they were hiding in the trees.

The hill climb was fun exercise and the view at the top of Sully's Hill was incredible.

I know prairie dogs are a nuisance to farmers, but they are really fun to watch run around. 

Downtown Devils Lake was a surprise.  It has a strong historic feel with quite a few retail and dining options.

Well, that's a wrap for Chapter 26. 

Goodbye for now, 

Corp (Crabby) & Tammy (Chipper)


 


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