Living Legendarily: A Welcome
Before I moved to North Dakota I wanted to learn everything I could about the Peace Garden state— from state symbols to important people to the climate. Now that I’m here, I want to see and do everything I can.
When I lived in Washington, DC my goal was to try to visit as many museums as I could, and see at least one sporting event for each local team. When I lived in Los Angeles, my plan was to take advantage of day trips out of the city to the deserts and mountains and oceans. And now that I’m in Bismarck, the objective is a little broader, and a little more ambitious. The goal is to find out what makes this state legendary. I plan to visit state parks, historical sites, lakes and rivers, museums, fairs, sporting events, cultural centers, and everything in between. I want to do everything.
And the best part is that this is all uncharted territory for me. I’m kind of like a modern-day Lewis and Clark. (I’m only half-kidding). Although, I have a little more direction than those two, thanks to North Dakota Tourism. They’ve given me brochures and guides for almost everything, so I’m well equipped.
My journey through North Dakota begins now. And whether you’ve been here your whole life, or you’re considering a vacation to the Northern Plains, maybe this will inspire you to live legendarily too.
Udderly Huge: The World’s Largest Holstein Cow
7/7/10
Salem Sue is the largest of any of the North Dakota large animal sculptures. FYI for out-of-staters, there are a lot: the turtle in Bottineau, the wheel turtle in Dunseith, the walleye in Garrison, the buffalo in Jamestown, the crane in Steele, the catfish in Whapeton, and then all the sculptures on the Enchanted Highway. I plan to see all of them.
There are many roadside cows across the country, in Georgia, Illinois, Texas, and Wisconsin. But Salem Sue is the biggest! The World’s Largest Holstein Cow made of fiberglass. The New Salem Lions Club had her built in 1974 to honor the dairy industry. Sue stands at 38 feet tall, weighs 12,000 pounds, and is so big that she was built in three sections to get her up the hill.
The Orange Women: Syracuse for My Best Friend’s Wedding
7/31/10
I moved to Bismarck from California. But my home will always be New York. I grew up in a suburb outside of Syracuse, where I met seven of the most wonderful people in my life— my best friends, my lifetime friends. Over the years, we all spread out across the map, and found jobs in teaching, medicine, business, law and journalism. All of us were so different, and yet that’s probably why we complemented each other so well. And despite the states between us, we all grew even closer as we got older. So when one of the girls announced that she was getting married, and wanted all of us to be in her wedding, there was no doubt that we would all be there for her big day.
They were married on July 31st at Hendricks Chapel on the Syracuse University campus, where the couple met at graduate school. The bride looked absolutely beautiful, and so perfectly happy. The bridal party was decked out in bright, iridescent orange-coral, which is the university’s color. And pictures were taken all over the campus, and even in front of the Carrier Dome.
The whole weekend was a series of memories in the making, ending with a wedding brunch at the bride’s parent’s house. The few hours that were left of my weekend were spent with my family eating lots of blueberry pie and playing with the dog. And almost as quickly as I had said hello, it was time to say goodbye.
Kuchen, KISS and Livestock, Oh My!: The North Dakota State Fair
7/24/10
Nothing says summer like a trip to the state fair. In New York, I can remember the giant butter sculpture, and standing in a ridiculously long line to get chocolate milk for 25 cents. I also remember being with my best friends from high school eating pizza-frite and riding the roller coasters and tilt-a-whirls. Later, when we got older, we went to the concerts, like Britney Spears in her heyday. (Yes, I just publicly admitted that I went to a Britney concert.)
In North Dakota, there are the racing pigs, sheep shearing competitions, and German foods that I’m finally learning how to pronounce. I went with my Country Morning Today co-anchor Joel on Saturday to do a few stories. It was probably 90 degrees out, if not hotter, and we were lugging around bulky camera equipment. I pride myself on being strong, but man, that tripod was heavy.
I met two professional sand sculptors, Alan Matsumoto and Justin Yun. They explained the process of sand sculpting, and even let me help them! So I took off my shoes, climbed up on top of the wooden platform and buried my feet in the sand. And let me tell you, sand sculpting is even harder than it looks— literally. The block of sand is so packed that it’s hard to chip away at it. To watch them in action check out the story online: Sculpting Sand Art
Also, I tried kuchen for the first time! I had been hearing about the German dessert since I moved to North Dakota, but I had never tried it. Fortunately, the kind owners of Wagner’s Wagon were more than delighted to indulge me. And they even sent me home with a whole bag of mini kuchens to take back to the newsroom! The mom-and-pop shop is based in Mercer, North Dakota, but their products can be found at some local stores throughout the state. To see my reaction to kuchen, and to learn more about the company watch the story online:
Fairgoers Line Up for Kuchen at Wagner`s Wagon
The Mini Apple: Twin Cities, Baseball Game, and Beer Fest
7/16/10- 7/18/10
New York. Los Angeles. Washington, DC. San Francisco. Chicago. When you think of major cities in the country those are some that usually come to mind. No offense to Minneapolis or St. Paul, but sometimes the Twin Cities get overlooked. But they shouldn’t.
On Friday, immediately after the Noon Report, I filled up my car with gas and hit the open road. And it sure was open. There wasn’t much to look at for the first three hours. By the time I got an hour outside of Fargo, I was starting to get sleepy. I stopped at a Caribou to get caffeine—which I never drink—and was wide-awake and jittery for the rest of the drive. The reason I was headed to Minneapolis was to see one of my best friends from high school who got a job working for Target Corporation. She goes to business school at Northwestern, and is only staying in Minneapolis for the summer.
I got in around 8:30 p.m., and we headed out for dinner reservations an hour later. I was craving sushi, so my friend booked a table at Azia. After lots of sake, raw fish, and edamame, we were stuffed and ready to meet up with my friend’s coworkers. I have never not finished a plate of sushi when it was in front of me, no matter how full I was. But this time was the exception.
I didn’t go to the Mall of America on this trip— mainly because I wasn’t in the mood for it, and also because I wanted to see more of the city. And I did. We walked around a lot. And we tried to cover as much as we could in the short amount of time. We even briefly stopped by the Target Headquarters, because my friend had to pick up something, and just because I wanted to see where the magic happens. The rest of Saturday afternoon was spent at a microbrew festival in St. Paul’s Highland Forest called the Beer Dabbler Showcase. For $25 you a little glass to sample beers from 40 different 
breweries. The event was really fun, and it was nice to spend the day outside. The rain held off for the most part, but towards the end it started pouring and the park got all muddy. After that we headed to Target Field for the Twins/White Sox game. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to stop back at the apartment to change so I was wearing White Sox colors to the game!!! I was mortified!! The game was awesome, as pro baseball games always are. I’ve been to Dodgers, National’s, and Philly’s games so far that I can remember. Sadly, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the Yankees. I’m one of those people who favors teams based on my location. So obviously, when I was in LA I liked the Dodgers, and now that I live here I like the Twins.
After the game we walked back to the apartment to freshen up before dinner. By night two I wanted Thai food (if you couldn’t tell, I love ethnic food), so we went to this fantastic place where we once again ordered too much food. But I needed to get my Thai fix from Tom Kha soup and Pad See Ew. We went out after that, even though we were all exhausted from a long day in the heat.
On Sunday we went to lunch at a bakery/café called Yum. It was absolutely delicious, and I highly recommend it. It reminds me of this wonderful place down the street from where I used to live in LA called Alcove. I had a seared ahi tuna sandwich with homemade potato chips and a deli pickle. Unfortunately, I couldn’t spend the day in the city because I had to head back. So after a long, leisurely lunch I left Minneapolis at around 1 pm and got on I-94. Of course, I made a few stops along the way to Trader Joe’s and a shopping mall.
I really enjoyed my time in the Twin Cities, and only wish I could have stayed longer. I love how bike trails wind through both of the cities, that there are tea shops on every corner, and there are lots of organic and natural foods restaurants. I like how Minneapolis has the feeling of a big city, without the claustrophobia and overpopulation of New York, or the pollution and traffic congestion like Los Angeles. It was a wonderful weekend, spent with a good friend, in a great city. And I plan to go back again next month.
The Corps of Discovery: Fort Mandan and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center
7/11/10
On warm, sunny weekends in Bismarck, the Missouri river is covered with pontoons. People are sun bathing, water skiing, or just enjoying the ride. But before it was our Missouri, it was theirs.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left for the expedition in 1804, traveling up the river. They met up with interpreter Sacajawea or Sakakawea in North Dakota. There are different spellings and different pronunciations based on the region. Sakakawea was the only woman to travel with the Corps of Discovery. The whole journey took more than two years and covered over 8,000 miles. And when they returned, they were heroes. 
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn is a tribute to their journey, with focus on their time spent at Fort Mandan. The museum moves in chronological order, starting with how they met, and their orders for the mission. There are tons of artifacts from their expedition, and some hands-on tools to understand how they traveled. There is a giant buffalo robe that you can try on—which I didn’t try on since it’s the middle of summer—and a cradle-board similar to what Sakakawea may have used to carry her baby—which I did try on and man, was it heavy! I can’t imagine carrying that thing on a long trek on foot. It was almost half the length of me. Sakakawea must have been ripped.
About a mile down the road is Fort Mandan, where Lewis and Clark met the Mandan Indians and their travel guide, Sakakawea. This is a reconstructed fort, with full-sized refurnished rooms to show how they lived during that winter of 1804-1805. The fort is three-sided, because it was easier to protect and it required less resources. Obviously you would need fewer men protecting a fort with three walls than one with four. Maybe that’s a model jails or department stores should look into.
Everyone knows (or learned and briefly remembers) the story of Lewis and Clark, even if no one can remember Clark’s first name. Meriwether is just so much more memorable, even though William is one of the most common names ever. Or maybe it’s just me.
During this fun-filled day of L/C history, I learned some interesting facts about their journey:
* There were about 30-35 people along the expedition, including one woman, one baby, and one dog.
* They discovered more than a hundred new animals, and nearly 200 new plants.
* The cost of the journey cost about $38,000, which would be about $126 million today.
* Lewis and Clark were best friends and actually got along really well, despite having opposite personalities.
* Sakakawea was around 16 years old.
* Sakakawea was miraculously reunited with her Shoshone brother Cameahwait while moving westward. She hadn’t seen him in about ten years, which was right before a hunting party kidnapped her.
* Lewis and Clark sent a prairie dog back to Thomas Jefferson.
* Lewis was deeply troubled, and suffered from depression. His death has always been a controversy about whether he was murdered or if he committed suicide.
* Romantics like to believe Clark and Sakakawea had a romantic relationship, but most reports indicate that’s not true. Although, Clark did raise Sakakawea’s baby, Jean-Baptise Charbonneau (or Little Pomp, as Clark nicknamed him), after they returned from the exploration.
A Prairie Rose Between Two Thorns: The North Dakota Heritage Center
7/11/10
I just have to say the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck is pretty impressive. It’s a hidden gem of the state’s history located right next to the Capitol. If you’re visiting Bismarck, it’s a must-see. And if you’re from here, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have visited already.
First of all, the center is free, which is a steal. Secondly, it houses some pretty cool artifacts. The main gallery features millions of years of North Dakota history, and is broken up into seven different areas starting from dinosaurs to the Great Depression era.
It takes a little over an hour to get through the whole thing, with time to stop at the gift shop.
Rustic, Rugged, Roosevelt: Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park
7/10/10
There¡¦s this song by Antje Duvekot called ¡§Long Way,¡¨ about traveling across the country. And there¡¦s this one lyric: the badlands touched me more than I could explain. Ever since I heard that song I wanted to see the badlands. Today I did. And now it makes sense.
My family and I took a trip to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, and we all agreed that it was a scenic wonder. From some of the high points, you can look out and see for miles and miles. The best way to describe it may be to use TR¡¦s own words: the badlands are ¡§so fantastically broken in form and so bizarre in color as to seem hardly property to belong to this earth.¡¨ Translation: there are some awe-inspiring geologic formations that you wouldn¡¦t see anywhere else. The best part was the wildlife. I saw my first wild buffalo (or bison) ever! Most of the drive consisted of us looking out the windows obsessively, determined to see a bison. My mother explained that when she was in Yellowstone, they would watch for other cars pulled over on the side of the road because there was a good chance they had found something.
So, I¡¦m driving and I see a minivan pulled over with about six people looking into the distance at something. I pull over and park behind their vehicle, but we don¡¦t get out. We notice that they keep looking back at us in our car, and we¡¦re wondering why they¡¦re staring, and if maybe we should just keep driving. Then, we notice they¡¦re pointing. By this time we realize they¡¦re not staring at us¡K they¡¦re staring at the massive bison that¡¦s barreling down the hill and coming towards us. Now, just five minutes earlier my brother was saying that bison can run 40 mph, and if it charges you, you will be gored to death. Also the park cautions visitors not to get closer than 100 yards to them. This is all running through my head as I see a buffalo approaching our car. So, I hit the accelerator and drove off. Later we saw herds of them sun-tanning themselves in the fields. After seeing a few dozen bison, the excitement never wore thin.
There are many wildlife species that inhabit the park like bison, elk, prairie dogs, deer, grouse, eagles, and horses. Although the highlight of my day was seeing wild bison, the cutest and coolest critters in the park were definitely the prairie dogs. I wanted to steal one and take it home with me. 
But then I figured I wouldn¡¦t be able to give him the same kind of social environment he would need. Nor do I have the ideal environment for a prairie animal. He would be bored and then I would feel badly about it. Plus, it¡¦s probably illegal to take animals out of the park. (And realistically, it would probably be hard to snatch one of the little creatures before he ran away into one of his burrows.) So, no, there isn¡¦t a prairie dog hanging out in my apartment, but I do have lots of pictures of them because they were just so cute! And there were tons of them! Later I learned that they are pesky animals that ruin land (since the earth is their playground) and poison is used to control the prairie dog population. Luckily they have a safe habitat at the park.
We also saw lots of wild horses. The park attendant told us we probably wouldn¡¦t see elk or deer since it was hot, and they would be keeping cool under shaded trees. I had hoped the rattlesnakes would be hiding too.
When Teddy Roosevelt spent his time in North Dakota he stayed at the Maltese Cross Ranch (also called the Chimney Butte Ranch). It¡¦s a small cabin that he designed himself with separate rooms¡Xwhich was a novel idea back then for cabins since most were built as only one giant room because it was easier to heat. The tour guide did a great job explaining everything, although every five minutes I wondered how he was able to remember everything without messing up. I¡¦m not a history buff. It¡¦s all fascinating but it usually goes in one ear, stays for a few seconds, and then passes through the other ear.
Here is what I do remember: Teddy¡¦s brother went abroad and hunted exotic animals, and being competitive, Teddy decided he wanted to hunt a beast himself. He enlisted the help of a guide and planned a journey through North Dakota to hunt buffalo. The guide was a bit apprehensive of the hunting trip because Teddy was a rich, city boy, and he was afraid he wouldn¡¦t be able to rough it. The guide later retracted those sentiments when they found themselves sleeping outside in the rain and Teddy said something along the lines of ¡§isn¡¦t this great?¡¨ The cabin was built so Teddy would have a play to stay when he went hunting. Unfortunately, his most memorable trip was when he came back to the cabin to regroup after his mother and wife died on the same day, February 14. His time in North Dakota was marked as a pivotal moment in his life, and said he never would have been president if he hadn¡¦t spent time in North Dakota.
Maybe that right there is one of the reasons why this state is so legendary.
Little House on the Prairie: Fort Lincoln and On-A-Slant Mandan Indian Village
7/9/2010
I¡¦m not above going to tourist attractions by myself. And throughout this whole thing there will be plenty of times where I will. But this weekend I was fortunate to have my family visiting from New York. Nothing says vacation in my family like seeing every historical site within a 90-mile radius. (I¡¦m not exaggerating either. Family vacations as a child included every plantation in the south, presidents¡¦ and oil tycoons¡¦ mansions, Colonial Williamsburg, and all the Civil War sites along the east coast¡Xand believe me, there were many.) So a trip to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park was in the cards.
Fort Lincoln housed 650 cavalry and infantry soldiers in 1873. Their mission of the 7th Cavalry Regiment was to promote the westward expansion of the American frontier by advancing the Northern Pacific Railroad across the Dakota Territory. This was also the starting point for the Black Hills expedition and the search for gold in the region. This is all pre-annihilation¡K
The troops left Fort Lincoln three years later and moved into Little Bighorn territory in eastern Montana to try to find and defeat tribes associated with Sitting Bull. This was based on a report that said the Indians were hostile to U.S. interests. The gold-rich area of the Black Hills probably also played a role in the attack. For years, the Sioux and U.S. government had been in conflict, especially as westward expansion forced Indians off their land.
Custer and the 7th Cavalry waged an attack on the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne Indians, but were quickly defeated. Custer and his five camps were killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn, or what¡¦s known as Custer¡¦s Last Stand, with a death toll of more than 260.
Back at Fort Lincoln, Custer¡¦s house is set close by the barracks, at the end of a narrow walkway lined by trees. The home has been reconstructed for tours, but the original flagpole of Fort Lincoln still stands at the front of the house. Custer lived in the house from 1873 until he died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
Also in Fort Lincoln there¡¦s the On-A-Slant Mandan Indian Village, and the reproductions of earth lodges. This was here hundreds of years before Custer and his men. It was established in the late 1500s and thrived for 200 years. Back then there were more than 80 earth lodges that housed around seven to nine tribes. Here there are six. Interestingly, the women of the tribes were the ones who constructed the earth lodges. The hole at the top center let out smoke from the fire pit, and let in sunlight. The Mandan tribe were known for their pottery and preparation of animal skins, and the village became a center of trading. They were known to be hospitable to traders, trappers and even enemies. But eventually, war and a small pox epidemic came and wiped out most of the Mandan tribe.
Freedom, Fireworks, Festivals: Art in the Park, Mandan Parade, and Capitol Fireworks
7-4-2010
Happy Fourth of July! No other holiday is more commonly associated with parades, barbecues, fairs, and other outdoor activities as much as Independence Day. And of course, who could forget the massive pyrotechnic displays that light up the sky? Every town has fireworks. And every town has their own traditions stemming from years in the making.
This being my first July 4th holiday in Bismarck/Mandan, I decided to go all out. I visited Art in the Park all three days, which is a bit excessive, but it was fun to walk around.
Dozens of local artisans and vendors lined up along Dkyshoorn and Heritage Parks on West Main Street in Mandan offering up their talents. My newest obsession is the Pride of Dakota product, Legends of Africa skincare. These all-natural products make your skin feel incredible, and I would know: I bought a jar of premium shea butter in coconut macaroon, detoxifying soap, and coffee-bean scented lip balm. My only regret is that I didn¡¦t buy more.
Then there was the food. Over the course of three days I consumed some of the best kettle corn I¡¦ve ever had (it was a perfect blend of sweet and salty), corn on the cob, roasted almonds, fresh-squeezed 
lemonade and an Indian taco¡Xwhich was a completely new experience. I had never heard of an Indian taco, let alone eaten one. Fortunately, they were able to make me a vegetarian taco sans meat and gave me extra tomatoes instead. For anyone just as clueless as me, it¡¦s basically a taco on top of fried dough, and it was delicious.
At around 12:30 on the 4th I headed to the Mandan Parade with some friends. We parked kind of far and walked more than a half-mile through the crowds of people and sweltering heat to find a good spot to watch. It was a bad idea to wear jeans that day. The parade was entertaining and similar to any parade in any city, except it lasted for more than two hours!
At nighttime I planned to watch fireworks on the capitol lawn in true Bismarck fashion. But I ended up at a friend of a friend¡¦s house who lives super close to the capitol. So instead, I sat around a bonfire in a comfy chair and avoided the crowd. I did, however, do a drive-by to see the ¡§4¡¨ lit up on the side of the capitol, and all the people sprawled out on towels and blankets. I wish the capitol lawn looked like a quad on a college campus all the time.
I have a friend who hates fireworks because she thinks it¡¦s weird for people to sit in silence and stare up at the sky in unison. But I think there¡¦s something quite beautiful about that. It¡¦s one of the few times that so many people are sharing the same moment. The fireworks may be different, but we¡¦re all looking at the same sky.
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