Why We're Here

     The past 48 hours we've been blissfully curled up in a comfy VRBO in Whitey's Lofts, above the historic Whitey's Wonderbar, the first horseshoe shaped bar made out of aluminum in the US, back in 1930.  The bar was housed in various restaurants over the years but since October of 2022 has been home to Bernie's, the first restaurant of Food Network star Molly Yeh, and our "go to" stop for afternoon coffee and breakfast since we arrived in Minnesota Thursday afternoon.

    Since we wanted to stay in a walkable part of Grand Forks, we opted for East Grand Forks, which sits in two states spanned by the bridge over the Red River of the North. The VRBO we're renting is actually in Minnesota, so we've gotten to end our "amber waves" journey in two states. Thus far, since there is so little tourism in these parts, there aren't any hotels in the downtown on the North Dakota side.  Still, there are lots of wonderful restaurants, a fabulous movie theater (where we saw the absolutely delightful Little Mermaid!) and a handful of great shops.  

Maddie and Daniel were ready to move to Grand Forks just for this theater!

 

    We wanted to end our vacation in Grand Forks, just an hour away from Fargo where we'll return our car this afternoon and fly to our respective Florida and California homes, because we knew it would give us time to rewind, reflect and relax.  Yes, the University of North Dakota is in Grand Forks, along with a decent art museum and a speedway, but we are here to enjoy the downtown, walk the Greenway along the Red River of the North, read the historic placards, play games in our cozy unit, and enjoy this precious time together.    

    Yesterday we headed to Kenny's Music Shoppe, "your Midwest guitar headquarters," as a pilgrimage to a local guitar shop has been a part of these travels ever since Daniel picked up a guitar in middle school and certainly since he started writing songs in 8th grade. While Dana, Daniel and Maddie noodled away on keyboards and guitars, I spoke a bit to Joseph, friend and bandmate of Kenny, about his band and the local music scene.  He had earlier shared that Kenny bought the shop just after "the flood," of which there have been many over the decades but it's the 1997 one that everyone here refers to.  

    During the preceding winter, there had been 100 inches of snow that raised the river to its highest level ever; you can see from the memorial just how high the water got and just imagine what  restoration and recovery has taken place during these last 25 years.

    Not only did Joseph encourage Daniel to play for as long as he wanted, at one point, he joined Dana and Daniel on keyboards for a jam session.  By the time we left, we had exchanged information and we're all now following his band on Instagram.  

    Exchanges like that one, albeit usually less musical, have happened so often over these years, especially in the Midwest states where people are just... different. They are more open, less cynical and less rushed. The clerk we spoke to later in the day marveled at the fact that we'd explored all 50 states, saying she is comfortable with the only traffic jam she's ever known occurring when a tractor trailer is slowing down a couple of cars on the local road.  

    We were asked once again some version of the question we've gotten over these past decades whenever we travel to the less typical tourist destinations - "why are you here?" or "what are you doing here?"  Our insights have become clearer and firmer with each opportunity to reflect and discuss. Listening to Maddie and Daniel share how these travels have shaped them is both humbling and heartening.

    We are here because this is a community where our fellow Americans live, work, love, vote; exploring our country has enabled us to learn and grow as a family and to get to know our fellow citizens more deeply than we ever might have imagined. It has been a privilege and a joy. I can honestly say that during our exploration of each of these fifty states, there was nowhere else we'd rather be.

Why Not Minot - and Mniwakan?

    Yesterday we explored the darling town of Minot in the morning before heading to Spirit Lake for what was intended to be an afternoon swim (until we arrived to find the pool drained and under construction!), some birthday gambling and a steak dinner at The Ranch, around since 1946 and considered one of the finest steakhouses in the region. 

    Our first stop was Scandinavian Heritage Park, started in the late 80s as a way to honor the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) that were the original homes of many of the residents here in North Dakota. While the day was unseasonably hot we were reminded by the locals, we still enjoyed walking around the park learning about the history and culture while goofing off.

 

    

    Next up was lunch at local favorite restaurant - and home to the most handsome man in North Dakota - Charlie's Cafe, and shopping in the wonderful independent bookstore that rivaled any I've entered, despite being located in tiny Minot.  The sweet clerk was initially apprehensive when we entered, and I started snapping photos. In fact, her first greeting was "Why are you here?" which may be the all time worst way to encourage shoppers! However, as we shared our 50 state story and I assured her I was only taking photos of all the fabulous inclusive Pride stickers and displays to share them with my sister-in-law who would love them, she warmed right up and we talked all about our shared challenge of finding like-minded people when living in conservative states. As she lives and works in reliably red ND, her sympathy for us having to live in Florida was palpable. At least her Governor vetoed the most outrageous bills the state tried to pass!  

    Needless to say, I bought a couple of books and will feel guilty the next time I undoubtedly use Amazon!

    Finally, we were off to "Devil's Lake," as it's called on the map and in the brochures available at every Visitors Center. Daniel was amazed to learn early on in this trip that "Uff Da," the expression he's heard me use for years, wasn't just a made up sound.  As we arrived to Spirit Lake and learned about the Indigenous people, the Mni Wakan Oyate (roughly translated to friends of the pure/spirit water), who originally inhabited this land and named this beautiful lake, I found myself "Uff Da"ing quite a lot!

    As the book clerk and I had commiserated earlier that day, we take steps forward through education. How can the state continue to put the exact opposite label on this peaceful land than the indigenous people ever intended?  Leave it to the white man to determine "spirit" must mean "devil!"

    That said, we had a devilishly good steak at The Ranch and finally hit 7 (for Dana's birthday, of course) on Roulette, surely a devilish pursuit, so I guess we contributed a bit to the debauchery.  A glorious sunset accompanied on our drive back from dinner and to our hotel, where we watched it from our hotel window.  What a peaceful and truly spiritual place this is.  

Confluence of Giant Skeeters & a Charmeepy B & B

     Yesterday we took the Lewis and Clark Trail out to Fort Buford, a bit west of Williston, and learned a great deal about the astonishing Sitting Bull, including how he ceremoniously surrendered at Fort Buford before leading his family and people to Canada.  At the Missouri-Yellowstone Interpretative Confluence Center, there is a fascinating exhibit detailing the history of the Lakota (also sometimes called Dakota) tribe and how Lewis and Clark (and many after them) valued this area where the two rivers come together.  It was all interesting and worthwhile... 

until we drove back through Williston to the Cut Bluff Overlook to see where Lewis & Clark camped, only to be overcome by the largest mosquitoes any of us had ever seen.  That was the fastest walk to and from a large rock memorial than you can imagine.  If I'd had my wits about me, I would have gotten video of Daniel's flailing dance/walk, but I was too busy trying to fend them off myself, albeit in a much less humorous way!

Totally not worth it!

    Since we were afraid to linger there a moment longer, Dana opted to wait to use the bathroom for the next natural stop.  Two hours later, he practically drove into the gas station when we arrived in Minot (rhymes with "why not?"). Thank goodness we had the foresight to know that checking into a B&B rarely is a quick process, and there is no lobby bathroom where one can relieve oneself before listening to the very nice, very slow old gentleman painstakingly tell you how to enter a code on the door to unlock it.

    I've not seen Barbarian as I'm not a fan of horror films, but I am a fan of my brother's blog, so I'd read enough about it to immediately get those vibes. Daniel and Maddie both watched the film and immediately confirmed that they, too, were feeling a bit uneasy. Still, we had a wonderful dinner at The Starving Rooster and had the whole house all to ourselves to check out the upstairs record collection and finally watch Fargo snug in our (locked) room. Meanwhile, we just finished a delicious breakfast of strawberry French toast, and though we've yet to have a single word exchanged with the Mrs. (who does the cooking but otherwise remains out of sight), we are about to check out (a day earlier than we had initially planned, it's true) unscathed. 

    

    We've opted to leave a night early to have the opportunity to spend a night in Devil's Lake on land owned by one of the tribes here in North Dakota. We look forward to a resort pool, a beautiful view of the lake, and, of course, some gambling for Dana's birthday.  Dana has been a great sport during my quest to explore all 50 states, often spending his birthday in a state he initially had no interest to ever visit.  The least we can do is make sure he has a delicious steak dinner and some time at a Black Jack table! 

    In honor of the many times he has done his famous point in astonishment pose over these many years, I'll leave you with one Maddie took of him gawking at Dakota Thunder and another of him contemplating his mortality at the Ox-Bow Overlook, the furthest point in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Happy Birthday, Dana!  Thank you for celebrating your birthday in North Dakota.

Clearly just getting better and better as he gets older!

Oh "Butte"iful for Spacious Skies

 

    A week into our North Dakota exploration, and we are a happy, tired bunch. We even managed to sleep in a bit this morning. As I'm starting the blog a bit later than usual, I'll make it a short one.

    Yesterday we traveled from Medora to Williston, through miles and miles of "National Grassland," with a stop in Dickinson to visit the tiny Ukrainian Cultural Institute, where Kate filled us in on the history of Ukrainians in North Dakota and the dozens of families currently living in the area, some ranching land their families have lived on for generations, others recent immigrants who work as dishwashers or on the chuckwagon in nearby Medora. Many of the families continue to create the quilts and decorated eggs that are part of their tradition back home, and the Institute proudly displays them.

Miss North Dakota was crowned Miss America

    We had heard from one of the locals at the Rough Riders Inn that Williston, where she grew up, is now too big ever since the oil boom, most recently in 2008, which ballooned the population there  225% from about 1700 to 6200 (the stats we got from Google, the tales of dismay at all that growth from the local).  The working oil rigs dotting 85 provided the visual evidence, as do the photographs gracing the Sheraton that provided us - and many dozens of men who likely work these rigs - with shelter last night.

    

    Before arriving to Watford City and Williston, the two towns most impacted by the oil boom, we explored the North Unit of TRNP, and boy does it deliver.  There was nobody manning the entrance gate, as I guess very few people visit this portion of the park, and there was never more than a car or two pulling off the road with us to gawk at the majestic bison just far enough in the distance for safety. While we didn't do as much hiking as we had the previous days, there are still ample opportunities to take short walks to awe-inspiring overlooks, and we took advantage of every one of those.

    

    After a short stop in Watford City to check out the ample new construction (new schools, new banks, new apartment complexes, new houses, new ice cream store - had to linger there for just a bit!) and to contemplate buying some land in these parts, we arrived in Williston in time for a quick walk through the downtown which was hosting some sort of classic car event, a delicious dinner at a local brewery and then a pilgrimage to one of the reasons Williston was on my radar - its statue of wheat commemorating those who work in agriculture in North Dakota.

Loved all the cow art (and puns )at the Wild Cow ice cream shop

    While we're here after the harvest, I love that our last state is a fitting place to close the "Amber Waves" tour.  We still have several more days to explore the fascinating and beautiful state of North Dakota, but I can definitely say that, if not the "best," we saved a pretty darn great one for last.