North Dakota Travel Guide
Located in the northern area of the United States bordering Canada, North Dakota is probably most famous for the movie Fargo, which took place in the state’s largest city. North Dakota is a popular destination for those interested in exploring the state’s unspoiled nature in the Great Plains. Many visitors are drawn to North Dakota for hunting and fishing.
Home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, also known as the ‘Badlands’, the park’s scenic backdrop is the Little Missouri River. Visitors will be able to experience prairie life and animals, including wild bison and feral horses. Other scenic nature spots in North Dakota include Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site and Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.
Although Fargo is the largest city in North Dakota, the state’s capital is little known Bismarck. With a population of less than 60,000, Bismarck is a quaint state capital. Its center is characterized by the Kirkwood Mall and the Bismarck Civic Center. Much of the city center can be explored on foot, with many small shops and restaurants lining the streets. Visitors should not miss the historic areas of the city, known as the Cathedral District. Here, visitors can see buildings dating back to the 1880s, with the landscape dominated by the art deco Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
Besides natural attractions, there are also numerous of arts and cultural sites in North Dakota. Visitors can enjoy the Plains Art Museum, in Fargo, and the North Dakota Museum of Art, located on the campus of the University of North Dakota. The art museum in Fargo showcases colorful Native American art, but also an excellent collection of contemporary American artists such as pieces by Andy Warhol. The center of arts is located in the Belle Mehus Auditorium in Bismarck, which the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra calls home.
With its European colonial history and influence from across the border, North Dakota has some interesting cuisine that visitors should not miss. Make sure to try the lutefish (a type of fermented fish), knoephla soup (chicken soup with dumplings) and lefse (potato bread). Many of these dishes are reminiscent of German, Dutch and Scandinavian home cooking.