North Dakota Honeymoon – Everything You Need To Know

About North Dakota

North Dakota and its neighbor, South Dakota, are related in spirit. They both were admitted to statehood on the same day in 1889, but President Harrison refused to say which he signed in first. To this day, the question is still being debated. An interesting beginning to statehood.

North Dakota consists of the Red River Valley area, the Badlands, and plenty of rolling plains. It is very much an agricultural state dominated by farms and ranches. It is the Midwest’s least populous state. The town of Rugby is also the exactly geological center of the U.S. Visit the intersection of Highway 2 and State Highway 3 and check the monument commemorating that distinction.

While North Dakota is mostly associated with a prairie landscape, Lake Sakakawea has more shoreline than can be found in the entire state of California. It is a fisherman’s paradise. It is vast and isolated with a raw beauty. Fishing is year-round, especially the walleyes that rule here. Lake Sakakawea may be isolated, that in addition to campgrounds, there are several resorts, such as the Indian Hills Resorts, cabins at the Dakota Waters Resorts, and the 4 Bears Casino, with its 700 slot machines, gaming tables, and several restaurants. The casino provides you with all the sophistication of a gambling resort while being right by Lake Sakakawea.

Lake Metigoshe State Park exemplifies the rugged outdoors of North Dakota. Located near Bottineau, it has camping areas, cabins, and lodges. If you are camping, prepare to meet a deer and even a moose. It’s their park, and they roam at will. Supplies can be bought in Bottineau. The park is made for hiking and exploring. Come here in the winter for great ice fishing, skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing. When the weather warms up, swim in the lake or one of the other, smaller lakes in the park.

You can rent kayaks or canoes to take onto Lake Metigoshe. This is prime fishing territory, and the lake has a beach with a picnic area. There are several hiking trails with breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding hills.

Everything about North Dakota is rugged. However, your North Dakota honeymoon can have its fun and unique side, as well. Take the Enchanted Highway beginning at Exit 72 on I-94 and enjoy a 32-mile span of huge metal sculptures. People come from all over the country to see this phenomenon. 

These giant sculptures are of grasshoppers, pheasants, geese, deer, and others. As if North Dakota didn’t have enough wild animals. There is even a sculpture of President Teddy Roosevelt. The only purpose of these delightful sculptures is to entertain, and entertain they do. Stop by the gift shop and bring home some stunning metal gifts as souvenirs. While you are there, enjoy one of their 16 ice cream flavors.

Best Time to Visit North Dakota

North Dakota has plenty of activities all year round. When the weather gets too cold, the festivities are simply moved indoors.

Bacon and Beer Festival

Two words: bacon and beer. Who needs more? The annual Bacon and Beer Festival takes place in Grand Forks in mid-January inside the Alerus Center. Local eateries will prepare their special bacon recipes which can be paired with a choice of 150 draft beers.

Fargo Film Festival

The fabulous Fargo Theater with its famed art deco façade is worth a visit in its own right. Every March, however, they up their game during the Fargo Film Festival. They receive film submissions from throughout the country that serve as an opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their work during the festival. 

The Big One In Minot

The annual Minot Art and Craft Show every April is called the Big One because it has close to 400 vendors selling anything you might want, from handcrafted furniture, photographs, jewelry, and clothing. You will find homemade soaps and lotions, quilts, and unique artwork. Count on seeing plenty of beautiful things for your new home. 

Rare Beer Weekend

The Rare Beer Weekend happens every July in Moorhead. Breweries from throughout the state display their special on-tap beers. Vendors will be serving picnic food.

Sister Cities Smokeout

The cities are Fargo and neighboring Moorhead. Every July, they host the biggest BBQ and Beer event. For two days, the eating is good, the entertainment is local, and the beer is icy cold.

Top Things to do in North Dakota

Scandinavian Heritage Park

This park is an outdoor living museum in Minot. Exhibits and artifacts represent Scandinavia, Denmark, and Iceland. Local cultures are on display – from Danish windmills to Finnish saunas A favorite exhibit is the 240-year-old house brought to North Dakota from Norway.

Hawktree Golf Club

Couples from Bismarck visit the Golf Club restaurant for their favorite date night. The Hawktree Golf Club itself is a challenging course and has been rated the best in North Dakota by Golf Digest.

In Touch Massage, Wellness and Day Spa

Months and weeks of making wedding plans are stressful. It’s over now. If you are in Bismarck, enjoy the healing treatments at the In Touch Massage, Wellness and Day Spa. Get a couple’s massage and feel your tensions melt away.

Square One Kitchens

Now that you are an old married couple, you will want to entertain in style. The Fargo caterer,  Square One Kitchens, offers cooking classes for all skill levels. This year, it’s your turn to host the holidays, so go ahead and wow them.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is in North Dakota’s Badlands. And that’s a good thing. The Badlands are gorgeous. It was Theodore Roosevelt who said that the Badlands do not seem to belong to this earth. They are filled with exotic shapes and colors made from rocks that are millions of years old 

The Theodore Roosevelt National Park was recommended by the New York Times as the No. 5 place to see in the U.S. You arrive at the Park by going to the city of Medora. Inside the Park, the wildlife, consisting of Bison, prairie dogs, elks, and others, roam free and easily. The best view in the Park is from the Painted Canyon Overlook, which is absolutely stunning. However, you need to hike down the trail into the canyon to get the full experience of the rock erosions and exotic colors.

The Chateau des Mores

This chateau in Medora was the home of the Marquis de Mores. The town of Medora is named after his wife. The 26-room mansion is now a museum with many of Mores’ original fine furnishings and belongings which were meant to impress a frequent visitor, President Theodore Roosevelt.

Frontier Village in Jamestown

Another living museum in North Dakota is the Frontier Village in Jamestown. The entire block of buildings has either been restored to its historic self, or the buildings have been moved here from other places. The Village showcases a true frontier village.

Each building is a mini-museum to prairie living with genuine artifacts. The saloon, jail, school, and church are exactly as our ancestors would have seen them. That includes an old dentist’s office with old dental tools (it’s okay to skip this one). An entire shack is dedicated to native Jamestown son and author Louis L’Amour.

While strolling around Jamestown, visit the world’s largest Buffalo monument. This thing is huge!

Weather in North Dakota

North Dakota has very comfortable summers that may hit the 90s, but temperatures rarely rise any higher. Tornadoes do happen during the warmer months. The winters are filled with snow and temperatures below 0 degrees. The shoulder months of sprint and fall are usually mild without any extremes.

Summers see the most rain, while winters usually get over 50 inches of snow. Strong blizzards can seriously reduce visibility. It doesn’t happen often, but some years it snows for up to 10 months, with July and August escaping the downfalls. 

Most visitors come in the summer. But perhaps the best time for a visit are spring and fall, when accommodations and fares are still discounted from the peak season.