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Sneak Peek – North Dakota Travel

September 11, 2019 by Jill 4 Comments

If you’ve been following my Instagram Stories for the past few days – and if you’re not, you totally should – you know I’ve been exploring a new place – North Dakota. If you’ve never thought about North Dakota travel, for whatever reason, I’m here to tell you to think about it. I’ve got lots to say about North Dakota travel and why it should be on your radar but for the moment, I’m going to offer you some sneak peeks that will hopefully leave you wanting to explore this state.

I’ll do a full deep dive into my North Dakota experiences but for now, here’s a little look at some of the cool things North Dakota has to offer. Their state tourism board’s motto is “Be Legendary” and I think that’s pretty spot on. Enjoy the sneak peek at my North Dakota travel pics and let me know if you have any questions – it will help me out as I write my content if I have an idea of what all you might be curious about. Ask away! Comment on this blog post, leave me a message on social media, or, the best way, send me an email to rippedjeansandbifocalsblog@gmail.com

Table of Contents

  • North Dakota Travel – A Sneak Peek
  • Oh give me a home…
  • Cold brew, knife skills, and a meal fit for a cowboy
  • A little bit of history…
  • North Dakota Travel – There’s a lot to see
  • Warning: The following pictures may not fit your mental picture of North Dakota Travel
  • Last one…

North Dakota Travel – A Sneak Peek

This picture probably embodies your idea of North Dakota Travel

This is Double Ditch State Historical Site near Bismarck. The wide open space was characteristic of what I expected North Dakota to look like. There was a lot of space to run around, and, the experience is quite educational (if you read the signs.)

Like dinosaurs? Check out North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum in Bismarck. There’s all kinds of history and hands-on things to do – and it’s FREE.

I love checking out street art wherever I go. Bismarck has quite a few murals in the downtown area.

Oh give me a home…

Buck Hill in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Prepare for Buffalo SPAM.

This shows just how close to the car they were.

When you look at pictures of North Dakota travel you expect to see Buffalo, right?

Okay, last one…for now.

Cold brew, knife skills, and a meal fit for a cowboy

If you followed my Insta Stories, you probably thought all I did in North Dakota is drink cold brew. That wouldn’t be completely wrong. The best was from Fresh Palate in Williston ND. Fresh Palate is an eco friendly natural foods store that has a coffee bar in the back.

Speaking of Williston, I’ll always remember this place as where I learned some serious knife skills. I learned some fancy ways to chop that have fancy names which I have promptly forgotten. But, the name of the place is Main Street Cooks which is definitely worth a look.

North Dakota is known for Pitchfork Fondue. I bet you’re curious about what that is. Can you spot the pitchfork in this picture?

A little bit of history…

With North Dakota Travel, there are lots of opportunity to learn about history

We met this delightful dude at Fort Buford. We’re standing in front of the building where Sitting Bull surrendered.

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is just up the road from Fort Buford. You’ll learn about fur trading and maybe get a little tidbit about the early life of Sitting Bull.

Abraham Lincoln State Park near Bismarck has a lot of history…and maybe a few ghosts. This is the last place General Custer lived with his wife before…well, you probably know the story, right?

North Dakota Travel – There’s a lot to see

Raindrops on the lens. Terrible visibility of Painted Canyon behind me. Sometimes, you just gotta grin and bear it, crappy weather or not.

Did you know there are feral horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

If you’re a pottery lover, check out Prairie Fire Pottery in Beach, ND. Spoiler alert: there is not a Beach in Beach.

Warning: The following pictures may not fit your mental picture of North Dakota Travel

Don't let your North Dakota Travel not include Lake Sakakawea

No, this isn’t a mix up. Yes, this is really North Dakota. Yes, really. I’ll have more to tell you about Tobacco Gardens Resort soon.

One of my favorites…I love pictures with sun spots on them, even though they’re “imperfect.”

And again…I’m really sure this is North Dakota. Lake Sakakawea was the biggest surprise of all.

Last one…

Hopefully some of these images have surprised you and haven’t been what fit into your picture of North Dakota. But some of the ideas of what North Dakota should look like that lived in my head proved true.


4 Comments

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Comments

  1. Taylor Busse says

    October 2, 2019 at 12:19 pm

    Hello! Thanks for the post, I really enjoyed the photos. When would you suggest is the best time to visit?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      October 3, 2019 at 1:02 am

      Probably summer. We visited in early September and it was great but you might be taking your chances with snow that late in the year. North Dakota has incredible sunflowers, which we were too late in the year to see. Definitely visit, though!

      Reply
  2. Peg Hellandsaas says

    October 24, 2019 at 9:43 am

    Thank you for showcasing our great beautiful state.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      October 24, 2019 at 10:38 am

      Absolutely my pleasure – I can’t wait to share more, especially about Tobacco Gardens. It surpassed all of my expectations for North Dakota.

      Reply

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All About Jill

I'm a digital content creator and essayist who copes with parenting and most other situations with humor and snark. Just so you know, if this weren't the internet, I'd be smiling awkwardly and answering simple questions like "How are you today" with gems like "I like pockets."

I really do love pockets, though.

I spent 26 years in the USAF, which went by really, really fast. I'm very proud of my service but I'm loving my second act even more. Writing gives me the opportunity to flex my creative muscles and that's what makes me happy. Welcome.

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rippedjeansandbifocals

Freelance Writer & Travel Expert
Producer, Listen to Your Mother SA
💜 Mom via birth & #adoption
🐈 Human to @remusthebengalcat
🇺🇸 USAF veteran
📍#texas

Jill Robbins
Here’s something you’ve probably never seen be Here’s something you’ve probably never seen before: my bottom teeth.
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I always hide my crooked bottom teeth in pictures and I’m super self-conscious when I talk. So I did something about it.
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I wore braces as a kid and my top teeth are straight but my bottom teeth are shifting and one tooth is traveling into the back of my mouth and I have some crowding. My orthodontist said it’s very unusual to put braces on just half your mouth but my bite is still aligned so they didn’t have to put them on my top teeth - my wallet is thankful.
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Questions I’ve already been asked:
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1️⃣ At your age? Yes, at my age. I still care about my smile. 
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3️⃣ How long do you have to wear them?
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6-9 months.
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3️⃣ Do they hurt? 
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My teeth are sore and my mouth is tender but not to the Tylenol level so I guess the answer is “Not too much.”
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Other questions? Advice?
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#braceface #adultbraces
Little things can really be big - do you agree? M Little things can really be big - do you agree?

My husband gets up with our kids twice a week and does their breakfast and morning routine and takes them to school so I can sleep in. I don't laze away the morning in bed - it usually amounts to about an extra hour of sleep for me and a little more peace and quiet as I start my day. 

This probably seems like a little thing but this is huge for me. The mental benefits of not having to set my alarm on a schoolday is truly my love language. I would rather have sleep than flowers or presents. 

On those morning where my husband takes my kids to school, I will inevitably find the kitchen not "just so." There will be spills on the table or something that didn't get put away. I resist the urge to be sarcastic or to ask "Um, is there a reason we have four boxes of cereal just sitting on the counter?" or point out that it would take less than 30 seconds to wipe a tabletop or put a box back on the shelf. I resist saying stuff like "I guess if I want it done a certain way, I have to do it myself." I don't even say that to myself. 

My husband isn't "doing me a favor" by taking care of our kids. When I talked about being stressed and tired during an argument last year, he offered to take some things off my plate and giving me two mornings where I don't have to set an alarm was one of his ideas. It's part of the give and take of marriage and even though it makes me clench a little when I see spilled milk or stuff that hasn't put away, I appreciate having a partner who shares the load with me. 

My marriage definitely is not perfect and I'm in no position to give relationship advice. But for us, this one little thing is a really big deal. 

And, as I've recently discovered, a cereal box can sit on the counter for several days and the world doesn't explode. Who knew.

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Anyone else having massive “This time last year” moments?
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2020 started out so fine. We extended our kids’ winter break to take them on a Disney Cruise- no better reason than that, amiright- and I was excited about all the Disney Cruise blog posts I was going to write. Disney Cruises are (errr...were?) one of the most searched terms on my website and how a lot of people found me.
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We got our first Raddish Kids box right before the We got our first Raddish Kids box right before the holidays and finally dug into it this weekend. Our box had a cold-weather theme which was perfect for this cold weather we're having (flurries in San Antonio can you believe it?!)

Each box contains three recipe cards, a culinary tool, an iron-on patch and Table Talk conversation starter cards. A shopping list is included and also emailed to you in advance in case you want to be ready to cook as soon as your box arrives. You buy all the groceries yourself. 

We made homemade chicken and dumplings this weekend and they turned out amazing. If you need modifications (i.e. gluten or dairy free) you can hop on to the @raddishkids website and go to the "Bonus Bites" section. You'll find modifications, food videos, extra recipes, parent info and more fun stuff. 

The price ranges from $20-$24 per box depending on what type of subscription you choose. Boxes are designed for kids 4-14+ with varying degrees of supervision needed depending on your child's skills and age. Kyle and i have done two meals from this box - we still have cookies left to make - and worked together about 50-50. It was a lot of fun. 

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I think today would be better if I could hang out I think today would be better if I could hang out with donkeys all day. 

There's a reason animals are used in therapy - they are both comforting and fun. This picture was from our October outing to Wassermann's Wranch outside of Alpine (in West Texas.) I love my beautiful state and the landscape of West Texas fascinates me because it's so different than what I see every day here near San Antonio.

Wassermann's Wranch is located just a few miles outside the city. It's a private hobby farm that sees visitors by reservation. It's absolutely worth planning your day around and you can check out more in my blog post linked in my bio.

I didn't realize I liked donkeys until I got to know these guys. The owner, Heidi, told me "I think you might be a donkey chick."

I think I'm OK with that. 

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