Manitoba and North Dakota

The landscape in the northwest of the state is decisively shaped by oil production. The Bakken oil field has catapulted North Dakota to second place among the oil-producing states in the USA in just a few years; only Texas is currently producing more oil. It is no surprise, then, that the cities of Watford City and Williston almost doubled their population in the last decade; an international airport even opened near Williston in 2019.

With all the oil boom, it’s easy to forget that there are some important historic sites located here too: the Fairview Lift Bridge (raised only once during its functional test), Fort Buford at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri River and – already located a few yards in the state of Montana – Fort Union Trading Post.

Highlight of our trip through North Dakota is a visit to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In addition to a fascinating landscape, we enjoy the trusting prairie dogs in the northern unit, while several herds of bison populate the prairie (and partly also the road) in the South Unit. Medora and Dickinson serve as a base for day trips into the park.

There would be no need to drive any further south if it weren’t for the Enchanted Highway. Along this 32-mile road eight huge sculptures, some of which are more than 60 feet high, actually make driving along this road a magical experience. Via New Leipzig (the Oktoberfest is being celebrated here with lots of pumpkins) and New Salem with “Salem Sue”, the world’s largest Holstein cow, we approach Lake Sakakawea once again and spend a day walking in the footsteps of Lewis & Clark, who once explored the way to the west. Via Garrison Dam we reach the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan and finally Bismarck, the tranquil capital of North Dakota.