Begin the Adventure in North Dakota

Please join the nation’s prosecutors and bring your family to North Dakota where you can go back in time to meet some of history’s most colorful characters. Or travel to any part of the state and discover its special appeal. North Dakota has a lot to offer, from many different kinds of outdoor family recreation (birding, camping, canoeing, golfing, fishing, fossil digs, hiking, hunting, sailing and wind surfing), to special activities such as musical shows, rodeos, powwows, fairs and festivals, from forts and dinosaurs to museums and scenic wonders.

Enjoy the Medora Musical, a Broadway style musical tribute to Theodore Roosevelt nightly in the Burning Hills Amphitheater in Medora. This summer show has been named one of the top 100 events in North America. Every night this summer enjoy the Mandan Band Shell Concert Series, outdoors at the Burlington Northern Park in Mandan.

Arrive in North Dakota early and enjoy the following events: the annual “Flock to the Rock” July 12-14 at Rock Lake, with music, kids’ events, parades; the “Summerthing Kids’ Days” at University Park in Grand Forks, July 13-14, special arts projects and entertainment for the kids; July 14, the Planes on the Plains Fly-in, lots of different aircraft and rides are available.

For you outdoor enthusiasts, there’s more to do in North Dakota than you can imagine. Once known as the Big Muddy, the Missouri River is murky no more. An extensive system of dams has turned the water clear and blue, transforming the river into a major fishing and canoeing attraction. Dotted with sandbars and lined by gentle river bluffs, the Missouri offers a challenging, scenic route for canoeists. Guided canoe trips, following the path of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, are available in Bismarck.

North Dakota is a golfer’s paradise. North Dakota ranks at the top in the nation for the number of golf courses per person. From the variety of several challenging championship courses in each of the major cities, to beautifully sculpted and well-cared-for nine-hole courses in more than 100 communities across the state, there is a course for every golfer, virtually everywhere in North Dakota. Tee times are generally easy to obtain, even on weekends at the busiest public courses. Greens fees are very reasonable and clubs and motorized carts can be rented.

For you history buffs and for the kids, here amid the vastness of the northern plains, many important chapters of American history can be traced to several North Dakota locations visited by some of the most famous people in this nation: Lewis and Clark, George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Sakagawea, Theodore Roosevelt. Visit the actual places where these fabled historical figures walked. Custer’s Fort Abraham Lincoln, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, the Knife River Indian Villages Historical Site, the Fort Union Trading Post and Theodore Roosevelt National Park are each world-class attractions. Together, they make a huge historical theme park and a must-see destination for anyone interested in the American West.

The 2002 Family Night Event will be held at historical Fort Lincoln. This will be an evening out under the North Dakota stars. Featured will be pitchfork fondue (steaks cooked over a pit with all the fixings), band and dancing, Indian story telling, Indian dancers and drummers, and a reenactment demonstration by the 17th U.S. Infantry.

Stay after the conference is over and enjoy McVille Days with street dancing, bands, kids’ fishing derby; the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, July 19-27, an old fashioned state fair with carnival rides, concerts and entertainment showcases; and July 19-20, the Drayton Riverfest is a fun celebration with street dancing, parades, fireworks, bands, music and more.

For a virtual tour of the state of North Dakota, and for detailed information on activities, events, attractions and more, check out the official North Dakota Web site at www.ndtourism.com. See you in Bismarck.