Did you know that we are obsessed with South Dakota? We love it. We’ve visited 5 times in the past 5 years, we’ve covered nearly all of the state, and our son’s middle name is Dakota. But since his middle name isn’t South Dakota, we realized recently that we needed to go spend time in SoDak’s neighbor to the north. After a brief 3-day adventure exploring the rugged landscapes of western North Dakota, it’s safe to say that we love all the Dakotas. North, South, and Jude.
Having only explored a small part of western North Dakota, we know we have plenty of trips back in our future. With endless outdoor adventures, tasty restaurants, and miles of national parks to explore, three days was hardly enough. Here is how we spent our time in the Roughrider State...
Day 1
We flew in late the night before, and were eager to arrive at the Roosevelt Inn in Watford City. It’s hard to miss, as there’s a 20-foot tall, 8 ton bust of Theodore Roosevelt sitting right in front of the hotel. We grabbed our luggage and tired baby, quickly checked in, devoured a couple of the hotel's famous “Badlands Brownies” (we’d come back just for those!), and headed to bed.
Us with Roosevelt in front of the Roosevelt Inn!
If you’ve followed along with our adventures for a long time, you know that our time in a new place typically starts out the same way - searching for good coffee. Luckily, Watford City has some just around the corner from the Roosevelt Inn. Meg-a-Latte boasts high-quality coffee, a tasty breakfast menu, and a relaxed atmosphere - it’s the perfect spot for a cup of joe and a good book (instead we were chasing a toddler).
After breakfast, we made the short trek over to the MHA Interpretive Center in New Town. This Interpretive Center uses living history programs to tell the story of the Great MHA Nation, which includes the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara people. The space has a museum and a variety of exhibits that all interpret the history and culture of the tribes. We even made a stop at their on-site coffee shop! (Win/win!)
Since Jude was such a good boy as we took him around the museum, we decided our next stop would be focused on letting him get his wiggles out. We drove into the Little Missouri National Grasslands and let him loose on the Birnt Hills Trail. The weather was perfect for a hike! The views were stunning, and we even found a few spots for family photos.
Hiking a couple miles with a toddler will definitely work up your appetite. We made our way to the Tobacco Gardens Resort & Marina and we were absolutely spoiled! The owner, Peggy, or “Auntie Peggy” as we called her, was SO sweet. She made us a delicious lunch and then took us out for a pontoon ride on Lake Sakakawea. We all loved it—especially Jude! Our time with Peggy solidified that we’ll be back… most likely to spend a few days on the lake right here!
After a TON of adventure, we headed back to the hotel for a nap, grabbed a quick dinner at Burrito Bros., and went to bed!
Jude and his smoothie at Meg-a-Latte
Happy boy
Heading in to the MHA Interpretive Center
MHA Interpretive Center had some tasty coffee
A view of the Interpretive Center from above!
Family photo time on the Birnt Hills Trail
Lunch at Tobacco Gardens Resort
The pontoon was a hit!
Jude LOVED his Auntie Peggy
Day 2
We love a good hotel breakfast, and we were thankful to find a solid spread each morning at the Roosevelt Inn. After fueling up, we headed to the Watford City Children’s Park (just down the street from the hotel) and let Jude run free. We know our lives are different now with this as a talking point… but this park was amazing! Parents, take note!
Jude took a quick nap after the park, and then we headed to Smiling Moose Rocky Mountain Deli for lunch. Nothing beats a good deli sandwich! (Do you see a pattern here yet? Eat, play, sleep, repeat…) For “play”, we drove to a different section of the Little Missouri National Grasslands and did a little more hiking. The fall colors are already coming in nicely and Alli was obsessed.
Since we knew we’d need more than a day to explore Theodore Roosevelt National Park, we did a quick visit this afternoon. We were in for a real treat, as we saw a few bison right when we got into the park! Jude was in awe!
Speaking of a real treat, Alli needed one. Even though justttt before dinner time, Alli (and the baby in her belly), needed ice cream. So, to Wild Cow Coffee & Cream we went. And it did not disappoint!
For dinner, we enjoyed tasty steak dinners at Outlaws Bar & Grill. Bobby sampled some local whiskeys, Alli had a mocktail, and Jude had his iPad :)
We spent too many hours here :)
Obsessed with the fall colors!
Alli sharing her ice cream with Jude. Wild Cow has the best ice cream in town!
Jude in awe. It’s not very often he stands still…
Day 3
Our final full day and we were wishing we had a few more! After breakfast at the hotel we headed back to the north entrance of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We drove the 14-mile scenic drive, along which we saw deer and a few more bison. The drive meanders through the canyon and then climbs up to incredible views at the River Bend Overlook and Oxbox Overlook at the end of the road. The timing of it all worked perfectly, as we were in and out of the car for the drive out to Oxbox, and the Jude snoozed alllll the way back. We enjoyed the quiet, the fall colors, and the rugged landscapes.
For a final lunch in Watford City we were given a real treat. Slow Ride Tequila Cocina specializes in craft cocktails and southwestern fare, and we were not disappointed! The carnitas tacos, guac, and tortilla soup amounted to the best meal of the trip!
Even though he only says about 6 words, Jude convinced us to take him to Watford City Children’s Park one last time. He zig zagged around the park for an hour before it was time for an afternoon nap for all of us.
We were excited for dinner at Stonehome Brewing Co. A community-focused pub that creates high-quality craft beer, Bobby was wondering why we hadn’t been here on night one. The beer was delicious, the stone-baked pizza was cooked to perfection (get the Marco Polo), and Bobby still regrets not getting a stromboli. We’ll be back!
The view from Oxbox Overlook
More family photos :)
Between the daily adventures and mouthwatering meals, we had an amazing trip in North Dakota. It definitely lived up to the Dakota hype that we’ve created, and we’re retroactively deciding that Jude’s middle name encompasses both north and south “Dakota”. If you’re contemplating a trip to the Dakotas, budget more time than you expect, and prepare to be amazed!
We ate our fair share of these brownies. So good!
Jude on the Birnt Hills Trail!
Another one with Jude and Auntie Peggy!