Build Memories into Memorial Weekend

Guest Blog from ND Tourism: www.LegendaryND.wordpress.com.

It’s almost Memorial Weekend which means, for most people, a nice three-day weekend. Last year our Memorial Weekend update included information about flooding and closures.  This year we’re happy to say – Missouri River boat ramps are open!  All 18-holes of Bully Pulpit Golf Course are open!  Campgrounds in the Badlands are open!  The Dakota Zoo is open!  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for fun experiences you can enjoy this weekend and all summer long in North Dakota.

Looking for some North Dakota travel tips?  Be sure to pick up an official North Dakota Travel Guide and state map.  They’re free and if you don’t already have one you can pick them up at rest areas or order online and we’ll mail them to you.  Check your routes online with the ND Dept. of Transportation.  A travel information map will alert you to any road closures or construction.

Here are a few events from our weekend calendar and you can find many more at www.NDtourism.com.

• Memorial Day is Military Appreciation Day in all North Dakota State Parks which means free admission for veterans and current service members.
• The Sky Dance Sakakawea kite festival will take place at Fort Stevenson State Park – May 26-28
• How about a Wild West Shootout?  It goes down at 3 p.m. on Monday in the Frontier Village in Jamestown
• Kick back with some cowboy poetry, May 26 in Medora

Memorial Day services are held in communities around the state. One of the most notable takes place in Sherwood where veterans from the U.S. and Canada exchange flags at the International Boundary.  A program and parade will follow with North Dakota’s Lieutenant Governor Drew Wrigley as keynote speaker.

Crossing the Finish Line

Thousands of runners will be flocking to the Fargo area this weekend to participate in the eighth annual Fargo Marathon. It has best described as Flat, Fast, Friendly & Fun… with an emphasis on Friendly & Fun! The Fargo Marathon has been the recipient of the Runner’s World Magazine Reader’s Choice Award as the #1 Best Value Marathon in America.  Runners World also recognized the event as the 8th Best Overall Marathon in America in January 2010.

The festivities kick off on Thursday with a youth half mile and 1-mile run.  Also starting Thursday is the Health and Fitness Expo at the Fargo Dome. Runners can pick up their packets and visit more than 80 vendors showcasing the latest and greatest in food, clothing, shoes, souvenirs and more.

Let the carb loading begin! On Friday night the pasta and lefse feed will be filling all of our runners with extra carbohydrates so they have extra energy for the big race. Friday evening is the start of the event with the 5K race. This year, the Fargo Marathon Organization set a goal to register 10,000 runners for the 5K. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota and NIKE have partnered to produce a matching funds program with the goal of raising enough money to purchase a new pair of running shoes for 1000 underprivileged children in the Red River Valley.

On your mark…get set…run! Saturday morning the 10K kicks off bright and early at 7 a.m. with the half marathon runners starting at 7:30 and the full marathon runners at 8:15 a.m.  If you are in the Fargo area you should definitely come down and cheer on the runners. The “cheerleaders” as I call them are an important part of the race. They keep runners excited and driven to keep going.  If you can get to the finish line, which is inside the Fargo Dome, it is such a neat experience to see runners of all sizes and ages cross the finish line. What an amazing accomplishment it is for all the runners. The Fargo Marathon is one of the coolest events North Dakota has so get out and cheer on the runners this weekend!

A North Dakota Bucket List

Bucket list fail.

A friend of ours was recently inspired after attending a freelance writer’s conference to create her own North Dakota Bucket List. We created a bucket list once, but we think we may not have understood the concept at the time.

She, much like many of our Ambassadors, loves North Dakota and was shocked by how many times she hears about new places to go and visit even after living in the state her entire life. We liked the list so much we thought we’d encourage you to think about your North Dakota bucket list. Check out her list below and for the full skinny – and we mean skinny, as she is normally a fitness and healthy food blogger – visit her at www.donteatcrapblog.com.  

North Dakota Bucket List ala Brianna Strahm (AKA @donteatcrap)

1. Drive through Teddy Roosevelt National Park to pet the buffalo and experience the Medora Musical (again!) (Editor’s Note: We strongly advise against petting buffalo.)
2. Bike or Hike “part” of the 100 mile Maah Daah Hey Trail
3. Go sailing on Lake Sakakawea
4. Kayaking or canoeing on the Pembina River
5. Catch a walleye in Devils Lake
6. Go to a UND Hockey Game at the Ralph Engelstad
7. Take a picture with the Worlds Largest Buffalo (again!)
8. Drive down the Enchanted Highway
9. Visit the Rock Museum in Parshall
10. Visit the Wood Chipper in Fargo
11. Walk across the Fairview Bridge
12. Visit Prairie Fire Pottery in Beach
13. Eat at the Pitchfork Fondue in Medora
14. Eat Juneberry Pie at Lunds Landing in Ray
15. Sample a dessert from Nicole’s Fine Pastry in Fargo
16. Eat Chippers from Widmans in Grand Forks (again!)
17. Visit the Albino Buffalo in Jamestown (sorta again!)
18. Ride a sled being pulled by an ATV at Papa’s Polar Patch
19. Stay at the Hotel Donaldson in Fargo
20. Experience Norsk Hostfest in Minot
21. Participate in a grape stomp at the Red Trail Vineyard in Buffalo

Now for the BIG question … what would you add to the list?

An April Full of Entertainment

The winter-that-kind-of-wasn’t in North Dakota has allowed, even, encouraged us to play outdoors. To prove North Dakota still has plenty to do indoors, we’re challenging you to take a break from hiking, biking and fishing this April to experience a few indoor events guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

The Blue Man Group will be performing at the Fargodome on Tuesday, April 3. If you aren’t familiar with this wildly popular group, they are well-known for their combination of comedy, music, technology and starkly blue faces. The Blue Man Group show has been described as intensely exciting, outrageous, and one that leaves the audience in a blissful, euphoric state. And, who doesn’t love euphoria?! With no spoken language, Blue Man Group is perfect for people of all languages, and cultures.

Crafters and art fans unite! The 21st annual Minot Spring Show will be held April 13-14 at the North Dakota State Fair and includes more than 250 booths showcasing products hand-made from across the U.S. If you can’t make it to Minot, head to Hazen for their Art Show April 28-29. The weekend will be filled with demonstrations, entertainment and viewing of artwork in a variety of categories and hosted by the Hazen Arts and Crafts Association.

 Ready to rev up those engines? Grand Forks is the place to be April 14 – 15 for both motorcycle and car enthusiasts. The Red River Valley Motorcycle Show held at the Alerus Center is one of the region’s largest gatherings of motorcycles and will showcase some of the best classic and modern bikes. You also have a chance to win a custom 2012 Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle! For the car lovers, the 30^th annual Prime Steel Car Show will be on tap at the Purpur/Gambucci Arenas featuring some amazing classic cars, hot rods, muscle cars & antiques.

 Love opera? Then head to Fargo to experience Beethoven’s one and only opera, Fidelio premiering April 13 and 15 at Festival Concert Hall at NDSU. Hear and see the story of mistaken identity, love that conquers all and a final chorus that never fails to bring the audience to its feet. Wrapping up the list for those enjoying musical entertainment is the “Big Sing” in Jamestown April 28-29. This annual gathering of over 300 men from 12 choruses is sure to get toes tapping.

Happy Pi Day North Dakota

There are very few days when we can celebrate mathematical mysteries. On March 14 or 3.14, we celebrate the never-ending equation that is Pi.

Greek letter (), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. Pi = 3.1415926535 … (which has been calculated out to the trillionth digit by some super computer somewhere).

Math enthusiast or not, who wouldn’t want to celebrate a day so obscure and with the fortunate name of Pi? Any what might the best way to celebrate be … you guessed it, eating pie. Of course North Dakota has some excellent options to celebrate, whether at your mom’s countertop at one of the many local diners across the state.

So get out there and celebrate North Dakota, by eating pie in honor of Pi Day. Need a few ideas for great destinations for mouth-watering pie in North Dakota? We recommend (with a watering mouth and a hankering for diner coffee): Tower City Café – Tower City, Lewis and Clark Café – Washburn, Lunds Landing in Ray – Juneberry Pie, Little Cottage Cafe – Bismarck, and Webo’s Café in Linton.

This Ambassador is celebrating by fondly viewing my Pi plate (yes, it is awesome) and hoping my mother shows up with one of her homemade pies (Sweet Nordic gods, let it be apple … or wonder berry … or sour cream raisin … or rhubarb …).

North Dakota Matters

If you haven’t connected yet with North Dakota Matters you may want to subscribe. This email newsletter from the North Dakota Department of Commerce offers up news and upcoming happenings taking place in the world of business in North Dakota. The March issue is hot off the presses just waiting for you to take a look: http://bit.ly/yn9hUF

Taking North Dakota to 2020 and Beyond

Interested in making a difference in North Dakota’s future? 2020 & Beyond, the state’s 20-year visioning process, has just begun to hold community meetings across the state. These meetings are an opportunity for you to get involved and take part in shaping North Dakota’s future.

The initiative hopes to build on North Dakota’s growth and expand visions for economic development statewide, focusing on the areas of people, places and opportunities.

Meetings will be held in Wahpeton (March 13), Jamestown and Fargo (March 14), Williston (March 20), Minot (March 21), Devils Lake (March 27), and Grand Forks (March 27).

Visit www.ND2020andBeyond.com to find location information and to learn more about this exciting initiative.

North Dakota Celebrates Job Shadow Week

You’ve simply got to love the creativity of some people. Next week is National Job Shadow Week and National Job Shadow day on February 2 and North Dakota is participating. Yes, indeed, Job Shadow Day is celebrated the same day as Ground Hogs Day. While the rest of the world centers their focus on whether or not a slightly chubby rodent has seen his shadow in Punxsutawney, some North Dakota students will be looking for the shadow of their future careers.

Job shadowing is a unique experience in which a student “shadows” a professional at their place of work. I personally like to think of it as job shopping. It allows individuals to “try on” a job for a day, much like a new pair of jeans, and decide if it’s truly “a fit.” Choosing a career path while you’re in high school or college is a big decision and one we want our young people to succeed at.

Businesses and schools participating in Job Shadow Week are providing students the opportunity to not only try out a career, but exposing them to the opportunities available to them right here in North Dakota. Students have been encouraged to job shadow in any business in North Dakota including any of North Dakota’s targeted industries: energy, advanced manufacturing, value-added agriculture, tourism, or technology-based businesses.

“Businesses can learn about the benefits of opening their doors to our youth – their future employees and customers,” said Commissioner Al Anderson, North Dakota Department of Commerce. “This helps build career connections between young educated North Dakotans who are looking for good careers and businesses looking for future workforce solutions. It’s a win-win situation.”

All in all, we think it is a great way to help youth better understand and make smart choices about their career path and a future in North Dakota. If you want to virtually participate in Job Shadow Week, check out our online job shadows at Career Conversations on NDYouthForward.com.

North Dakota responds

With the launch of North Dakota’s new tourism campaign earlier this week, came distinct attention around one ad. The ad, which depicted a girls-night out on the town, caused a bit of a social media stir yesterday when it became widely shared and commented on.

We support North Dakota Tourism’s efforts to promote our state’s nightlife and fun atmosphere and think their response is worth reading: http://legendarynd.wordpress.com/

Sometimes even the best, well-intentioned things can be misinterpreted. It is the beauty of us all having our own opinion. As an Ambassador of North Dakota, whether you like the ad or not, I know we can all agree that North Dakota is still a fun place to have an evening out.

North Dakota Launches New Tourism Marketing

North Dakota loves enticing new visitors to the state, and that effort starts with our Tourism marketing campaigns that begin each spring.  Yesterday, the North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism Division launched its 2012 campaign materials. Soon you’ll be seeing ads for North Dakota in some of your favorite print magazines, as well as on TV stations outside our region. All these efforts are aimed at luring people to North Dakota for that Legendary experience. Take a moment to preview the materials now and entice yourself to come and be legendary in North Dakota.

Video spots can be found at: http://www.ndtourism.com/about/advertisements/north-dakota-legendary/ 

Print ads can be found at:  http://www.ndtourism.com/about/advertisements/north-dakota-advertisements/

 Or check out the digital version of the travel guides … they are really cool!  Travel Guide: http://www.ndtourism.com/about/digital-travel-guide/ and Hunting & Fishing Guide: http://www.ndtourism.com/about/digital-hunting-guide/.