September 4th - 6th, Bismarck ND and The Medora Musical

Bismarck ND - September 4-6  Wednesday-Friday

Wednesday - Neighbors from our street in Arizona live here in Bismarck.  After we were set up at the Bismarck KOA we headed to dinner with Mark and Penny at their home. The salmon dinner was delicious, the company great, and it was a very relaxing evening catching up since we had seen them last April in Arizona.  They swear they are staying longer in AZ this year since the spring was still extremely cold in North Dakota this year when they went back.  Originally we had planned to go to the famous Medora Musical on Saturday but since the weather is predicted to be rainy Mark changed our tickets to tomorrow evening. 

Thursday - Today was filled as we tried to get in as much sightseeing as we could before going west to Medora later this afternoon.  We hit:  Farmers markets at K-mart, and the Capitol building (aka: skyscraper on the prairie) where they were having a Dakota Days display (things made or grown in the Dakotas).  We met a guy there who was the boyfriend of my college roommate freshman year at GMI (Flint MI) at one of the booths.  What a small world!  We had not intended to go into the Capital Building but decided since so much was going on it was worth a look.  Some of the small businesses had cool names, like Perk & Beans (Coffee), and I bought some Lefse (looks like a 

tortilla made from potatoes) since we have never tried it.  The views from the observation deck (18th floor) overlooking Bismarck were cool and the pictures in the lobby of famous people from ND and their biographies were interesting reading.  Heading back to camp we drove up to overlook the Missouri River from Chief Looking Village Park then off to get ready for our road trip. 

The drive to Medora was about two hours.  Mark offered to drive his Escalade which was a more comfortable ride than would have been in our truck, especially with the truck back tires inflated to 80 psi for towing the RV.  We stopped at Salem Sue - the World's Largest Holstein Cow!!  (Note Cheryl "milking" the cow in the lower right.)  We also stopped at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Painted Canyon visitor center just outside Medora 

for our first awe inspiring glimpse of the Badlands of North Dakota.  The sun shone on the rocky cliffs and buttes and we even saw a bison in the distance.  You could not have asked for a better introduction to this area.  Mark had made good time driving (80 mph speed limits much of the way on I-94) so we had plenty of time to explore and take pictures around the Burning Hills amphitheater, including the overlooks and gift shop.  The 

Pitchfork Fondue Dinner is a big draw here in Medora, as the steaks are cooked on large pitchforks in hot oil like a fondue and are accompanied by a bountiful buffet.  On a busy night in the summer we were told they can serve about 1,000 people dinner before the show. 

The Marquis deMores had a bold vision to create a sprawling city around his meat packing enterprise and 

his wife's name was Medora.  Teddy Roosevelt planned a visit to hunt, and was captivated by the landscape.  The rest is history, as they say.  This is the 55th year for the Medora Musical, originally started as an outdoor drama dedicated to Teddy Roosevelt.   During the back stage tour we learned about the history of the people who owned the land, inspired and befriended Teddy Roosevelt and the talent that goes into preserving the memories 

and ideals of the men who shaped the west.  Harold Schafer, owner of the Gold Seal Company, was instrumental in renovating several businesses in town, including the Rough Riders Hotel, as major investments to bolster tourism in Medora. After his death,  his wife  Sheila worked to keep the Medora Musical Legacy alive.  The singing and dancing and talent at the show was as good or better than shows we saw in Branson MO,

and Pigeon Forge TN this summer.  The comedy portion (C Willi Myles) was a clean family act and very funny considering a large segment was about the weather!  The theater, set in the side of the hill, was unique and seats about 2800 people, up to 3000 when people sit on the wide steps (fire code allows it, since it is outdoors).  The patriotic ending, lighting and fireworks was enough to give you chills.  I loved President Roosevelt's take

away message from the show:  "Do what you can with what you have, where you are at" and also the theme of this year's show: "Be Legendary".  The two hour drive back to Bismark was long but well worth it to see the show.  We plan to sleep in tomorrow!

Note:  The show did get cancelled the last night of the season (for the 6th time this summer due to rain) on Saturday, Sept 7.  That was the night our tickets were originally for, so it was good that Mark thought about switching our tickets.

Friday - Mark and Penny came to the KOA for grilled burgers.  They brought DOTS Pretzels...those things are addicting!  The flies were terrible so we ate inside.  Our destination tonight is 50th annual International Powwow at the United Tribes 

Technical College (UTTC) with the theme of Building on a Legacy of Success.  Believe it or not, it is one of the premiere Powwow events in the nation and is listed in our 1000 Places to See book.  It was unplanned but happened to fall while we were there so we couldn't pass up the opportunity.  Interestingly enough Mark and Penny had never been either but were happy to go with us.  The UTTC is on the site of old Fort Lincoln that has had 

various uses through the years including an internment camp during WWII.  It was colorful, loud, vibrant, interesting and fun.  Various booths and vendors were selling everything you could want to complete a dancer's regalia.  I saw furs, yes real ones - otter, mink, fox, ermine and more, along with shells, leather strapping, feathers, and all kinds of beaded adornments.  The regalia (not costumes) and the detail work were quite intricate and 

many are passed down through the families.  One lady told me her daughter's jingle dress had been hers when she was young and the jingles (rolled up tobacco can lids) and beads can add 40-60 pounds to an outfit.  Each jingle represents a prayer and most buy the jingles which come painted in various colors on the internet these days.  There were traditional dances, along with the chicken dance, jingle dance, shawl dance, grass dance, feather dance and dances for all age groups including the tiny tots.  They were so cute!  The various award winning drum groups and singers kept a lively beat although we could not understand the language.  Supposedly they sang songs honoring veterans, the weather, the seasons, and being thankful for our blessings. 

Many ceremonies honored the veterans and the program stated that Native Americans have the highest enlistment percentage of any ethnic group.  Two female service members from local tribes were home on leave and a collection from a box in the center of the powwow circle netted $1625 in about 15 minutes.  That money was to be split between them to help defray personal  and travel expenses while on leave.  One of the judges was Jonathan Windy Boy - a Montana senator, three term Chippewa-Cree Tribal Leader, and an internationally renowned champion grass dancer.  The resumes and names of the supporters, judges, organizers and tribal dignitaries were long and storied.  Their names were just as interesting like Gracie Her Many Horses, and Novi Runs Across.  Of course like any other summer festival there plenty of food vendors and food trucks, and we splurged and the four of us tried a deep fried oreo cookie each!  What a novel, fun, informative to way to spend a beautiful summer evening.  Friends and Entertainment too!

We bid farewell knowing we will see our friends from across the country soon enough in Arizona.