Once I was done in Michigan and getting Marz all squared away at school, I flew back to Bismarck, ND where my mom picked me up at the airport and I started another road trip! Like I haven't had enough already....😉
After dad died in May, I put the idea in mom's head, that we girls needed to do a road trip after I got all the kids back in school, in the army, in what ever part of the world they needed to be in.😉. In spite of my "busy" life, mom and I squeezed in a road trip to Medora, ND.
It was my mom's 4th time there and my first. I have been putting it off every summer we have been home because the though of driving four hours, just to watch "a play", made my head hurt. So, we took off from the BIS airport and headed west for the hour and a half drive to Medora. Well, mom drove. I do what I do best when in a car, I slept! 😏
And mom did what she does best besides drive... She text's the old fashion way... 😂😂😂
Now, because I KNEW I would only be making this trip once, I mean, who drives 4 hours to watch a play, I went all out! I bought the whole package... The Rough Riders Hotel. The Pitch Fork Fondue. The Behind the Scenes Tour. The Medora Musical. And The Gospel Brunch.
Late afternoon we arrived, and immediately checked into the Rough Riders Hotel. The first thing I noticed is that they named the hotel's restaurant after my son Theodore!😉 Actually, my Teddy was named after Theodore Roosevelt, so it was kinda fun to see everything about Theodore Roosevelt. It was also very nostalgic because my Teddy just started serving in the US Army.
After we checked in, we started off walking around and getting a feel for this very small town. I actually love small town, so it was nice to relax and stroll down the streets. We stopped in a few gift shops along the way and walked by this bronze statue of a cowboy. Mom must have forgotten I grew up and still live, well kinda sorta, in South Dakota, because she was so excited to have me take a pic by the cowboy. I laughed... Then, I took a selfie of both of us. 😉
Our next stop was one of the very many ice cream shops around town. Now, neither one of us eat ice cream anymore, it gives us a gut ache, but we both thought, what the heck and went all out.
This ice cream was to die for! It was some of the best I have ever tasted, and that says a lot! I love Dairy Queen ice cream, but this was great! And the best part of it all, I didn't have a gut ache when done! And I ate THE WHOLE THING! 😁
After the ice cream, we stopped in a couple more gift shops and then made our way back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Along the way, we found a bronze statue of Teddy R. I took this pic to send to my Teddy.
Next on the agenda was the Pitch Fork Fondue.
As you will see in the pics below, they load pitch forks up with massive steaks and submerge them in a large vat of oil and fry them. At least that's what I think they do... I should really go look this stuff up so I am correct... 🤷♀️😉
Steaks ready to go...
Sorry for all the shadows... you can see some of the pitch forks submerged to the left of the pic.
All cooked up and taking them off the pitch forks.
Mom's plate because I don't eat half that stuff... 😉😂
The eating area. It may look empty, but we were some of the first to go through the lines. The tables filled up fast.
The weather was amazing that evening. There was zero wind, which is very unusual for the Dakota's, so mom and I hung around for a while and relaxed.
That was our first day. We scheduled the tour and the musical for the next night.
The next morning, we took our time waking up and then headed down to the hotel's breakfast at Theodore's restaurant. That was yummy just for the fact that there was real American bacon and breakfast sausage in the buffet! Those are two food items I miss living overseas.
After breakfast, our goal became to hit every shop in Medora. We succeeded! LOL! The one thing great about all the shops in Medora is that they are all different. Unlike most tourists shops, where you find the same souvenirs over and over, each shop carried their own unique items. I was pleasantly surprised, mostly for the fact that I am not a shopper and this kept me entertained. Wish I had a picture...😉
Moving on... After our morning's stroll, mom and I went and sat on the outdoor patio at the hotel. We read, snoozed, dialed in our global communication devices, and relaxed. I cannot emphasize how perfect the weather was for us!
And then, it was time to get ready for the much anticipated musical!
You cannot walk from the hotel to the massive outdoor theater, so we got in the truck and drove the five minutes from the hotel to the theater. The theater is actually where we went for the Fondue... I don't know if I mentioned that before...
This pic was taken from the top of the seating section, by the concession stand, while we were waiting for our behind the scenes tour to start.
We met up with our tour guide, Daniel. He was a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and gave us a great tour.
Tour Guide Daniel and me... a look from the stage into the audience.
Finally! The much anticipated show!
My favorite picture of the night. The US Army flag in the foreground of the United States of America flag! Definitely very proud to be an American and proud to be an Army mom!
Theodore Roosevelt
We had a comedian that night for the main entertainment. I can't remember his full name. His first name was Kermit! I kid you not... 😉 and he was from Hawaii. He was great!! Mom and I were both laughing very hard by the time he was done!
By the time the show finished, I was insanely happy that mom and I took this road trip. Yes, I was very skeptical at first, but by the end, I was kicking myself because I missed so many opportunities to have taken the kids here over the years. The musical was awesome!! There is no other way to put it!
Our last morning in Medora was spent at the Gospel Brunch. Again, another must thing to do while in Medora. I love gospel music! So I was extremely pleased with this show also. The actors and actresses took us through the history of gospel music and even sung some of my favorite songs and hymns. I would most certainly go to this again! Oh, and the breakfast food was great too!😉
Waiting outside for our seats to be called to get in line for breakfast.
I was seat C1, so I was up close and personal with the stage. 😁
And then it was time to get back on the road...
If I haven't said it enough, I was skeptical at first, but then this place turned magical for me! I LOVED every minute of my time here! I will definitely go back! With my family... With my mom... With my siblings.... By myself... With anyone!! Medora, you will most certainly see me again!
