The North Dakota Badlands in southwestern part of the state are not only breathtaking and wild, but are particularly beautiful at sunset with the sun playing on the rocks. The badlands or "Mako Sika" in the Sioux language are located in the Theodore Roosevelt National Monument Park. It is also the home of the historic town of Medora. If you ever get to North Dakota, check it out because it is positively breathtaking. This is one of my favorite places in the state!

The furry critter on the left is the Richardson Ground Squirrel better known as a flickertail squirrel or a prairie dog. They live primarily in the western part of North Dakota with extensive colonies in the Theodore Roosevelt National Monument Park near Medora. The colonies they live in are called towns and consist of subterranean tunnels and burrows.

Their quick spirit and determination to survive is another source of North Dakota's three nicknames: The Flickertail State. The Roughrider State in reference to Theodore Roosevelt and his gallant group of Roughriders during the Spanish-American War and its official nickname: The Peace Garden State in salute to the International Peace Gardens near Dunsieth.

These gentle pink flowers bloom in June and are incredibly beautiful and fragile. The wild Prairie Roses are most commonly found in the eastern North Dakota but can be found in wooded areas throughout the state in particularly near wooded streams and rivers. These are among my favorite wildflowers and I look forward to seeing them in the early summer. The Wild Prairie Rose is the state flower of North Dakota and several other western states. Other wildflowers that can be seen throughout North Dakota throughout the spring and summer season. A flower that grows really well in North Dakota are my favorite ones are the Black-Eyed Susans and Daisies. It is also a treat to see a field of sunflowers in full bloom as they face the morning sun with their brown and yellow heads.

The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of North Dakota and several other western states. This songbird is familiar in the rural areas and is a sight to see and hear. The meadowlark sadly to say is not as common as it once was and it is too bad for it is truly a beautiful bird. Other birds that fill the skies of North Dakota include the Robin, Barn Swallow, Crows, Sparrows, and Killdeers to name a few. The mourning dove is one of my favorite birds because of the mournful tune it cooes in the early morning. There are a few pairs of American Bald Eagles nesting in the state and a number of hawks and falcons. One can even catch a glimpse of a woodpecker or bluejay in the eastern part of the state along the river bottoms.

Sacajawea or Sakakawea was the Native American guide who helped lead Lewis and Clark on their journey west to the Pacific Ocean. Sakakawea or Sacajawea met Lews and Clark in the winter of 1802 - 1803 at Fort Mandan as they wintered at the fort and learned more about the culture of the three tribes that lived near by: the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. She joined the expedition west in the spring to guide the expedition through Shoshone country and other tribal groups. Her knowledge of the lands they went through and speaking of the native languages proved to be invaluable in the expedition. In her native tribal tongue, Shoshone, her name means Birdwoman.

A statue of her stands on the grounds of the state capitol and Lake Sakakawea in central North Dakota is named after her. The lake was created on the Missouri River during the construction of the Garrison Dam and Diversion project starting in the 1950's. There are reminders along the Missouri River marking the route that Lews and Clark took west to the Pacific. A number of schools in North Dakota are called Lewis and Clark including one in Grand Forks. The United States Mint issued a new gold coin in 2000 featuring Sacajawea.

North Dakota Mill and Elevator was created by the legislature of North Dakota in 1922 in Grand Forks, ND to mill North Dakota wheat into flour. It is the only state owmed mill and elevator in the United States. Dakota Maid flour is made and sold in a variety of ways thoughout the the United States. Dakota Maid flour products are only a sampling of products that are produced in the state. Other products that are produced in the state include Sunflower Seeds, honey, pasta products and buffalo. North American Bison located in New Rockford, ND is a cooperative that is packaging buffalo meat for consumption in both the US and overseas market. It is rather good when prepared properly and low in fat.

Pasta Growers Cooperative in Carrington and Leonardo's in Cando produce pasta products from North Dakota grown durum, including macaroni and cheese. North Dakota also had a viable dairy industry especially around New Salem. The Dairy country is marked by the giant statue of a Holstien Cow better known as Salem Sue standing alongside Interstate 94 in western North Dakota. THe industry goes well in North Dakota for in 1983, the state legislature made it the state beverage. Eastern North Dakota is also known for the production of potatoes and Sugarbeets. The Sugarbeets are refined into sugar at either MinnDak in Wahpeton or at American Crystal Sugar at a number of plants up and down the Red River Valley and also in parts of central and Southern Minnesota.

North Dakota has the distinction of being at the center of the North American continent and the exact center is located at Rugby, North Dakota. It is roughly 1600 miles from North Dakota to the coasts and approximately the same distance to Florida. The distinction of being in the center of the continent is that weather can be rather entertaining ranging from bone biting cold and wild blizzards in the winter to intense heat and humidity in the summer despite the fact that we have a semi-arid climate in most of the state. The winters can be cold and snowy or we can even have the rare open winter where we have little or no snow. In the summer months we are subjected to humidity and moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico and the humidity can get quite high here at times especially in July.