President Theodore Roosevelt found adventure, purpose and healing in the rolling hills of the North Dakota Badlands. While Roosevelt always had an affinity for the wild world, his time in North Dakota inspired his groundbreaking conservation efforts and eventually earned him the title of America’s conservation president.
As the musical notes drift over the Badlands backdrop and into the summer night sky, the Medora Musical will herald a milestone with its 2025 season. This year, it celebrates a 60-year tradition of gathering friends and families in the Burning Hills Amphitheatre for a magical evening of entertainment.
A handwritten note in the archives describes the vision for the early Medora Musical: Theodore Roosevelt, fireworks, horses and Western action.
While the performances and the venue have undergone transformations over the decades, that early vision remains.
The winter of 2022-23 was unforgettable in many regards. It arrived in early November and hung around until sometime in April. Some areas of the state received 100 inches of snow or more during those long six months. Without question, many deer died that winter, and the fallout was a reduction of nearly 11,000 licenses for the 2023 deer gun season.
Going into last winter, with many North Dakota waters lower than they’d been in some time thanks to severe drought, N.D. Game and Fish Department (NDGF) fisheries managers worried that declining water levels and other factors would lead to significant winterkill.
Turns out, it wasn’t nearly as bad as anticipated.
Art can bring life to so many things. It can brighten an alleyway, bring excitement to a road trip and inspire your creativity. October is Arts and Humanities Month, making it the perfect time to celebrate all forms of art in communities large and small.
Local creators, such as Badman Design in Grand Forks, create beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces, using mixed metals and terracotta clay. Choose from custom jewelry to accent your wardrobe, or home décor and sculptures to accent your home or business.
Severe drought conditions that impacted wildlife across North Dakota last year are, thankfully, in the rearview mirror. While remaining wildlife habitat across the state’s landscape is looking good as we head into fall, fallout from hot, dry conditions in 2021 are still being felt, as the N.D. Game and Fish Department, for the first time in six years, reduced the number of deer gun licenses made available to hunters for the November season.
As summer slowly sets, fall gives rise to new activities, and a whole new set of tastes. Doesn’t a warm cup of coffee just taste better in the crisp air? And those veggies at the local farmers market almost look too good to eat. However, we invite you to explore hidden gems in the state that welcome fall as smoothly as the leaves change their beautiful hues.
Craving wide-open spaces? Lucky for you, North Dakota has hundreds of miles of wide-open space, and the most stunning outdoor attractions are free of traffic jams and crowded trails. Take in the sounds of a bison’s hooves slowly crossing the road at Theodore Roosevelt National Park or an elk’s antlers brushing through leaves at the White Horse National Game Preserve.
