Our year long road trip continues as we travel to North Dakota and Minnesota with stops at Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Voyageurs National park in Part 14 of our cross country route. Our route summary and map are below!
If you’ve missed any earlier segments catch up with links to our routes and travel highlights here:
- Part 1 looped us from Ohio to Maine and back to Ohio.
- Part 2 carried us across the country from Ohio to Montana and to our adventures in and around Glacier National Park.
- Part 3 circled the Olympic Peninsula in and around Olympic National Park.
- Part 4 took us to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon and Redwood National and State Parks in California
- We also included our extended stay on the Oregon Coast over the holidays in Part 4, as we filled holiday orders for Destination Tree
- Part 5 traversed us through California including Napa Valley, Yosemite, King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
- Part 6 brought us through the Southwest as we explored Joshua Tree National Park, Sedona, The Apache Trail outside of Phoenix, Tombstone and Bisbee.
- Part 7 introduced us to the enormous size and beauty of Texas…from Big Bend National Park to San Antonio, Austin and the Gulf Coast.
- Part 8 swung us through Sweet Home Aaaalabaaaama…
- Part 9 reconnected us with family and friends in Florida including Fort Lauderdale, Everglades National Park, Sanibel Island and St. Augustine.
- Part 10 backtracked us through the south with stops at Louisiana’s old plantations, New Orleans, and MORE fun in San Antonio with good friends.
- Part 11 opened our eyes to the history and beauty in the landscape of New Mexico including Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands National Monument, Chaco Canyon and Bandelier National Monument.
- Part 12 stunned us with an array of colors throughout Colorful Colorado including Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, Royal Gorge, Castle Rock, Horsetooth Reservoir, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and The Stanley Hotel.
- Part 13 included some of the most stunning scenery and wildlife in America at Grand Tetons National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
Next up…North Dakota & Minnesota!
Part XIV
June 21 – July 4, 2016
I could gush on an on about Wyoming (in fact I did, with a lot of pictures as well) and as wonderful as it was, we still had more plans and more national parks on our year long road trip. So, we drove north and departed Wyoming, made an overnight pitstop in Billings, MT and then traveled east to North Dakota. We arrived in Medora, ND a teenie tiny little town, but just moments from Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
In addition to beautiful scenery, the two best things about Theodore Roosevelt National Park were 1) Wildlife and 2) Minimal Crowds. If you’re dreaming of seeing bison, elk, wild horses and prairie dogs up close and without battling traffic and crowds, then this is your place. Yellowstone was wonderful and had wildlife sightings as well, but this felt like an intimate encounter with the great outdoors.
After spending some time in Medora, we continued east, straight through North Dakota, with a stop in Fargo, where we were able to stock up on business supplies, catch up on orders, and then head north to International Falls, Minnesota. As the name implies, this border town is on the cusp of Minnesota and Canada, and an excellent gateway to Voyageurs National Park. From here we explored Voyageurs, including Rainy Lake and Lake Kabetogama.
From there we took to the country roads through Minnesota, flanked by the green trees and blue lakes of Minnesota’s state forests until we arrived in Duluth, MN right on the tip of Lake Superior.
Our driving route through North Dakota and Minnesota is below…stay tuned for pictures and highlights of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Voyageurs National Park!
Tips: Zoom in and out on the map, and move the map around to get a better look at the route. Or click “View Larger Map” below to get an even better view.