North Dakota Trip - Day 9: Williston to Devils Lake, ND via Canada

Saturday- August 29, 2009

Up and on the road by 7:30 AM we decided that since we were so close to the Canadian Border, we'd just go there and through parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and then back into North Dakota at the International Peace Garden just on the border of Canada and North Dakota.  Getting into Canada was fairly easy.  We were greated by a friendly female border guard who took our drivers licence and disappeard into the little guard shack where I assume she ran a check on us to make sure we weren't terrorists or something.  She came back out and gave us our drivers licenses and asked us if we were carrying any firearms, or pepper spray, or fruits or vegetables and then sent us on our way.  Here we are at the border crossing.  Terry asked if it was O.K. to get out and take a picture of our entering Canada.  I'm sure she must have thought we Americans are very strange.

I don't have any pictures of our visit to Canada as we found the landscape was not any different than North Dakota.  We only went a few miles into Canada and then turned due east and traveled for several hours until we reached the turnoff for the International Peace Garden which straddles the border. 

The concept of the Peace Garden was intended to represent a celebration of the peaceful coexistence between the two nations, illustrating to the worl their commitment to world peace.  The gardens are 2,339 acres in size and feature two fresh water lakes, scenic drives, formal and wilflower gardens, waterfalls and a large variety of American birds and animals. 


It was all very lovely and after about an hour we left the gardens to cross the border back into North Dakota.  Unfortunately, our experience with the U.S. border guards was not as pleasant as with the Canadians.  Due to our own stupidity, we didn't even think before crossing the border that we would need our passports or at least a birth certificate to get back into the country.  To make a long story short - after a lecture, another drivers license check, and a cursory inspection of "Big Red", we were sent on our way older and wiser.  (We thought it wise not to ask if we could take a picture of our re-entering the U.S.)

Safely back in the U.S., we headed south and stopped for a Kodak moment at the Geographic Center of North America (not of the U.S.).  A nice gentleman offered to take our pictures at the monument.

From Rugby we drove east to Devils Lake for the night.  After checking in at the Fireside Inn we checked out Sullys Hill National Game Preserve and see our last buffalo.  We had a nice dinner at the Ranch Restaurant where a bottle of Shiner Bock hit the spot.  Then it was off to Dairy Queen for a chocolate dipped cone for me.