Day seven was very patriotic. I can’t think of a better place to spend the 4th of July than in Medora, ND! We started the day by visiting the Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP). There we took a 36 mile long drive through the Badlands and not only saw more amazing view, but also tons of wildlife. TRNP has several natural prairie dog towns that serve as homes to hundreds upon hundreds of prairie dogs. They were happily running around and digging in their burrows today. The prairie dog towns are also an excellent place to see grazing animals too. According to one of the rangers, the prairie dog towns make the grass and foliage richer and more nutrient dense for the grazing animals. This must be true because we saw a herd of wild horses at one prairie dog town and a herd of buffalo at another one. However, our biggest wildlife find of the day was a bison who was sleeping about 50 feet from the side of the road. We came around a curve and there he was just chilling. It was awesome!
After our tour, we went back to the park’s visitor’s center to see a movie about Theodore Roosevelt and for the kids to complete their Junior Ranger program. As they were working on their workbooks in the exhibit area, I had an older man come up to me and tell me how happy it made him to see them working on their workbooks. He said he was a middle school teacher, and it saddens him that most of his students have no interest in history and science at all. Not my kiddos! They are loving the Junior Ranger programs. I am so proud of them!
We wrapped up our visit to the park and headed back to the hotel to prepare for the 4th of July festivities. At 3:30 pm the town of Medora hosted a 4th of July parade. They had some really cute and clever floats as well as several individual horses and horses pulling carriages. Many of the floats threw candy, popsicles, and even hats out to the kids. Needless to say, this was a huge it! The streets were lined with residents and visitors alike.
After the parade, we loaded up and drove just over the Little Missouri River to the Burning Hills Amphitheater. This venue is home to the Pitchfork Fondue Dinner and the Medora Musical. The musical is a BIG thing in Medora! Most of the residents work in the musical. Because of this, almost all of the town’s businesses close every night by 7:00 pm so everyone can get to the show. Before the show, we attended the Pitchfork Fondue Dinner…which is just what it sounds like, steaks cooked on pitchforks. They load these big pitchforks up with steaks and deep fry them in a large drum. I have to admit, this is the first time I have ever had my food cooked using barnyard tools! It was very good though. In addition to the steaks, the dinner offered a large buffet complete with baked potatoes, baked beans, salad, coleslaw, and other yummy treats. The best part of the dinner is the the location. It is set atop the side of a cliff that gives amazing views of the Medora countryside.
Around 7:00 pm, they herded us all over to the Burning Hills Amphitheater for the Medora Musical. We weren’t sure what to expect, but it was really good. The show consisted of several segments filled with song and dance as well as a main event that changes every month or so. Tonight the main event was a magician and balloon artist. While this might sound a little lame at first, he was really good. Evidently he currently holds a Guinness World Record for being the fastest balloon artist. The kids loved that part of the show! There was a really nice storyline to the musical that incorporated the history of North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt’s influence on the town. Definitely a must see if you are in the Medora area. Oh, and on Wednesdays and Fridays, kids get in FREE!
The finale of our 4th of July festivities was the town’s fireworks display over the Badlads. Around 11:00 pm, everyone in Medora meet at the Chimney Butte Park to watch the fireworks. This was a great location because most people in town could just walk there. We went ahead and parked the car back at the hotel and walked down to the park. While it wasn’t the biggest fireworks show we have ever seen, it was still nice thanks to the amazing surroundings and the thought put into making the day special. Definitely a 4th of July to remember!
