Moving to North Dakota

[MichelleVW]

I'm moving to Minot North Dakota in Feb (thanks Air Force). Anyone know anything about the area other than it's COLD!!!

I've been in the South for too long, my blood is pretty thin and I think I'm going to freeze!!

 

[Briarmom]

I'm from Minot. I lived there for 21 years.
What do you want to know?

Yes it is very very very cold there sometimes, but this summer (I was home all summer) it was hot.

Will you live on Base?
I will answer whatever questions you have.

 

[MichelleVW]

I'm from Minot. I lived there for 21 years.
What do you want to know?

Yes it is very very very cold there sometimes, but this summer (I was home all summer) it was hot.

Will you live on Base?
I will answer whatever questions you have.

I'm pretty sure we're going to live on base. I've got horses but the base has stables where I can keep them so I'm set there.

We are major weekend travlers, any cool places that are 3ish hours or less away?? I was looking at the North Dakota Badlands and they look awesome and can't wait to visit them.

Any cool places nearby in Canada?? My oldest has been wanting to go to Canada her whole life and now she gets her chance!!

 

[Briarmom]

I'm pretty sure we're going to live on base. I've got horses but the base has stables where I can keep them so I'm set there.

We are major weekend travlers, any cool places that are 3ish hours or less away?? I was looking at the North Dakota Badlands and they look awesome and can't wait to visit them.

Any cool places nearby in Canada?? My oldest has been wanting to go to Canada her whole life and now she gets her chance!!

Well I wouldn't have known anything about the stables on Base. That is cool. I've never lived on a base that offered them!

Let's see...weekends you can go to Bismarck, Grand Forks (about 3-3.5 hours) or Fargo (about 4-4.5 hours). Badlands are neat. You'll enjoy the horse riding there I am sure. I believe there is a horseriding club in Minot...but I am not positive.

As far as Canada goes, you'll definately be able to go there. There is a water park that we went to when I was young called Kenossee (sp) but I don't recall how far away it was. Winnepeg is not too far away. I'd take her there.

During the summers you can also go to one of the many lakes. That is something we did almost every weekend growing up.

Minot is not a bad place, despite what the Air Force people say. I've been (and am) at worse places. There is a mall and a few restaurants. The State Fair goes there every summer. How old are your kids? The high school is pretty good.

 

[MichelleVW]

My girls will be in 9th and 11th grade. They both make friends pretty easy and have already looked up the high school website and it looks nice.

I'm excited about the stables on base since I've never been anywhere that had them before either...they are nice and cheap...of course I have to do all the work, but right now the horses are at my house so I'm doing the work anyway!!

Thanks for all the suggestions....I'm sad about leaving North Carolina because I've got great friends here, but it sounds like I'm going to like it.

I'm going to hate having to fly to Disney though.....I'm spoiled here being only 9 hours away...

 

[nealymouse]

Cant help but bud in and ask what kind of rider you are ? I'm thinking hunter/jumper by your picture.

My DD rides H/J . This week she is going back to her old riding academy because they now have room to board her horse there. Her riding/show horse is home but we dont have an indoor arena so riding in Maine's winter months is hard. She still has her old show horse she can hack in the winter if she wants to ride at home.

How offten do you ride ?

 

[MichelleVW]

Cant help but bud in and ask what kind of rider you are ? I'm thinking hunter/jumper by your picture.

My DD rides H/J . This week she is going back to her old riding academy because they now have room to board her horse there. Her riding/show horse is home but we dont have an indoor arena so riding in Maine's winter months is hard. She still has her old show horse she can hack in the winter if she wants to ride at home.

How offten do you ride ?

I am a trail rider and a Horse show mom!! DD loves to trail ride too, but right now she is loving the H/J stuff. She has also been playing western pleasure with my horse (had w/p training before we got him) but I don't think she would like that nearly as much as she likes to jump!

We try to trail ride alot ...but it usually is about once a month....DD has a lesson once a week and rides alot in the summer, but in the winter it's hard because of the dark. She is home alone after school and isn't allowed to ride when no one is home and it's dark by the time I get home, so it's usually just on the weekends or when her sister doesn't have cheerleading practice.

I found her a H/J barn in North Dakota close to where we will live which has an indoor arena where she can lesson during the winter.

 

[janette]

I grew up in NE Montana, not too far from Minot. It can get very cold in that part of the country. I don't visit home in the winter but I didn't mind it too much as a kid.

We go to a camp near Yellowstone Park in the summer, my kids love it and the weather is great that time of year.

I'd take advantage of being that close and go to the many travel destinations in that area. There are several parts of Glacier National Park, Yellowstone and other national forests where no vehicles are allowed. You can access most of it by horse back so you're experience with horses will be great for that type of vacation.

If you are interested in Dinosaurs there are many digs around Montana & North Dakota. My home town recently built a new museum http://www.fortpeckpaleo.com/ .

You'll find that distances are relative there and small town takes on a new meaning. Minot is considered a big town but in most areas it would be very small. People in NE Montana go to Bismark or Billings to shop.