Western North Dakota is one of the best kept scenic secrets in the country. Gorgeous, rolling hills transition into picturesque Badlands with spectacular views. The vibrant community of Watford City is a perfect place for groups to explore the beauty of the area, including nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park — North Unit.
Watford City features a variety of dining options that groups love, including a popular craft brewery, as well as shopping with unique boutiques, coffee shops, gift stores and more. Near many inviting hotels, guests can start their mornings on miles of walking trails or a visit to the Rough Rider Center, a combined conference and athletics facility with an aquatic center, espresso shop and more.
Guest enjoy learning about the history of the area finding souvenirs at the Pioneer Museum of McKenzie County and Long X Visitor Center.
East of Watford City along a stunning scenic drive, New Town is located on the shores of the immense Lake Sakakawea. The view of the lake here is particularly awe inspiring as colorful clay buttes descend to become a long, winding lakeshore.
On the way into New Town, visitors cross over the lake—a reservoir along the majestic Missouri River—on the Four Bears Bridge. It’s the longest bridge in North Dakota with a span of nearly a mile, designed to honor 19 tribal chiefs. To truly appreciate its design, pedestrians can walk the bridge for an up-close look at artwork depicting the history and culture of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation.
Get a different perspective on breathtaking lake views from Crow Flies High Observation Point on the east end of the bridge or aboard 4 Bears Casino’s River Willow. This gaming riverboat offers three decks of entertainment while cruising the lake. Groups can reserve tours complete with catering.
80 feet long, the River Willow is 4 Bears Casino’s new flagship gaming riverboat. A cruise on lake Sakakawea will be the highlight of your summer. Experience three decks packed with entertainment and fun you won’t want to let pass by.
To experience more of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara culture, visitors enjoy the MHA Interpretive Center and Three Affiliated Tribes Museum. It features ceremonial robes and beadwork and exhibits highlighting the tribes’ traditions and heritage. There’s also a historical marker commemorating the location where Lewis and Clark passed through in the spring of 1805. Just outside the interpretive center and museum, the Earth Lodge Village on the lakeshore features reconstructed earth lodges and tipis.
North Dakota is home to many festivals, concerts, fairs, powwows and more. Two of the largest events, attracting people from all over the world, are held in Minot, the Magic City.
The North Dakota State Fair in late July hosts hundreds of thousands who come for thrilling carnival rides, livestock exhibits, vendor displays, concerts and the kind of food that can only be found at a fair.
In early fall, Norsk Høstfest is North America’s largest Scandinavian heritage festival. Each Nordic country—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden—is represented. A Nordic Kitchen features Scandinavia’s finest chefs and food artists demonstrating their talents. It’s good to plan at least a few days to take in all the art, entertainment, food and other Scandinavian wares the Norsk Høstfest has to offer.
Also in Minot, the Scandinavian Heritage Park includes a full-scale replica of the Stave Church located in Gol, Norway, as well as a giant Swedish Dala horse, more replica buildings, statues and monuments. Downtown Minot is a great place to find boutique shopping, fine dining, art galleries and more. Colorful Street Art painted by the Minot Street Art Movement adorns building and public spaces. Nearby, the Northwest Arts Center at Minot State University features theater productions, symphony concerts and fine art displays.
A popular attraction in Minot is the must-see Roosevelt Park Zoo, which features many species from around the world, including spacious natural habitats for lions, tigers, giraffes, zebras and much more.
North Dakota Tourism Group Travel offers full-service planning assistance to make your tour a success.
We can provide ready-to-go itineraries or create a custom itinerary for your group, including tours with themes such as agritourism, military, energy, heritage and culture.
Talk to our group travel director, Deanne Cunningham (701.328.2502 or [email protected]) for assistance with creative itinerary support, familiarization tour opportunities, social media, marketing, photography assistance and travel publications. Visit us online at NDtourism.com/grouptravel.
Courtesy of North Dakota Tourism.
Fall color lovers who are seeking the warm red, gold and orange hues that drench the outdoors come autumn are in luck. Destinations ripe with vibrant scenery abound! Check out some of these can't-miss destinations for those groups who can't get enough fall foliage.
Scenic wonders abound in Sedona, a desert destination full of opportunities to have the time of your life with your closest friends. Surrounded by red rock canyons and forest greenery, Sedona is located a mere two hours from the Grand Canyon and only a 90-minute drive north of Phoenix, making it a must-visit destination for visitors.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles has debuted a new exhibit, Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971. On view now through April 9, 2023, the ambitious exhibition explores the achievements and challenges of Black filmmakers in the U.S. in both independent production and the studio system—in front of the camera and behind it—from cinema's infancy in the 1890s to the early 1970s.
Groups could take a look inside one of the world's most well-known minds, thanks to a new exhibit at the Biltmore estate in Asheville. Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius—open now through February 20, 2023 at Amherst at Deerpark on the estate's grounds—is the third installment of Biltmore's Legends of Art & Innovation exhibition series.
Leonardo da Vinci explains and draws together all aspects of da Vinci's life and times, his key achievements, and how his talents, thoughts, innovations and inventions are still just as relevant today, some 500 years later. This immersive experience includes replicas of da Vinci's large-scale machine inventions and detailed reproductions of his masterpiece paintings, codices and drawings.
Twenty models of the machines that da Vinci designed are featured, with each model constructed directly from the pages of da Vinci's codices. Artisans who did the work used materials readily available in the 15th century including wood, cotton, brass, iron, canvas and chord.
The exhibition also examines Da Vinci's achievements in painting. Of his well-known masterpieces, visiting groups could learn about creation of the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and the Vitruvian Man, one of da Vinci's most famous and recognizable illustrations.
Leonard da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius compliments the ingenuity and innovation that were required to design and build the 250-room Biltmore House. Working with architect Richard Morris Hunt, George Vanderbilt invested in as much modern and cutting-edge technology that was available at the time for his home.
"I think that George Vanderbilt would certainly have been aware of Leonardo da Vinci's works and legacy—likely more so than those living during da Vinci's time," said Meghan Forest, archives and curatorial assistant at Biltmore. "He kept a travel diary during an 1880 trip to Italy in which he discusses his viewing of da Vinci's The Last Supper. Additionally, Vanderbilt's personal art collection includes a set of miniature paintings of history's great artists, authors, and thinkers. Da Vinci is among them."
When Vanderbilt moved into Biltmore House in 1895, it was a model of modern technology. It had electrical wiring, underwater lighting in the swimming pool in the home's basement, telephones, and two elevators, both of which are used daily at Biltmore House.
"The basis for some of these would have been rooted in da Vinci's concepts," Forest said.
Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius is brought to Biltmore by Grande Experiences. More information about the exhibit and tickets are available here.
Courtesy of Groups Today.
Photo courtesy of Biltmore Estate.