This is my 100th post.  I’ve been blogging for just less than three months now.  In that time, I’ve learned there are different ways to search with google, I’ve become interested in the industrial hemp debate and I’ve discovered I’m fascinated by North Dakota’s energy industry.  My mind has broadened by three or four infinities. 

To celebrate, I’m sharing 100 reasons to love North Dakota (not in any particular order).  They are as follows:

1. It’s easy for me to work from home here.
2. Space Aliens Grill.  I would love to see this North Dakota original franchised all over the world.
3. There are eleven great higher education institutions (meaning colleges and universities) in the state.  I like learning, and I like the fact that learning can happen just about anywhere you go here.
4. Wind farms.  To me, they’re beautiful and exciting.  North Dakota has the highest potential for wind energy of any state in the nation.  According to the American Wind Energy Association, “North Dakota alone is theoretically capable (if there were enough transmission capacity) of producing enough wind-generated power to meet more than fourth of U.S. electricity demand.”
5. The Barrack Obama campaign doesn’t know much about North Dakota.  Just joking…that could be good or bad, but sometimes our low profile can be a real asset.
6. I can grow cranberries in my back yard. 
7.  According to the Knew View web site, North Dakota had the second highest per capita income growth from 2000-2005. (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2005).  There’s lots of other good North Dakota info there as well. 
8. Rob Port’s SayAnything blog.  It’s informative, entertaining and somewhat addictive.
9. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park.  If you’ve never been there, plan a trip for next summer.  Besides spending some time along the beautiful Missouri, you can tour the home of General Custer and the On-A-Slant Mandan village.  The village itself is well worth the trip. 
10. Mandan Drug Store and, of course, the Lindy Sue’s chocolates that are made and sold there.
11. The North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck.  This museum has a Hall of Time and a place for children to learn and play, too.  There’s also a really great gift shop there.
12. There’s space to THINK out here.
13. The North Dakota State Library.  This is one of my family’s favorite summer haunts.  The books are kept in the basement, and it’s like a maze down there.
14. The Apple Festival in Ellendale.
15. The Skydance Sakakawea Kite Festival in Garrison, held annually around Memorial Day.
16. The Charles Dickens Festival, also held in Garrison, that will be STARTING THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING!  HURRAY!  IT’S ALMOST HERE!
17. Wit, wisdom and generally beautiful conversations that happen at Lone Prairie blog.  Julie Neidlinger is a treasure.
18. North Dakota has a citizen legislature, and most of them are very nice people.
19. The Red River Valley Research Corridor is amazing.  North Dakota State University, University of North Dakota and the North Dakota College of Science are all a part of that.
20. There are lots of groups for entrepreneurs to join here, including the Young Professionals network and the Manufacturer’s Round Table in Dickinson.
21. The Minot Zoo has penguins.
22. People smile and say hi even when they don’t know you.
23. It’s November 19th, and there’s no snow on the ground today (although it’s predicted for tonight).  We had our first REAL snow day last week, but it didn’t last long.
24. The Bismarck-Mandan blog.  Besides taking great photographs, Clint occasionally sends me cool ideas to check out, helps keep me in line and generally encourages me.  That’s a true North Dakotan for you.
25. Anita’s Collectibles, a gift shop in Killdeer.  She sells the most beautiful imported nutcrackers you have ever seen.  It’s a totally unexpected treat.
26. In the same area, Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing Company makes parts for aircraft (including Boeing and Lockheed Martin).  I took a tour through there once.  Very interesting place.
27. Occasionally you might get a rhinoceros stuck in your fireplace.  Owen Blickensderfer of Mott says he can help get it out (scroll through this article to read more).  LOL!
28. There’s a great little amusement park just outside Dakota Zoo in Bismarck’s Sertoma Park.
29. Bismarck and Fargo are really expanding.  That means more shopping opportunities.  Who doesn’t want that?
30. Pirogue Grill in Bismarck, and the Cheesecake shop across the street.
31. Knoephle Soup at Kroll’s Diner.  They sell it by the bucket.
32. The gift store in Michigan, North Dakota (yes, Michigan is a town here) where home-made/handcrafted gifts are sold on consignment.
33. A very friendly neighborhood where my children can play safely (emotionally as well as physically).
34. Great bow-fishing opportunities.  Ask my husband about that; I’ve actually only seen the results, but the smile on his face is worth it.
35. Bright fields of sunflowers. 
36. There are such things as wild turkeys in North Dakota, and they’re beautiful.  They can often be found along the Missouri River. 
37. There are plenty of pheasants and ducks, and lots of places to go birding if you’re into that. 
38. Chokecherries–the new state fruit (approved during the past legislative session).  This was interesting to me because it all started with a class of sixth graders. 
39. The history behind North Dakota is wonderful and includes such figures as Theodore Roosevelt, General Custer, Sitting Bull, Sakakawea, and the Lewis & Clark expedition.
40. Icelandic State Park.
41. The United Tribes International Powwow held annually around Labor Day is supposedly one of the biggest powwows around.  There is usually a parade associated with it.
42. I love the wide-open North Dakota sky.  It’s a constant smile.   
43. Huge sculptures.  Jamestown has a buffalo.  New Salem has Salem Sue.  There are others scattered across the state, and there are several oversize metal sculptures along the Enchanted Highway near Regent.
44. Lake Tschida.
45. Logging Camp Ranch near Amidon.
46. Pride of Dakota products–a directory of some really wonderful things made and sold right here in North Dakota.
47. The learning-based vacations arranged by the state tourism department.
48. The Lewis and Clark Riverboat.
49. Northern Plains Ballet.  (Sigh/Smile.)  I can’t help it.  I’ve always loved ballet.
50. The North Dakota State Christmas Tree.  This year, it will be lighted on November 27.  It’s about 25 feet tall and is located in Memorial Hall in the Capitol building.  Last year there were smaller trees on the ground level of the Capitol building, as well.
51. McDowel Dam.
52. The Flickertail Woodcarver’s guild.
53. A huge Harvest Moon, hanging like a balloon over North Bismarck. 
54. Cross Ranch State Park.
55. The National Buffalo Museum in Jamestown.
56. The bison herd located at the National Buffalo Museum.
57. Marketplace for Entrepreneurs.
58. The Owl, a used bookstore on South 12th Street in Bismarck.
59. The fairly-new terminal at Bismarck Airport.
60. Dakota Clockworks in Glen Ullin.
61. Norskfest, a Norwegian heritage festival held in Minot.
62. The Ukrainian heritage festival held in Dickinson.
63. The business incubators located at UND and NDSU.
64. Tours through the local power plants and coal mines (Basin Electric Cooperative is really great about setting these up).
65. Microsoft has its second largest plant located in Fargo.
66. The International Peace Gardens.
67. Rugby, the geographical center of North America.  Folks there joke that they’ll never face a tsunami.
68. Ye Olde Malt Shoppe in Garrison.
69. The Beiseker Mansion (a bed and breakfast) in Fessenden.  A very, very wonderful place to be; it would make a great Holiday retreat.
70. The Water Festival, a water-based learning experience for third-graders held in Bismarck every year.  (I learned a lot when I went with my daughter.)
71. Northern lights.  Ahhh!  Beautiful!  And they’re even more beautiful in real life.
72. Matah Adventures, a canoe rental and guide service in Mandan.  Fun!
73. The Ritz, an original art gallery/store in Linton.
74. The whole idea of New Bohemia, a North Dakota organization dedicated to helping young North Dakota artists be able to stay in the state and make a living.
75. The Pembina Gorge, near Walhalla; The Frostfire ski area is located there.
76. The Bismarck Tribune.  A very nice little newspaper
77. Bright yellow fields of canola blossoms next to brilliant blue fields of blossoming flax.  It’s breathtaking.
78. Bread Poets baking company.  I understand that each loaf is kneaded by hand and takes about six hours to make.
79. Tall grain elevators between extremely spacious fields. 
80. Wild grapes along the Missouri River.
81. The annual CANDISC bicycle tour.
82. Roby’s Supper Club, just a few miles west of Mandan.  The food is worth the drive.
83. Excel Leadership, Inc.  LaVonn Steiner is a terrific mentor and a wonderful friend.
84. North Dakota has more shoreline than California (due to Lake Sakakawea).
85. A restaurant in Mohall has a table made out of an old bowling lane.  People here use what they have to make new things, and the results are amazing.
86. Fossils of Mesohippus Bairdi, a two-foot tall, three-toed horse have been found in western North Dakota.  A Mesohippus cast is displayed at the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in Medora.
87. Instead of a traditional dome-shape, the state Capitol building is a skyscraper.  See a virtual outdoor tour here.
88. Inside the Capitol building is The Monkey Room, built with special wood in a special arrangement.  The knots line up and look like faces of animals staring out of the wood.
89. The North Dakota State Fair.
90. Crafts made from barbed wire and antique wood; these are made by a Jerome Hoerner, a farmer near Glen Ullin.  The covered wagons are my favorite.
91. Knife River Flint:  a rich, brown, semi-translucent rock found mostly around the Knife River.  I’m told that long before whites settled North Dakota, Native American tribes would travel from all across the country to trade for it. 
92. SEO Precision, Inc. in Crosby.  I just like the idea of a rural company making high-tech mirrors for defense weapons systems.  And I like that it’s in North Dakota, because anything can happen here.
93. Same goes for Delta Energy, the company near Berthold that has found a new way to recycle tires.
94. Bobcat got its start in Gwinner.
95. Rhubarb grows like crazy here.
96. The Sheyenne State Forest near Lisbon.  There’s actually some pretty good hiking there.
97. The state’s only waterfall is located in the Sheyenne State Forest.  It has a drop of about eight feet.
98. Fabulous Walleye fishing (so says my husband.  I like to sit in the boat and read.)
99. Free land, or land giveaways…still available in North Dakota.   
100. There’s peace here, and not just the kind of peace that means no war nearby (many North Dakota families are supporting family members serving overseas).  It’s the kind of peace that wraps around you like a blanket.  I think it’s Peace On Earth, Goodwill Toward Men.