Day-to-day life in North Dakota is fairly normal and uneventful, but there are some unusual things that have definitely happened to everyone who lives here that we can all relate to. Whether you’ve been here all your life or just a couple of years, you’ve definitely experienced these uniquely North Dakotan things.
- You’ve had a lake form in your front yard in early spring that turns into a skating rink by morning.
Vicki Watkins/Flickr Sometimes winter just can’t decide if it’s over or not.
- You’ve gotten stuck behind some sort of farming equipment on the road.
Chuck Coker/Flickr It doesn’t matter if you’re from the urban areas or not, at some point you’ve been on the road and a tractor pulled out on its way - right in front of you.
- You’ve had the Menards commercial jingle stuck in your head. All. Day. Long.
Mike Kalasnik/Flickr Where can you save big money? You know…
- You’ve said a word in casual conversation to someone from out of town that befuddled them.
Dennis D/Flickr Look, we don’t have accents like in the movie Fargo, but sometimes an occasional “uff-da” slips in. Or, of course, confusing casserole for hotdish.
- You’ve had to explain to someone out-of-state that certain carved mountains are not in this Dakota.
Andrew Myers/Flickr When I first moved here, everyone where I’d moved from asked if it was the Mt. Rushmore state or if I live near there. To be honest, I’ve never even visited it!
- You didn’t have to go to the next state over to get the big fireworks.
teknorat/Flickr Everyone comes to states like North Dakota to buy them since they aren’t available in their state. We get the luxury of just having them right down the road with no border hopping necessary.
- You’ve had to deal with all-summer-long road construction in at least one place near you every single year.
Daniel Oines/Flickr Harsh winters bring cracks and potholes to roads, which must be repaired of course, and that results in summer being road construction season.
- You’ve had a close encounter with a critter on the road that just had to cross at that very moment.
jerry7171/Flickr Come on, deer. There haven’t been any other cars in front of or behind me for miles and you chose just now to cross the road? You had so many other chances!
- You’ve been more worried about the wind chill than the actual outdoor temperature.
longitudelatitude/Flickr Wind chill is no joke! When it can get down to 40 below and be blasting at 30 mph against your skin, you really have to be careful here.
What other unusual things have you encountered that you think are North Dakota essentials? If you grew up here and went to a North Dakota high school, here are some more things you will definitely relate to.
Vicki Watkins/Flickr
Sometimes winter just can’t decide if it’s over or not.
Chuck Coker/Flickr
It doesn’t matter if you’re from the urban areas or not, at some point you’ve been on the road and a tractor pulled out on its way - right in front of you.
Mike Kalasnik/Flickr
Where can you save big money? You know…
Dennis D/Flickr
Look, we don’t have accents like in the movie Fargo, but sometimes an occasional “uff-da” slips in. Or, of course, confusing casserole for hotdish.
Andrew Myers/Flickr
When I first moved here, everyone where I’d moved from asked if it was the Mt. Rushmore state or if I live near there. To be honest, I’ve never even visited it!
teknorat/Flickr
Everyone comes to states like North Dakota to buy them since they aren’t available in their state. We get the luxury of just having them right down the road with no border hopping necessary.
Daniel Oines/Flickr
Harsh winters bring cracks and potholes to roads, which must be repaired of course, and that results in summer being road construction season.
jerry7171/Flickr
Come on, deer. There haven’t been any other cars in front of or behind me for miles and you chose just now to cross the road? You had so many other chances!
longitudelatitude/Flickr
Wind chill is no joke! When it can get down to 40 below and be blasting at 30 mph against your skin, you really have to be careful here.
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Address: North Dakota, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Weird Things People In North Dakota Do April 17, 2020 Leah What are the weirdest things about North Dakota? Weird experiences in North Dakota do happen - some that North Dakotans wouldn’t bat an eye at, but people from out-of-state might find confusing. For example, each winter many people see a pretty cool natural phenomenon: sun dogs. Though the name might throw you off, a sun dog is when a halo forms around the sun, usually with beams of light on the top, bottom, and each side. These, though unusually named, are both really cool and really cold to see. Sun dogs only form when it’s so cold that the air is full of ice crystal, refracting the sunlight and forming the halo. North Dakota also has some weird and unusual attractions, such as Tommy the Turtle in Bottineau, the world’s largest snowmobile riding turtle. Who would have thought? Is North Dakota a great place to live? Though these bizarre experiences are part of what it’s like to live in North Dakota, there are plenty of other things North Dakotans get to experience that are totally awesome. For example, many places around the world are so dense with urbanization and lights that the night sky is washed out with very few stars visible. Thanks to the open, empty prairie, the night skies in the state are an absolute masterpiece on a clear night. Thousands upon thousands - and even the outline of the Milky Way - are visible. North Dakota is quiet in general, making it a fantastic place to live when you consider there is plenty of space, low cost of living, low crime rates, and many other statistics that put it at the top of “best place to live” lists again and again. What are the best things about living in North Dakota? North Dakota is a perfect choice for a place to start a family, retire, go to college, start a business, or pretty much anything else. It has options for everyone: urban cities with thriving downtowns and trendy shops, small towns with tight-knit communities and peaceful surroundings, the most rural yet beautiful areas where neighbors are miles apart, and everything in between. People love spending time in the outdoors - at the lake, out hunting in the fields, or just enjoying a bonfire with friends and family. The list goes on and on, and needless to say, North Dakota has many fantastic reasons to live in.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Weird Things People In North Dakota Do
April 17, 2020
Leah
What are the weirdest things about North Dakota? Weird experiences in North Dakota do happen - some that North Dakotans wouldn’t bat an eye at, but people from out-of-state might find confusing. For example, each winter many people see a pretty cool natural phenomenon: sun dogs. Though the name might throw you off, a sun dog is when a halo forms around the sun, usually with beams of light on the top, bottom, and each side. These, though unusually named, are both really cool and really cold to see. Sun dogs only form when it’s so cold that the air is full of ice crystal, refracting the sunlight and forming the halo. North Dakota also has some weird and unusual attractions, such as Tommy the Turtle in Bottineau, the world’s largest snowmobile riding turtle. Who would have thought? Is North Dakota a great place to live? Though these bizarre experiences are part of what it’s like to live in North Dakota, there are plenty of other things North Dakotans get to experience that are totally awesome. For example, many places around the world are so dense with urbanization and lights that the night sky is washed out with very few stars visible. Thanks to the open, empty prairie, the night skies in the state are an absolute masterpiece on a clear night. Thousands upon thousands - and even the outline of the Milky Way - are visible. North Dakota is quiet in general, making it a fantastic place to live when you consider there is plenty of space, low cost of living, low crime rates, and many other statistics that put it at the top of “best place to live” lists again and again. What are the best things about living in North Dakota? North Dakota is a perfect choice for a place to start a family, retire, go to college, start a business, or pretty much anything else. It has options for everyone: urban cities with thriving downtowns and trendy shops, small towns with tight-knit communities and peaceful surroundings, the most rural yet beautiful areas where neighbors are miles apart, and everything in between. People love spending time in the outdoors - at the lake, out hunting in the fields, or just enjoying a bonfire with friends and family. The list goes on and on, and needless to say, North Dakota has many fantastic reasons to live in.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Weird experiences in North Dakota do happen - some that North Dakotans wouldn’t bat an eye at, but people from out-of-state might find confusing. For example, each winter many people see a pretty cool natural phenomenon: sun dogs. Though the name might throw you off, a sun dog is when a halo forms around the sun, usually with beams of light on the top, bottom, and each side. These, though unusually named, are both really cool and really cold to see. Sun dogs only form when it’s so cold that the air is full of ice crystal, refracting the sunlight and forming the halo. North Dakota also has some weird and unusual attractions, such as Tommy the Turtle in Bottineau, the world’s largest snowmobile riding turtle. Who would have thought?
Is North Dakota a great place to live?
Though these bizarre experiences are part of what it’s like to live in North Dakota, there are plenty of other things North Dakotans get to experience that are totally awesome. For example, many places around the world are so dense with urbanization and lights that the night sky is washed out with very few stars visible. Thanks to the open, empty prairie, the night skies in the state are an absolute masterpiece on a clear night. Thousands upon thousands - and even the outline of the Milky Way - are visible. North Dakota is quiet in general, making it a fantastic place to live when you consider there is plenty of space, low cost of living, low crime rates, and many other statistics that put it at the top of “best place to live” lists again and again.
What are the best things about living in North Dakota?
North Dakota is a perfect choice for a place to start a family, retire, go to college, start a business, or pretty much anything else. It has options for everyone: urban cities with thriving downtowns and trendy shops, small towns with tight-knit communities and peaceful surroundings, the most rural yet beautiful areas where neighbors are miles apart, and everything in between. People love spending time in the outdoors - at the lake, out hunting in the fields, or just enjoying a bonfire with friends and family. The list goes on and on, and needless to say, North Dakota has many fantastic reasons to live in.
