Minot
From Imakoopedia
Minot is a city in north central North Dakota with about 37 000 people. Known as the Magic City, it's a significant rail hub (for freight anyway). However, its location deep within North America and off the Interstate System generally means you don't see Minot if you don't plan on it.
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Understand
The Souris River goes through the middle of town, carving a valley in the middle of flat prairie. The town arose in 1880s as a stop along the Great Northern railway. Today there's a large US Air Force base just north of town. You can drive to Canada in just over an hour.
T-shirts available at the airport have this motto: "Why not Minot? Freezin's the reason!"
Get in
By plane
Minot International Airport is served by Northwest Airlines (http://www.nwa.com/) with three flights per day (four during the holiday season).
By car
Minot's location towards the center of the continent places it well off the beaten path for travellers. Most commonly, visitors are passing by. Often they are taking the scenic route west through Montana (or coming from that direction). Also, many Canadian tour buses bound for points east (Minneapolis, Chicago, etc) will cross into the US through Portal, and stop in Minot for fuel and a quick bite.
Minot is a significant destination for truckers; although in the future, plans for a road-rail cargo hub may materialize a lot more traffic in that regard.
The major routes through the city are US 2 (east-west), US 83 (north-south), and US 52 (northwest-southeast). US 2 intersects with Interstate 29 in Grand Forks, US 83 intersects with Interstate 94 in Bismarck, and US 52 intersects with Interstate 94 in Jamestown. Sucessors to 83 and 52 also intersect with the Trans-Canada Highway.
By train
Minot is a stop on Amtrak (http://www.amtrak.com/)'s Empire Builder (http://www.amtrak.com/trains/empirebuilder.html) line, which goes between Chicago and Seattle. Minot is one of three layovers between the Twin Cities and Spokane, as it is a refueling stop.
There is one train in each direction every day: Westbound trains pass through about 9am; Eastbound trains pass through about 9pm.
Freight rail service to Minot is provided by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Canadian Pacific Railways.
By bus
Greyhound Lines offers no scheduled service to Minot. A local company provides road transportation to and from Grand Forks ($40) and also Bismarck ($20) on a limited basis. Though Greyhound no longer serves even those cities, Jefferson Lines in Grand Forks and Rimrock Stages in Bismarck provide connecting service to Greyhound in Fargo, Winnipeg, and Billings.
Get around
You aren't getting anywhere in Minot without a car. Some public transit is available at certain times, but for visitors it's more trouble than it's worth. Most visitors will bring their own vehicle anyway; otherwise:
Car rental
Avis (838-7665), Hertz (852-0104), and National (852-5115) are right in the Airport. There is a Rent-a-Wreck (838-0098) at a Sinclair gas station three (hilly) blocks south of the Amtrak Station. There is an Enterprise location (838-3800) on the south end of town. Enterprise and Rent-a-Wreck will pick you up; Avis, Hertz, and National are oriented primarily towards airline travelers and might not.
Taxi
Taxi service is also available. Taxi 9000 (852-9000) is the biggest service and usually has cabs waiting at the Airport and Train Station after arrivals. Also: Minot Cab (852-8000) and Magic City Taxi (837-9999)
See
- Roosevelt Park and Zoo, 1219 Burdick Expressway East. Roosevelt Park is the city's largest park. Features include a zoo, a swimming pool, and a 2/5ths scale railroad you can take a ride on around the park, in addition to gardens, walking paths, picnic shelters, tennis courts, and a band shell. Be sure to check out the sundial near the train station and the statue of Theodore Roosevelt in the southwest part of the park. http://www.rpzoo.com/
- Minot Railroad Museum, 19 1st Street NE (701-852-7091). The museum, has provided its guests with a glimpse at the fascinating history of the westward railroad expansion since its opening in 1986.
- Riverwalk of Minot, A 2.5 mile walking and biking trail along the Souris river, which is accessible from a number of Minot attractions including the Railroad Museum and Roosevelt Park.
Do
- The North Dakota State Fair, State Fairgrounds, 2005 Burdick Expressway East. The North Dakota State Fair is one of the biggest entertainment events of the year, brining big name concerts, carnival rides, and fairway fare. The fair runs 9 days, from the second-to-last Friday in July to the last Saturday in July. http://www.ndstatefair.com/
- Norsk Høstfest, State Fairgrounds, 2005 Burdick Expressy East. The Norsk Høstfest is the world's largest Scandinavian heritage festival, running more than 25 years. The Høstfest, like the State Fair, brings in big-name entertainers to Minot, along with a lot of other folks! The Norsk Høstfest runs 4 days, starting the first Wednesday in October to the following Saturday. http://www.hostfest.com/
Buy
Shopping opportunities are ample in Minot. Souvenirs are available at the Airport, and at the Visitor's Bureau office inside a very Scandinavian-looking building just off Broadway (you can't conceivably miss it).
- Downtown Minot, northeast of the intersection of Burdick Expressway and Broadway, has a number of small shops and restaurants, particularly along Main Street and Central Avenue.
- Dakota Square Mall, just off the US 2/52 bypass on 16th Street SW. Anchor stores Target, Sears, Herbergers, JCPenney. Numerous specialty shops. The mall is in the middle of a shopping district that pretty much grew around it, including a supermarket and a Wal-Mart.
- Town and Country Center, a strip mall located on Broadway. Much of it is office space but there is a drugstore, a variety store, and a travel agency.
- Arrowhead Mall, a strip mall on 16th Street SW quite a bit north of the mall. There's a drugstore, a supermarket, some restaurants, and some offices.
Eat
Food is pretty cheap in Minot. You're looking at $10 tops per person in most cases, maybe $20 at some of the nicer sit-down restaurants. If you really want to pull out on the stops, it is theoretically possible to spend $50 a plate at a handful of places in town... if you care to.
You will not need a reservation for any restaurant in town, nor will anyone be particularly able to save a table for you on crowded days (Mother's Day for example). Some restaurants do have private rooms that can be reserved, which are generally for business or political meetings.
Budget
- Schatz Econostop, 1712 20th Ave SE (on the 2/52 Bypass East), Open 24 hours. One of two main truck stops in Minot, Econostop provides good food at a very reasonable price.
- Dragon Delight, 22 South Main St. (Downtown), A Chinese buffet open Lunch ($6) and Dinner ($8). A great deal for a decent selection of Asian cuisine.
- Charlie's Main Street Cafe, 113 South Main St. (Downtown). American fare.
Midrange
- New China Buffet, 1901 S Broadway, Chinese Buffet and Mongolian Barbecue. Open lunch and dinner.
- Greenhouse Cafe, 315 South Main St (Downtown). Open Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Private rooms available, phone 701-852-3708.
- Country Kitchen, 3800 2/52 Bypass West. Open 24 hours. Your usual Country Kitchen attached to your usual truck stop. Private rooms available, phone 701-838-4029.
- Applebee's, 2302 15th St SW (Dakota Square Mall). It's an Applebee's. Open Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. And it has a bar. Private rooms available, phone 701-839-2130.
- Royal Fork Buffet, 1420 24th Ave SW (Dakota Square Mall). An American Buffet. Fresh cut Roast Beef and Turkey lead an all-star array of dishes. Private rooms available, phone 701-838-6581.
- Homesteader's Restaurant, 2501 2/52 Bypass West. Downhome cooking.
- Planet Pizza, 220 South Broadway. Pizza and Video Games! The place to take your kids out to. Party room available, phone (701) 852-1700.
- Sammy's Pizza, 400 North Broadway. Italian cuisine.
Splurge
- Primo, at the International Inn, 1505 North Broadway. Italian and American cuisine. Biggest list of wines, scotches, and cognacs in town. If there is a place to wine and dine in Minot, this is it. Open 24 hours. Private rooms available, phone 701-852-3161.
- The Embassy Food and Drink, 112 2nd Ave SW (Downtown). The Embassy is another fine restaurant. Live Lobster and Seafood, American and Italian cuisine. Also has a bar. Open Mon-Thu 11a-10:30p, Fri-Sat 11a-1a. Private rooms and banquet halls available, phone 701-852-4343.
Sleep
Accommodations are easy to find in Minot -- except during the State Fair and Høstfest. Be sure to reserve your rooms well in advance if you're planning to stay during late July and early October.
Budget
- Super 8 Motel, 1315 N Broadway, phone 701-852-1817, toll free reservations 1-800-800-8000. $30-$60
- Select Inn, 225 22nd Ave NW, phone 701-852-3411, toll free reservations 1-800-641-1000. Accepts Canadian dollars at par. $30-60
Midrange
- Comfort Inn, 1515 22nd Ave SW (near Dakota Square Mall), phone 701-852-2201, toll free reservations 1-800-424-6423. $40-70
- Days Inn, 2100 4th Street SW (near the Broadway and 2/52 Bypass interchange), phone 888-327-6466. $40-$70
- Dakota Inn, 2401 2/52 Bypass West (west of Dakota Square Mall), phone 1-800-862-5003. $40-70
- Best Western Kelly Inn, 1510 26th Ave SW (near Dakota Square Mall), phone 1-800-735-5868. $40-70
Splurge
- International Inn, 1505 North Broadway, phone 1-800-735-4493. Located on North Hill near the Airport, the International Inn is widely regarded as the best hotel in town, though this may simply be a local conceit as the Holiday Inn provides about the same level of service. $50-$85
- Holiday Inn, 2200 Burdick Expressway East, phone 1-800-468-9968. Almost immediately across Burdick Expressway from the fairgrounds, the Holiday Inn rivals the International Inn as the best in town. $65-$85
Contact
Minot has excellent telecommunications infrastructure.
Analog and digital PCS networks are available. Coverage in the city and along the roads is excellent. Coverage gaps deep in rural territory are quickly being filled. Local telephone provider SRT is a partner with Sprint and Verizon Wireless, among others.
Minot has one web cafe, the Bagel Stop, on South Broadway. Public Internet access is also available at the Public Library (next to the Amtrak station) and Minot State University (North Broadway). Free WiFi access is available in pockets downtown and around MSU.
Stay safe
There is very little crime in Minot. Most residents do not lock their doors, and in wintertime many people leave their cars running in Parking lots as they run their errands.
Probably the most significant danger comes from city traffic. Pedestrians are advised to yield to oncoming traffic -- most people will not stop to let you by, even at crosswalks. Also, drunk and exhibition driving is a risk late on weekends. Stay alert on the roads at those times.
Get out
Nearby Rugby is the geographical center of North America.
External links
- Visit Minot (http://www.visitminot.org/)
- City of Minot official site (http://web.ci.minot.nd.us/)
