Medora, North Dakota

Thanks to our last-minute decision to change a layover, we were able to spend two nights in this stop of our Epic Road Trip, giving us a full day to explore Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and a leisurely evening in Medora.

Medora is a small town abutting the southern tip of the South Unit of TRNP. It is nestled in the Badlands, and is the only town in a 20 mile radius. For fellow Disney Magic Kingdom fans, Medora is sort of a cross between Frontierland and Liberty Square - there's a walkable downtown with restaurants and shops, all with a charming old-timey Wild West look.

We stayed at the historic Rough Riders Hotel, which can truthfully claim that "Teddy Roosevelt Slept Here." There was a Teddy bear waiting to greet us in our hotel room. On our first night, we had dinner at the saloon across the street, which offered Cowboy Combo pizza and Theodore Rex beer (a reminder that North Dakota is also a great place to find dinosaur bones).

Medora is famous for the Pitchfork Steak Fondue and the Medora Musical, which are right next to each other, on the outer edge of town. Of course, we had to experience both!

This was not the kind of fondue where you dip bread cubes into melted cheese. Instead, they skewered 12-oz steaks on pitchforks - ten on a fork! - and deep-fried them. There was a buffet with plenty of hearty sides, some live music, and a sweeping view of Medora and the Badlands.

The Medora Musical is performed live in an outdoor theater and has been a favorite attraction here since 1965. It was exciting to be seated in front of a large stage again for the first time in 18 months! The weather was perfect, and it felt great to be outside. The theater was filled, though for safety reasons there were empty seats between each party in the audience.

The show was a musical revue about Theodore Roosevelt's time as a cattle rancher in the Badlands. Horses shared the stage with humans. They even did a reenactment of the Rough Riders and the Battle of San Juan Hill. The singing, dancing, and music was very well done. It was also heartfelt, wholesome, and just a little bit corny - very Disney-esque. We loved it all.

I can't think of any other place where you can explore a national park all day and then enjoy dinner and live theater with a view that same evening. Medora is unique, and made for a memorable first visit to North Dakota.