The Trip
Last spring we (my spouse Sue & I) decided that there were 2 states (except for Hawaii), that she had never been to, and the time to change that would be now. I know that if you have read my column before that you could accurately accuse me of being a homer. Homer meaning that I love North Dakota, and Montana, and South Dakota, and Minnesota, and Manitoba, and Saskatchewan…truth is, wherever I have been there is so much that continues to inspire and amaze me; but when asked about my home state I burst a couple of buttons talking about the great state where I was born.

Where are we going on this trip? The ultimate destination would be the Outer Banks of North Carolina, with a slight dip into South Carolina because those are the 2 states that Sue has never visited.

We Started In Indiana?
Once again I have to bring into focus some recent conversations I have had when explaining our trip itinerary. When I talked about the Outer Banks I would get one of those “What’s in North Carolina?”

We didn’t need to check off Indiana. But this is where Sue’s ancestry started. It happened to be on the way to the Outer Banks. We didn’t really know a lot about the Outer Banks, but we did figure like every state, North Carolina had a lot more than the Outer Banks, and true to our belief it did.

But now back to Indiana. Sue’s Mom’s family homesteaded in Indiana and yes, eventually ended up in North Dakota, but we were able to trace back 3 generations in Indiana by searching (mostly Sue) through cemeteries with graves dating back to the 1800’s. One cemetery we stumbled onto by accident, and that is where we found graves from her great, great grandparents. A moment of silence and a quick photo at each grave. In total, we stopped at 3 cemeteries and were able to find headstones of many relatives.

Indiana was definitely a farm driven state. Let me tell you that I was amazed with the amount of corn and soybeans raised in the state of Indiana. And the other defining moment was driving on roads designed for the horse and buggy days. I thank God that someone invented a GPS, or we would still be in Indiana.

Neeley Distillery
Next destination would be Sparta, Kentucky, the location of the Neeley Distillery. This was a great stop as we met up with Beka Sue (Bolton) Neeley. Located just off a major highway, Neeley Distillery has been brewing whiskey for 11 generations, but now it’s legal. (see photo) Beka is a bourbon expert. She has her own bourbon blog, and it rests on her tasting expertise to choose bourbons to compete in national, and international spirit competitions. I wish I had remembered to take photos of the many Neeley Distillery spirits that have won gold and platinum awards. All I can tell you is that we should be proud of this hometown Minot girl. She and her husband Royce (Neeley) are a force to be reckoned with in the bourbon world.

Great Smokey Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway
Yeah, if you are a forest type, this is your area. Highlight of this part of our trip was a baby back bear who wandered out of the forest to greet these North Dakota tourists. We joked all along that it would be nice to see a bear, and sure enough, we did. I don’t want to make this into your worst relatives’ vacation story, but I do want to hit on a couple of more highlights, only to compare them with some of our local opportunities.

Cowpens National Battlefield
Had it not been for the victory attained on this battlefield during the Revolutionary War, the south could have been captured and retained by the British. If you are interested, take a couple of minutes, and google Cowpens National Battlefield. And while you are in the learning mode, google Little Bighorn National Battlefield. Although these battles were almost 100 years apart, to stand and overlook either of these battlefields gives you that very reverent, haunting feeling. Cowpens is almost 1,700 miles from Minot, North Dakota. Little Big Horn Battlefield is only about a 7 hour drive. Looking for a place to visit next summer? Well, if you are in North Carolina I would suggest Cowpens. But if you are in North Dakota, The Little Big Horn Battlefield is hard to top.

Billy Graham Library
Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this is a place I will never forget. The video presentations are unbelievable. It’s going to be 2 hours well spent as Billy Graham is definitely a part of our heritage.

I am told that the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential library in Medora will also be awesome. It is set to open on July 4th of 2026, marking the 250th birthday of the United States of America. Once again, let’s not forget the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte if you are in that area. But once the Teddy Roosevelt library is open, we will have another marquee destination just 3 hours southeast of Minot.
More later…as we tour the Outer Banks.

Finally-Fall Festival- See You There!
Hope you picked up this paper in time to head to Downtown Minot on Saturday for the Fall Festival. It will be the 30th Anniversary of the Dakota Cruisers car club and they are promising over 125 vintage cars, and the Grand Opening of Kids Zone sponsored by the Downtown Association and the Magic City Lions. There will food all up and down Main Street, and vendors on the streets. Stores downtown will have a lot of special buys, so drop in to the many friendly merchants.
Hours are 10 AM to 5 PM. Parking is available in many different lots and in the 2 downtown parking garages.
A great beginning to fall- The Downtown Fall Festival!

Best Kept Secrets
Chapter 2- The Downtown Fall Festival. Since COVID cancelled the festival for 2 years in a row, the merchants have been working extra hard to roll out the red carpet. Run by many, many volunteers, we want visitors, new and old, to experience the magic of Historic Downtown Minot. Kid friendly, adult friendly, well just plain friendly…the Downtown Fall Festival, Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Today’s Chuckle
Do you ever feel like life is a circus and you’re in charge of cleaning the elephant cage?