The train from Minneapolis to Minot (my-not), North Dakota takes approximately 10 hours. It was an overnight train, so I basically got on the train in Minneapolis, went to sleep, and woke up to the beautiful sunrise pictured above. Sunrises like this always make me feel incredibly grateful.
I spent the day working from the Minot Public Library. There I was able to learn a bit about the town thanks to the Centennial memorial and other memorabilia decorating the library. Minot was put on the map in 1886 after the railroad tracks were laid, and later gained more popularity for being home to an Air Force base. It now has a population of about 50,000 and has a nickname of the “Magic City” because of its rapid population growth. It is the fourth largest trading post in the state.
Minot does not have much to it, but for a little town there was plenty to do for a night. I stayed at the The Vegas Motel, and I was assured it was getting up to Vegas standards. I ate at a place called Off the Vine, which had some amazing Armenian dishes. Then I popped across the street to Main Street Books and was pleasantly surprised to find this awesome concept of “Blind Date With A Book”. Though space in my pack was limited, I could not resist! I ended up reading a lovely novel about two best friends in China due to these brown bag recommendations!
In addition to the Amtrak station and Air Force Base, Minot is home to the Scandinavian-American Heritage Park. About 40% of Minot residents are of Scandinavian descent, which include Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. I was unable to enter the church, as I visited after hours, but there are many structures and statues to see on the grounds. It was a beautiful space to wander, sit, and read my new book for a while.
The next morning, I showed up at the train station about 30 minutes prior to my departure. I had received a notification from Amtrak the night before that there had been a train derailment in the Northwest corner of the state, so Amtrak would have to bus all of the passengers to the next closest stop, two hours away in Williston, ND. Amtrak assured us that these derailments happen all of the time; however, I found that hard to believe considering how unprepared they were to handle the situation. Eight hours later, I was in the same spot I had started in, waiting for the bus to come get the last of us. Twelve hours after my original departure time, I was finally headed further west, happily swapping stories with all of my newly forced friends from this long day of waiting.
USA Rail n Road Trips 