The Lewis & Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1804-1805 along the Missouri River in what is now North Dakota.  This excerpt is taken from the writings of William Clark on December 25, 1804:

I was awakened before Day by a discharge of 3 platoons from the Party and the french, the men merrily Disposed, I give them all a little Taffia and permited 3 Canon fired, at raising Our flag, Some men went out to hunt & the Others to Danceing and Continued untill 9 oClock P,M, when the frolick ended.

Research is showing that more and more travel planning is being done online.  Not only are official visitor sites like NDtourism.com being consulted, but also blogs like this one and traveler-review sites.  These days, people just post a status update for vacation suggestions and get inundated with ideas.

Photos can be one of the most compelling things in vacation planning and help answer a lot of questions.  How did the fairways look?  How big are the buttes?  Are the albino buffalo really white?  North Dakota Tourism hosts a flickr group called Legendary North Dakota Travel where visitors and North Dakotans have shared photos of attractions, events, scenery and wildlife.  Browse through nearly 400 photos, many with interesting facts tagged on them, like this recent photo of the ND Capitol Building by Randy Hoffman.

If you have photos of North Dakota, you’re invited to join the group and share your legendary stories.

Santa trades in his sleigh for a train tonight.  The Canadian Pacific’s 10^th anniversary Holiday Train will stop in Minot on December 17.  Featuring live entertainment, the train raises food, money and awareness for local food banks.  Expected arrival in Minot is 7:15 p.m.

Over the past decade, the Holiday Train effort has raised more than $4 million and two-million pounds of food.

There are so many fun ways to celebrate the holidays, including fabulous Christmas concerts.  The Blenders perform December 19 and 20 at the Belle Mehus Auditorium in Bismarck.  This group originally formed in Fargo and has toured throughout the United States, opening for such acts as Jay Leno, Howie Mandel and Chicago. 

Lorie Line’s 2009 holiday show promises to be her most intimate Christmas show ever, with Lorie and just five of her musicians on stage.  They make a stop December 19 at the Chester Fritz Auditorium in Grand Forks.

Check our calendar at NDtourism.com for more parades, concerts, events and festivals.

One of my neighbors has been tuning his snowmobiles and taking short zips down the street, anxiously waiting for trails in North Dakota to open.  While he’ll have to wait for just a bit more snow, there are lots of ways to get outside and have some winter fun.

Rheault Farm in Fargo is currently transformed into Santa Village.  It’s a 15-acre winter wonderland with daily activities and horse-drawn rides.

If you’re already wondering about the kids’ holiday break, consider a trip to Papa’s Polar Patch in Bismarck.  This is the same location known for fall-fun as Papa’s Pumpkin Patch.  In the winter, you can find snow caves, skating rink and sleigh rides.

Don’t hibernate this winter.  Indoors and out North Dakota has lots of ways to enjoy the season.  Check our events calendar for all the things to do.

That’s the sound that will be heard this weekend as three of North Dakota’s downhill ski areas open on Saturday.  Light-to-moderate snowfall combined with temperatures cold enough to make snow have contributed to the mid-December openings.

Bottineau Winter Park is located in the Turtle Mountains near Bottineau, in the north central part of the state.  Frost Fire Ski and Snowboard Area in the Pembina Gorge region near Walhalla (northeastern corner of the state) has a base of 15-20 inches of snow including 8 inches of new powder.  And Huff Hills, south of Mandan, is also posting news on twitter.

No report yet from Bear’s Den Mountain Ski Area.

Northern Lights by Lyndon Anderson

Space tourism is in the national news today, as Virgin Records owner Richard Branson has revealed his own private spaceship.  While we at North Dakota Tourism definitely don’t have a space shuttle for visitors, we do offer some awesome spaces and skies.  An agriculturally-rich state, North Dakota offers rolling prairies, vast vistas and unexpected Badlands, buttes and hills.  Visitors often remark that they found peacefulness here and were able to breathe-easy and enjoy themselves and the scenery.

While North Dakota is known for all the riches found on the land, the skies above offer their unique bounty.  Here you can see the galaxy above, uncluttered from light or air pollution.  When the elusive Northern Lights make their appearance in the night skies, visitors and residents alike are in for a real treat.  Space tourism can be found in North Dakota, with your feet planted firmly on the ground.

Today is the day snowmobile trails officially open in North Dakota.  That is … if trail conditions allow.  And this year we’re a little short on snow.  That won’t always be the case, but for now:  stay tuned.  Snowmobile North Dakota posts trail conditions and information on their website.  It’s a great resource if you’re wondering where to ride and what kind of permits you need to have.

All of us at North Dakota Tourism hope you had a fun, relaxing, full Thanksgiving weekend; and if you ventured out shopping on Black Friday – that you found a lot of great deals too!  Today is known as Cyber Monday – the unofficial start to the online holiday shopping season.  It’s the perfect time to tell you about North Dakota’s new online gift shop.

The online ND Shop opened earlier this month and features Legendary North Dakota apparel and novelty items like sweatshirts, t-shirts, caps, mugs and tote bags.  It’s the perfect way to wear your hometown pride or to send a little state-spirit to proud ambassadors living elsewhere.  There’s also free shipping every day at the ND gift shop.

Not only is Thanksgiving one of the biggest travel weekends of the year, it’s also one of the biggest retail weekends.  You can’t turn on the radio or TV, or open a newspaper without hearing about sales, deals and doorbusters.  How can a visitor connect with the shopping options in North Dakota?  The best way is through the convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) in major cities.  North Dakota Tourism links to all CVBs and Chambers on the official travel website, but to make it one-click easier – here are the major cities.  Don’t forget to check out travel specials and packages!

• Bismarck-Mandan
• Dickinson
• Fargo
• Grand Forks
• Jamestown
• Minot
• Williston