North Dakota

Distance and darkness shape daily life in North Dakota more than in most states, since towns sit far apart and winters run long, building a culture where small towns depend closely on one another. Deep Scandinavian and German family roots shape local food, seen in Norwegian lefse, German kuchen, and knoephla, a potato and dumpling soup.

The International Peace Garden, a shared garden straddling the Canadian border, gave the state its nickname, “The Peace Garden State,” and remains a genuine source of local pride. Long winters bring some of the best conditions in the country for viewing the Northern Lights.

The Badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park preserve wild bison and horses roaming free across a landscape that shaped the state’s history long before it was settled.