Blogs from Rugby, North Dakota, United States, North America

THE BASICS, Sault Ste Marie to Duluth, July 29 to August 3...to Grand Forks, ND, August 6... We spent a sunny, tourist-filled Thursday on Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw), which is possibly the most famous attraction in Michigan. We then drove across the Upper Peninsula, which has a rich iron-mining history and a busy fishing/canoeing/hunting present. We spent a few hours in Marquette, Michigan, which is a major port on Lake Superior, and enjoyed the liveliness of a Blueberry Festival downtown there. Next day, we visited the Iron Industry Museum, another exceedingly well-done, informative experience. Thence to the Apostle Islands of Wisconsin. Our campground near Bayfield was the friendliest yet. We took a three-hour boat trip (Deborah chuckled about the "three-hour boat trip" from the Gilligan Islands theme song) through the Apostle Islands. It's a group of ... read more

Rugby was another stop on my way to the International Peace Garden. A stone monument in Rugby, North Dakota marks the geographical center of North America (the world's fourth largest continent). The location was marked in January 1931 by a US Geological Survey. A clever mileage chart tells you how far away Mexico and some other locations are. Also located in Rugby is the Northern Lights Tower. According to the Dakota Day Trips book, the Tower is about 90 feet tall and depicts the four stages of the Aurora Borealis (Northern lights). It has multiple colors reflecting the lights one sees in the sky. We North Dakotans know that we are fortunate to often see the Northern lights. Located nearby is another tower which you can climb to get an aerial view of Rugby and the ... read more