In North Dakota, Boom, Bust and Oil

Whenever I read accounts of cross country trips people take to see America, a lot of times their only experience with the great plains is speeding across them on I-80 or I-90. This is too bad. I'd strongly recommend anyone embarking on a trip to find some interesting sounding landmarks or parks in the region, get off the beaten path, and go see them. The landmarks themselves may not be that impressive, but you'll get to experience an openness and seclusion that I've come to realize, as I've lived in bigger cities, very few people ever experience. The quaint little small towns dotting the prairie are interesting too.