Seniors Come To Enjoy Dickinson

I most often choose a city for good reason like it made national news, someone did something there, an event took place or something like that. In investigating Dickinson, I have discovered there are many reasons why seniors might enjoy paying a visit to the town.

Dickinson is a city and county seat of Stark County with a population of 21,000. It is at the western edge of North Dakota, and the Montana border on Interstate 94 is only “a stone’s throw” away.

Dickinson is the gateway to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and home to Dickinson State University. The city is about an hour’s drive from Lake Sakakawea, the largest of the mainstream reservoirs on the Missouri river, which is famous for its fishing and recreational resources.

Seniors Visit ‘Queen City Of The Prairies’

Dickinson was known for decades by the nickname “Queen City of the Prairies.” This nickname was used as early as 1906, and legend has it that it was selected through a contest sponsored by the Dickinson Press.

Seniors can visit the Dakota Dinosaur Museum that features eleven full-scale dinosaurs, a complete earth science exhibit, a spectacular rock and mineral collection, and numerous fossils. A rare complete Triceratops skull is on display.

The Dickinson Museum Center is where senior visitors can learn about early ND settlers, how they struggled on the open prairie, endured hardships, and experienced the joys of self reliance, all with the lack of social media in their lives. The Pioneer Machinery exhibit includes a threshing machine,  old-time tractors, a miniature farm display, an impressive Indian arrowhead collection and an array of other early pioneer belongings.

Seniors Enjoy Ukrainian Festival

A tribute to early Ukrainian homesteaders in North Dakota and a celebration of Ukrainian art and culture are part of the Ukrainian Festival that takes place annually in Dickinson. Learn about the fine art of the “Psyanky” Easter Eggs at the Ukrainian Cultural Institute, organized by Ukrainians in 1980. It is celebrated annually with a symposium, food, music and Ukrainian dancing in full colorful costumes. So VYTAIEMO – Welcome!

Senior oenophiles, Dickinson has its own winery called Fluffy Fields Vineyard and tasting takes place at 21st St. East. Toss your clubs in the car and play a round or two at the 18-hole Heart River Golf Course. Historians will find the Theodore Roosevelt Center in Dickinson State University’s Stoxen Library.

The center houses a comprehensive digital presidential library of personal letters, diary entries, notes, cartoons, scrapbooks, newspaper columns, photographs, and magazine articles by and about Theodore Roosevelt. This American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist, and reformer served as the 26th President of the United States, from 1901 to 1909.

Hiking, fishing, camping, hunting and biking are all popular pastimes and part of daily life in Dickinson that senior visitors can enjoy. -jeb