I was born there, in Bottineau.  We moved to Idaho when I was 3 and we only returned once to visit.  I was in Jr. High. So we thought it would be fun to include a “swing by” on our way east.

I have to tell you, Bottineau gives all indications of being quite prosperous.  Houses of all classes displayed well tended lawns.  There were the requisite businesses out on the highway (the tire store, Shook, DQ, Walmart.  However every storefront on Main Street was occupied and the Wednesday afternoon crowd, while not large, was very evident.

Our first stop was the church.  Sometime in the past the Presbyterian churches in Souris and Omemee (the other two churches dad pastored while we loved in Bottineau) joined the Bottineau congregation.  Then in 1968 the Presbyterians and the Methodists joined together, moving to the Methodist church and subsequently expanding to the current facility.

We were greeted by church secretary Marlys Kippen

Who gave us a tour of the facility

Next we visited the old Presbyterian church, now a community playhouse

Then to the hospital where I was born.  The facility has been added on to quite a bit but it seems that the original building is still standing.

You’ll have noticed from the map that Bottineau is close (14 miles) to the Canadian border.  So we decided a detour to the International Peace Garden was in order

This is a beautiful park and well worth traveling to the middle of nowhere to see.

Following the garden tour we moved on to our motel for the night in Rugby.