Dickinson, North Dakota / Hampton Inn & Suites

August 2013, Weekday, 1-night, King guestroom #324

Status perks and check-in

Before my stay, I had a difficult time deciding whether to stay at this Hampton Inn or the Holiday Inn Express across the street. I had stayed at this hotel a few months ago, and it was "okay." There were a few problems with the guestroom that stay, and the front desk agent seemed genuinely concerned when I brought the problems to her attention. Given that, and the fact that the Holiday Inn Express has a water slide pool area, I chose the Hampton Inn. I think there is more chance for guest noise at a hotel with a pool area like the Holiday Inn Express has.

I did not receive a room upgrade, which is fine, although I had hoped to get a guestroom on the top floor. The front desk agent assured me that she had chosen a room in a quiet area for me.

Guestroom

This guestroom is located about half way down the hall on the third floor. Unfortunately, the room diagram photo I took is very poor quality, so it is difficult to see exactly where it is located. The green dot is guestroom 324, and the black circles are where the elevator is located. I did not hear much noise from the hall, although I did hear the guest overhead.

The guestroom size and comfort was adequate. The spacious bathroom near the entrance included a tub/shower combination, and a decent size vanity. The shower walls were tile, and a shower curtain was hanging on a curved rod. A hairdryer was provided, along with the standard Hampton Inn bathroom amenities. 

A single-serve coffeemaker and supplies were located on shelves across from the vanity. The bathroom door was badly gouged. This did not impact my stay any, although it is surprising to see this kind of damage in a newer property.

A closet with a mirrored door was located in the entryway outside of the bathroom. It contained hangers, a blanket, extra pillow, iron, and ironing board.

The living and sleeping area contained the following: a flatscreen TV on an armoire, desk and chair, king size bed, nightstands with lighted alarm clock and telephone, sofa, soft coffee table, and lamps.

The lighting in the guestroom was good, and there were plenty of electrical outlets.

A few weeks have gone by since my stay and the time I am writing this review, and I do not recall the whether the guestroom had the following: folding luggage rack (I recall putting my suitcase on the soft topped coffee table in front of the couch), fridge, microwave, or desk telephone.

Food & Beverage

I had an early flight before the breakfast area was open, so I do not have any information from this stay. You can find information about what was served during my last stay in that review.

Misc.

A new Japanese restaurant had opened across the street since my last stay - Sakura. I really like the Sakura restaurant in Minot, so I placed an order to-go that evening, and walked over to get it. The employees were friendly, and the service was excellent, especially compared to my service experiences at the Minot location. The food was also delicious. This is a photo of the Rainbow Roll.

It was a quick and easy drive to the airport, even though it was dark the morning I departed. There are not any hotels close to the Dickinson airport, and none of the hotels offer shuttle service. There are a couple of hotels on the south side of the I-94, although this would only shave a few seconds off the time it takes to get to the airport. I think that the restaurant choices are better on the north side of the interstate.

Minot, North Dakota / Hampton Inn & Suites

August 2013, Weekday, 2-night, King guestroom #323

Status perks and check-in

My check-in experience was better the last time I stayed at this Hampton Inn & Suites. This time, the front desk agent did not recognize my status, and I did not receive the guestroom preferences in my profile (top floor, away from elevator). When I learned the guestrom I had been assigned was not on the top floor, I asked if one was available, and the agent said no. I then asked if my room was a studio suite, and she said yes.

During check-in, the front desk agent said my guestroom number out loud when there were other guests present at the counter and in the lobby. The other employee working at the front desk did the same thing when she gave the guest next to me his room key--he was in guestroom 205! Sure enough, when we got on the elevator, he pushed floor 2, and I pushed floor 3.

Guestroom
This guestroom is not a suite. It is a basic room located less than half way down the hall from the elevator. It is located on the front side of the building facing the road, and I could hear the traffic from the guestroom.

The tile bathroom near the entrance was roomy with a nice walk-in shower.


A single-serve coffee maker with most of the needed supplies was located on the vanity. The cellophane wrapped condiments were open, and the stir sticks were missing.


Standard Hampton Inn bath amenities were also on the vanity and a hairdryer was provided. The towels were good quality.

A closet with a mirrored door was located outside the bathroom. It contained an iron and ironing board.

The bedroom area contained a soft chair, lamp, small fridge, microwave, flatscreen TV on an armoire, desk and chair, king size bed, suitcase bench, nightstands with lamps, and lighted alarm clock. I was surprised to see a telephone on the desk and next to the bed. I have stayed in many Hampton Inns recently that have only one telephone next to the bed.

The bed was comfortable, and the sheets were silky soft. I did not recall the sheets being such good quality the last time I stayed at this hotel. Even so, I did not sleep well. I could easily hear the guest overhead thumping around, and guests in the hall let their doors slam until 1 a.m. I was surprised to hear so much noise from the hall because the guestroom door was heavy, and there were no visible gaps around the door.

Food & Beverage/Fitness center
I had to leave before breakfast in the morning, and I did not have time to use the fitness center. Both of these items are covered in my first review of this hotel. You can find the details here.

Shuttle service and misc.
I chose this hotel because it is very close to the airport. In fact, I was able to walk back to the hotel after returning my rental car. It was less than a mile walk, and there was a sidewalk most of the way. A small portion of the exit road from the airport did not have a sidewalk; however, since there was no traffic, this was not a problem. Shuttle service was prompt the next morning.

Before my two stays at this hotel, the only other hotels I found near the airport were a couple of unknown hotel brands. Right before I departed, I discovered that a new Hyatt House had opened near the airport, and that they provide shuttle service. Although I have never stayed in a Hyatt House, my experience at other Hyatt hotels has always been great. If I need to return to this area, I would probably choose the Hyatt House next time. I did not like the manner in which the front desk agent provided check-in service, and I did not like the hallway noise in the evening.  

Bismarck, North Dakota / Staybridge Suites

August 2013, Weekday, 2 separate stays for 2 nights each: 
1-bedroom king suite #428 and queen studio #425

Status perks and check-in

The manager checked me in the first time I stayed at the Staybridge Suites in Bismarck, ND. She provided an upgrade to a one-bedroom suite at the time of check-in. 

The second time I stayed here, I thought I was receiving the same room; however, I did not. My arrival time was going to be in the evening, so I called a few hours before then to inquire about my room type. I had hoped I would be able to get the same guestroom, or at least a room on the top floor in the corner or near the end of the hall (I had also written these requests in my reservation). On the telephone, the agent said that he could not give me an upgrade because the hotel was full. He did say that he could move me to the top floor though (it sounded like a room on the 3rd floor had been assigned to me before I called). When I arrived, the front desk agent wrote #428--the number of the one-bedroom suite I had received last time I stayed at this hotel--on the paper that he had me sign. He also verbalized the suite number. I expressed my pleasure and surprise, since he had told me on the telephone, that he would not be able to give me an upgrade. He did not respond to my comments.

When I arrived at suite 428, my key did not work. After a couple of tries, I looked inside my key packet, and saw that 425 was written in it. I then tried guestroom 425, and my key worked. I called the front desk to ask which room I was supposed to receive. The agent said that he did not know why he had written, and said, "428" during the check-in process, and that 425 was my correct room. He said something that alluded to the fact that he now understood my comments a few minutes earlier. It appeared that he had not been listening when I checked in, because I clearly said that I was happy to see that I was receiving guestroom 428. I said that I had really liked that guestroom last time, and I also mentioned the fact that he had said that he could not give me an upgrade.

I received a bottle of water the second time that I checked in. I am not sure if this was a consolation, or what. The agent had offered me cookies, and after I politely declined, he asked if I wanted a bottle of water, which I readily accepted.

One-bedroom king suite #428

This is the guestroom I stayed in during my first stay, so I will provide the details of the one-bedroom suite first.

The kitchen area contained a full-size fridge, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher, sink, coffeemaker with supplies, cupboards with dishes, utensils, and silverware, and a packet of microwave popcorn. 

The bar area between the kitchen and living area included two bar stools. A desk and chair were against the wall across from the bar. The lighting, electrical outlets, and work/eating space in both areas was comfortable, adequate, and spacious. There was an ethernet outlet and a telephone on the work desk.

The living area contained a sofa with pillows, coffee table, lamps, and a flatscreen TV on a cabinet. The sofa was comfortable, and there were easy to access outlets in this room as well.

The bedroom had a door that could be closed. A full length mirror was on the wall behind the door. The bedroom contained a flatscreen TV on an armoire, soft lounge chair, king-size bed, nightstands with lamps, a lighted alarm clock, and telephone. The bed and chair were both comfortable. The bedding and pillows were good quality. I did not hear any outside noise from the bedroom area.



The bathroom was located off the bedroom. The vanity and a closet were outside the bathroom area. The closet contained hangers, a laundry basket, and an iron and board.

The hairdryer on the wall over the vanity was decent quality, although the mounting screws were loose, and I thought it might  fall off the wall. I liked the spacious walk-in shower in the bathing area. Good quality towels were provided.









Queen studio suite #425
I took the guestroom diagram photo when I was staying in guestroom 428; however, guestroom 425 is also visible showing its location near the elevator.

Even though this guestroom is located close to the elevator, I did not hear much noise from guests in the hallway. I was, however, disturbed by housekeeping when I first arrived. It was around 6 p.m., so I was surprised that they were still cleaning guestrooms. I did not see anyone outside my guestroom when I entered; however, I heard them shortly after I arrived. Housekeepers must have been working with the doors propped open, because for about half an hour, I listened to the loud banging of guestroom doors, as they slammed against the steel door locks, while the housekeepers went in and out of rooms. The noise was quite disruptive as I tried to work and talk on the telephone. Fortunately, this did not last long.

My second stay at this hotel was not nearly as impressive as the first one. This is not because I did not receive a room upgrade; there were several neglected areas in this guestroom.

The queen studio suite had similar furnishings in the kitchen area: a sink, full-size fridge, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher, coffeemaker, and microwave popcorn; however, this guestroom did not have a bar or table eating area.

only decaf coffee

kitchen floor; click on photo
to enlarge it to see debris

There was no regular coffee in the guestroom when I arrived, and there were only two forks in the silverware drawer. I noticed the missing coffee right away, so I went and got a packet from housekeeping in the hallway.

There was quite a bit of debris on the floor in the kitchen area that had not been cleaned. The next day, I noticed that the evening social menu was missing from the fridge. I had taken a photo of the menu when I stayed at this hotel the first time, so I was able to look that up to see what was being served that evening.

desk chair

A similar style desk and chair were located across from the kitchen area at the end of the couch. The work area was adequate, comfortable, and well-lit. The chair needed to be cleaned before I could use it.

The living room area contained the same style comfortable sofa, with a coffee table, and lamps. A flatscreen TV located between the living and sleeping areas could be turned for viewing from either area. I forgot to take a photo of the desk and living area, although I did take one of the sunset from the window in that room.




The bed in this guestroom was pretty much the same, except that it was a queen bed instead of a king bed. The bedding and pillows were the same quality and comfort. I was glad that the bedding was clean!

The bathroom area was the same except that this guestroom has a tub/shower combination instead of a walk-in shower. The vanity area  and closet contained the same items: same type hairdryer, laundry basket, iron, and ironing board.

I observed more debris on the bathroom floor, and some type of liquid stain on the floor by the closet.

closet/vanity room floor

If there had not been so many areas in the guestroom that had not been cleaned, I am sure I would have been just as comfortable in this guestroom as I had been in suite 428.

Food & Beverage
I did not remember the hours of the evening social, and I could not find this information in the guestroom during my second stay. It was not listed in the guestroom directory, and the menu photo I had taken did not include the hours. I called the front desk, and I was told that it is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Both of my stays at this hotel were Monday through Wednesday, and the evening social is only offered Tuesday through Thursday, so I attended two evening socials.

I thought the food offerings in the morning and evening were decent. Along with scrambled eggs at breakfast, all of the fixins were provided for breakfast burritos: soft shells, cheese, tomato, etc. One other hot item was served in addition to scrambled eggs each morning--bacon, sausage, potatoes, or fried egg patties/rounds. A waffle maker, cold cereal, breads, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, fruit, and beverages were provided as well.

The salad toppings both evenings were deluxe! They were fresh and plentiful. I love fresh salad, so I was quite happy with the salad offerings. The topping choices were too numerous to name, so I have included two photos from one of the evenings. There were two chilled sections of salad ingredients both evenings.

There were more food items served that what is listed on the menu. There were also snacks/chips and breads. The wine brand served was Stone Cellars, which I thought was acceptable for one or two glasses. I did not pay attention to the beer or soda brands.

Fitness center
The fitness center contained three cardio machines with cardio theater. I did not have a problem finding an available machine most times, although one morning all three were in use when I arrived. The room also contained a flastcreen TV, hand weights, a weight machine, scale, water cooler, and towels.

Misc. and overall
This is a newer property with a lot of nice features. It is in a good location close to shopping and dining.  One thing that I thought was odd about the setup, is that the outside sitting area faces the road, and the front entrance of the hotel is around the backside of the building facing the shopping center. Maybe this is so the evening sunset can be partially viewed from the patio area.

I hope that my second experience with the housekeeping neglect in the guestroom is not a reflection of how this property will look a year from now.

Old Red Trail Scenic Byway and Enchanted Highway

April 2013, weekend

We took the Old Red Trail Scenic Byway from Dickinson, North Dakota to Bismarck, North Dakota. We had printed a few maps and some information from the website before we left Dickinson; however, the trip was still a bit of a guessing game since the route was not well marked.

I had written the "Talking Trail" telephone number and several extensions on the maps I printed, so we listened to the audio in many of the towns that we went through, which was kind of cool. The only thing I found frustrating with the audio, is that the call disconnected after each segment, so we had to redial the number for the next extension. Some of the towns had three or more points of interest, so it was kind of a pain to redial the number and wait for the connection and greeting instead of just entering the next extension.

One of the stops we wanted to make was at Fort Sauerkraut. We were disappointed that I had not printed good enough directions to get us there, because this was not marked on the trail, and we could not find it.

Another stop we wanted to make was at Lovers Cliff in Almont. Again, the directions were not very clear, and the pushpin location on the map is not accurate. This was not marked on the trail, and after a few wrongs turns, we were finally able to find it. All three of the photos here are of Lovers Cliff.

Near the start of this trip, we took a detour from the Old Red Trail to drive down the Enchanted Highway, which is not too far from where we started in Dickinson. The Enchanted Highway runs from exit 72 off I-94 and south to the town of Regent. The map of the sculpture locations must not be to scale, and most of them must be near the town of Regent, which is 32 miles south of the interstate. We drove half of the distance, as far as the town of Lefor, and saw only two sculptures.

The two sculptures that were saw were pretty cool looking, and if we had not already planned to spend the day taking the Old Red Trail, we would have continued farther south--or, if this southern route would have been close to the direction we needed to go, we would have continued. At this point, we did not know how long it would take us to get to Bismarck at our leisurely pace, so we did not continue after we got as far as Lefor.

These are photos of Deer Crossing and Geese in Flight on the Enchanted Highway.

Geese in Flight from a distance

Geese in Flight entrance
with birds on each post

We sometimes drove great distances in North Dakota without seeing a gas station or a restaurant. Be sure and plan your day accordingly, and enjoy your travels! 

Theodore Roosevelt National Park - North Dakota

April 2013 - Weekend, 11:15 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

One could easily spend an entire day in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We spent about six hours visiting the park, including the drive between the North and South units. We were not rushed, although this would have easily turned into several more hours, if we had walked more of the trails in the park. My husband was just healing from a twisted ankle a few weeks before our trip, so we did not do as much trail walking as we normally would.

The cost to enter the park is $10 per vehicle, and the pass is good for seven days. I have uploaded a photo of the park brochure and map, although you can probably find better information on the website link above, if you want to do any research before you go. We did not look up anything before our visit, and I do not  think that affected our visit at all.

North Unit overlook

We visited the North Unit first, since we were on our way south from Williston. The main Visitor's Center is located in the South Unit, which is the area of the park visited most. There is a pullout viewing point on Highway 85, just north of the North Unit park entrance.

We liked the North Unit best, so I am glad that our route brought us to that portion first!



North Unit
The North Unit office has limited open times before summer. It was staffed the day that we visited, and the ranger was very helpful. There were a few taxidermy stuffed animals on display in the center, and there was a sit down video, which we did not watch. There were also a couple of souvenir type items for purchase. Restrooms with flush toilets, and a drinking fountain with the capability to fill water bottles, were located in the foyer.






There was not much traffic during our visit. The wildlife that we saw included bison, longhorn steers, a rattlesnake, deer--one of them closeup, and pheasants. We were disappointed that we did not see any Bighorn sheep or elk. The first wildlife that we saw were longhorn steers and bison. This review will have so many photos, that I am having a difficult time choosing the right ones to post!

The next two photos show and explain how the "slumps" of landscape are formed. Remember that photos can be enlarged, if you click on them.

This next photo is from the stop called Cannonball Concretions.

We saw a rattlesnake on the road next. It almost blends right in with the pavement!

A couple more photos before we turned around to head back toward the entrance.

Overlooking the Little Missouri River at the end of the road

These two photos are from the River Bend Overlook stop.

Three last photos from the North Unit, just because I could not stop taking pictures! Our day started out overcast, and the sun was out by the time we left the North Unit. We stopped at the picnic area for lunch before heading to the South Unit.

Painted Canyon Visitor's Center
We were disappointed that the Painted Canyon location was not open at the time of our visit. I had read that it is open on the weekends in April; however, the gate was closed when we stopped. There was a vehicle parked at the gate, although we did not see anyone around. After we drove off, I wondered if we would have been able to walk around the gate to take an overlook photo of the South Unit. This next photo was taken from the highway after we found out the location was closed.

South Unit
We did not get as many photos in the South Unit. Not only because we liked the North Unit better, but also because we had not paid attention to our camera battery, and it was going dead. Fortunately, I realized that the GPS car power cord had the same connection as the camera, so we were able to plug it in to get some photos. It did not recharge very quickly though, and the camera would not work to take photos while it was plugged in. If we had realized this sooner, we would have had the camera plugged in during the one-hour drive between the two units.

The Visitor's Center in the South Unit is open daily year around. It is much larger than the one in the North Unit, with a substantial gift shop. There is also a museum, and a park video, which again, we did not watch. The facilities at the entrance were similar to the North Unit, with restrooms and a drinking fountain.

We followed the 36-mile loop through the park around to the right, and the wildlife we saw included bison, prairie dogs, deer, and wild horses.

2nd Prairie Dog Town

There are several Prairie Dog Towns listed on the map. We thought the best viewing was at the second and last towns. In fact, at the last Prairie Dog Town, near Peaceful Valley, we saw dogs running across the road and along the sides of the road. The two photos here are from the second and last towns. We took photos at the first town too; however, the dogs in that area seemed to blend in with the landscape more.

Last Prairie Dog Town

We saw many deer laying in the distance beyond the prairie dog in the last prairie town, although they are not very visible in the photo.




Here are a few photos near the start of the loop, before we arrived at Buck Hill. Wild horses are visible in the first photo.

Wild horses

Buck Hill is the highest elevation in the park, and it was SUPER windy when we were there! I told my husband that I felt like I was about to be blown over the side. We could see a large cave opening in the landscape across, which is barely visible in the photo on the left.

Buck Hill - cave

Buck Hill toward the parking lot

One more stop for us, and more buffalo! Most of the buffalo that we saw in the South Unit were near the start of this trip, and in the same area at the end.

In the campground

Now that I have finished this blog post, maybe I will start singing a different song in my head other than, Home on the Range! I wish everyone an enjoyable visit at the park, and I hope you have enjoyed this blog post!