Readers Digest, you know the little magazine that used to be found in nearly every dentist’s or doctor’s waiting rooms, just came out with “The Coolest Hidden Gem” in each state.

Hmmm, what could it be?  If it’s secret, it’s got to be something that very few people know about right?  The scenic brides around Valley City, the Pembina Gorge, the Turtle Mountains, the James River Valley, the Turtle River State Park, Huff Hills, Lake Audubon, and all of its islands?

Let’s just say their secret spot for North Dakota is NOT so secret to us North Dakotans. 

In fact, it’s kind of ridiculous.  It’s so well known, it’s international.  If somebody I knew came from out of town to visit, this would be one of the first places I would bring them.

According to Readers Digest, “The Coolest Secret Location Spot in North Dakota” is “The International Peace Garden in Rollette County.”

The garden offers a variety of outdoor activities including canoeing, camping, cycling, and various winter activities.  Readers Digest says the chapel is one of the most unique parts of this experience.  The garden is open daily.

So, how about our neighboring states around North Dakota?  What is their coolest secret hidden gem?

Minnesota: Spam Museum in Austin- If you’ve never heard of this before, don’t feel bad.  Neither have I, and I’ve spent a lot of time in Minnesota in my lifetime.  I’ve just never been a big fan of “Spam” before.  Mainly because we were forced to eat it as kids growing up.

Yes, there is a SPAM Museum and it’s free to tour! Located about 100 miles south of Minneapolis in the city of Austin, there’s even a gift shop on your way out if you feel like “piggin’ out”.

South Dakota:  Deadwood-Again, not so secret, but at least not as bad as the International Peace Garden.  Deadwood is a big favorite for people around the Capital Region. It’s such a gorgeous area with so much to do in all four seasons of the year.

Deadwood is where Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back while playing cards and it’s also where Calamity Jane is buried.

Montana:  Havre Beneath The Streets-I can think of literally dozens of other more scenic hidden gems in Montana, but Readers Digest chose Havre, Montana.  Apparently, a fire destroyed most of the town at one time, so business owners went underground with their shops.

Tours are available daily, except they do not operate on Sundays during the winter.

Summer’s here and now you have your hidden gems to explore.  You better get going.  Summer is short in our part of the country.

North Dakota’s Top 11 Lakes According To Our Fans

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Sophia Richards won Miss North Dakota over the weekend and has already had several public speaking stops since earning the crown. Sophia spoke about developing confidence as a young woman and how she now helps young women in the community develop confidence and life skills through her charity work with ECO Girls.

“This year I will be traveling around the state and I will be promoting my community service initiative, so each delegate from Miss North Dakota has a platform or a program that they are especially passionate about and mine is Bio Girls, I am a Bio Girls mentor, advocate and volunteer here in Fargo and throughout my year I’m gonna take that on the road and share the message of Bio girls with not only the young woman of our state but everyone in our state,” said Richards.

Richards will go on to compete in Miss America in January.

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Tuesday’s GOP primary in North Dakota is now over, and the victors are celebrating. Nestled in with those announcements is one regarding a “high-profile initiative” that voters also passed: Candidates out of the Peace Garden State can’t run for US Congress (so neither the Senate nor the House) if they would turn 81 years old at any point during their term, per the AP. Axios reports that this appears to be the first state to impose a measure like this, with both that outlet and the New York Times noting the vote comes against the backdrop of the conversation on how old President Biden (81) and former President Trump (turning 78 on Friday) are as they run for the Oval Office again.

The ballot measure would effectively amend the state’s constitution. Still, lawmakers concede that the move will likely be challenged in court, as a 1995 Supreme Court ruling determined that states “cannot impose additional restrictions, such as term limits, on its representatives in the federal government beyond those provided by the Constitution.” Although there are age minimums laid out in the US Constitution—25 for the House, 30 for the Senate—there’s no cap on the max end.

Jared Hendrix, a GOP politician from Fargo who helped spearhead the North Dakota initiative, thinks his state is only the first to move in this direction, especially since US opinion polls over the past few years show that a majority of Americans would be all for maximum age limits. “I think it’s very possible that if we pull this off here, other states will follow,” Hendrix said before Tuesday’s election, per the Times. (More North Dakota stories.)