Theodore Roosevelt's home

Leaving Montana, heading into North Dakota, first stop: Medora. Already on the way over we immerged in the wonderful, fall-like Badlands landscape with the little Western town Medora smack in the middle. 

Two names are significant for this town: Theodore Roosevelt and Marquis de Mores (photos below).

Known for its western culture and atmosphere, it is not only seat of the famous North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame with its Center of Western Heritage & Cultures (photos below), but it's also well-known and praised for its outdoor Musical Theater, where all summer long a performance, a Western Show, takes place since 1965. 

The Rough Riders Hotel underwent a complete renovation thanks to a guy by name Harold Schafer, who acquired it as well as he built the amphiteater for the Medora Musical. Medora is nowadays North Dakota’s #1 tourist destination. 

The town was officially named "Medora" in 1883 by the Marquis de Mores, an entrepreneurial French nobleman with a big dream for a meat packing empire, after his wife, Medora von Hoffman, of German descendance. The Marquis built a fantastic mansion, which he called a "hunting lodge", very comfy and top-notch for the time, and, offering great views (below).

In that same year, 1883, Theodore Roosevelt made his first visit to Medora. He decided later to live here for a couple of years (first in the cabin shown left) before he became president. As such, he designated his beloved "homeland" as a "National Park": Theodore Roosevelt NP. In this park there is always a good chance to see free-roaming buffalo and mustangs, and, of course, prairie dogs! 

 

Roosevelt will belatedly get his "Presidential Library" closeby the theater. Plans (by famous architects Snøhetta, below) are made and grounds staked out, opening is scheduled for 2026. Looking forward to being back to ND then!