Discussions

Looking for nice place with good beds and maybe nice perk like breakfast. Also looking for recommendations on restaurants breakfast, Mexican and steakhouse.  
 
Maps gives me 3 routes to take, I’m thinking highway 10 south to Rugby looks like it might be best? Last time we went was during flood and had to go thru Bottineau. I’m worried about condition of road, time it takes and prefer 4 lane drive  
 
Thanks

Northern Plains Inn is where we like to stay. Clean, comfy beds, breakfast, pool, hot tub. Ask for the Canadian rate/deal...I think we paid $60-80?

We stayed at Baymount Inn and Suites. It was $56 for night with CAA. Nice breakfast and super comfy beds. If you go to www.visitminot.org and look under Deals there is alot of hotel deals to be had.  
We took the road from Bdn to Rugby. After that it was 4 lane highway. Smooth highways the whole way in the States portion anyways!

We’ve gone down a couple times since they’ve legalized weed and have never been asked. I actually have found that for the past year or 2, their questioning has gotten really slack and they just look at the passports and let us go. Coming back I always have my receipts ready but they don’t even look at those anymore. I’m not complaining tho!! Lol  
 
Actually, that’s a lie...they do ask for me to roll the back window down. Then they see the 3 empty carseats and question that... hahaha

We usually do northern plains inn, which is right beside the mall and an Applebee’s. It’s clean and cheap with a pool and breakfast. Nothing fancy, but after so many nights there, you get a free night. I think it’s stay for five, get a free night? We enjoy Ruby Tuesday and Longhorn who are both great steak houses. Applebees in the states is different than Canada’s, and their mozzarella sticks are so much better. I love Panera Bread too for lunch.

It’s basically in the Walmart parking lot. We were there last month for the first time. Food was good, service was fast, margaritas were big.

LaQuinta is nice and has breakfast and often offers a free supper too. There is a pool and is close to the mall and Walmart.  
They have oodles of restaurants. Some favs are the Steakhouses near Walmart and Krolls in the east side is very unique and different. Has a 60's feel. Perkins offers great value as does Denny's. Can't go wrong with Dicky's BBQ Pit or Ground Round.  
If you like larger highways, then yes, best option is through Peace Gardens to Dunseith, to Rugby, then along #2. It will take you into the south east area of Minot.

I was overwhelmed when trying to find some place to stay online. So many sites. I then would think I found a place only to read horrible review. We don’t have to worry about weed, closest we get is dandelion haha. I forgot to mention I was really concerned about cleanliness and comfort because I’m recovering from cancer. So have to be careful. You have given me some great ideas to narrow my search down. Thanks again;)

Staybridge inn and suites

For breakfast the shiny diner ( kroll’s)  
Mexican ...mi Mexico . Home cooked meals ... homesteaders. Kids like Sonic for junk food

Brandon to Peace Gardens, to Dunseith, then South to Rugby: then US 2 West to Minot. It’s a couple kms linger than the Hwy 5 o 83 route, but US 2 is 70 mph divided highway similar to our HWY 1 – easy and faster driving and takes about the same time. Rest stops available in Dunseith or Rugby – Rugby has by far the better selection of places to stop at for a break, a refreshment and a pee.  
 
Or:  
 
The Scenic Route. Brandon to Peace Gardens, then West on the ND 43 (near Border Services) through the US side of the Turtle Mountains (you can try a side trip around the US side of Lake Metigoshe if you have time or inclination) then South to reconnect with Hwy 5 at or near Bottineau, then to Hwy 83 and Minot.  
 
Bottineau doesn’t have as big a selection for a rest stop than does Rugby, but they do have a Walmart. And a pretty decent pizza joint. And a moderately good chinese buffet.  
 
US 2 route is convenient if your destination is in (or you are leaving from) the South side of Minot, such as the shopping mall. Hwy 5 is convenient if your destination is in (or you are leaving from) the North side of Minot, such as the airport.  
 
I like to mix it up, depending on time available, time of day, season, I like to go one way and come back another.  
 
We were in Minot a few weeks ago and we enjoyed eating at Ruby Tuesday and Panera Bread.  
 
On the other hand, we much prefer to go just a bit farther, in a different direction, to shop and relax in Fargo.  
 
(We used to do Fargo as a double nighter but we’re older now and with more free time and so we usually go for three nights. We can't play as hard as we used to. Or put another way, it takes us longer now to have the same amount of fun that it used to take. Or something like that.)