Wolf Point Travel Guide

The Wadopana Celebration Powwow is held the first weekend in August. It is the only completely traditional powwow left in the state as there are no contests or prizes given.

The picture of Gabby was her first year dancing the Jingle Dance. There are several different dances done and this one takes a lot of energy. Her dad Daniel made the outfit for her.

Many of the people of the community camp out down at the grounds in tepees as well with as more modern camping gear. Now the B.S.er in me has more than once told a clueless person that they still live in tepees - but they don't. That is just part of the reservation in me and telling stories come natural. LOL (Now it is for you to figure out which of those statements are really true.)

This stand is only open during Stampede weekend. But it is the best hamburger ever! You have to have the onions on it. These are not your usual raw onions. You have never had it quite like this and no one else has it like this.

Favorite Dish: Hamburger w/ onions

This is one of the main stations in town. It has gas, a deli, minor groceries, and smiles for customers. This place is run by one of my very best friends. We have known each other sense 1st grade and we just celebrated our 30th class reunion. (If you do the math we are still 21.) She does a great deal here for the community. She keeps thieves out, once caught they do not come back. I have seen her back a guy who was a head and 1/2 taller than her out the door. But her passion also manifests the other way also. She works with those who have problems. Kids who need to be fed have been sent to clean the lot and then fed. She understands the dynamics of the town and does her level best to make this corner of it just a little better.

Despite it's remoteness, Wolf Point is accessible by U.S. Hwy. #2, which stretches coast-to-coast from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon. It is also located on the main line of the Burlington Northern Railroad and is served by Amtrak's long distance train, the Empire Builder, which runs from Chicago to Seattle and Portland.

That's how Karen and I came to visit Wolf Point, ever so briefly. It so happens that Amtrak divides the United States into regions for the purpose of setting certain fares. Wolf Point is at the line, between the central and western regions by Amtrak Reckoning.

Amtrak offers a credit card which awards miles for dollars spent. A certain amount of points is good for travel anywhere within one zone. Therefore, we can travel from Cincinnati, on the extreme eastern end of the central zone, to Wolf Point, on the extreme western end of the same zone for the lowest amount of award points. On our trip to Glacier National Park, which is beyond Wolf Point from us, we only had to purchase our ticket from Wolf Point on to the Park. Our passage from Cincinnati to Wolf Point, the bulk of the trip, was an award from using our credit card.

If you can discipline yourself to pay off your credit cards monthly, avoiding paying interest on a balance, then getting miles for charges is well worth the effort. We have cards for both rail miles and sky miles, and use the one which suits our particular needs at any given time.

Favorite thing: Wolf Point is part of the Fort Peck Reservation. They have both Sioux and Assiboine tribes. Be ready for the culture shock. Things get done there when they get done, so let your hair down and have a beer while you wait.

Fondest memory: I grew up in Wolf Point. I remember being able to go out until all hours of the night playing Kick the Can and Ditch with my friends and my parents not having to worry.

We had hard winters and hot summers. We only had 2 snow days in 12 years of school. It was -100 for over a week and nothing would start to get us to school. There just weren't any excuses taken and we knew it. It was good for me.