Like residents of any other state, North Dakotans travel. Most of the people I’ve met since moving here have been all over the nation, and in many cases all over the world. Indeed, it seems residents of the Peace Garden State travel everywhere… with the exception of one place: The Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

This magnificent outdoor museum of sorts, encompassing 1100 acres of salt marsh, sandy beach, pine woodland, freshwater pond and a wide array of wildlife and trails, has played host to visitors from all over the world and from 49 of our 50 states. That leaves just one state unrepresented.

Only one state’s residents have:

• Skipped Cape Cod in favor of Cape Hatteras.
• Driven to Provincetown, passed by Wellfleet Bay over and over, turned around and gone home.
• Thought Wellfleet Bay’s weather was too harsh for a visit.

That state… North Dakota.

There are many things that distinguish North Dakota as a terrific place to live, one of them being the quality and character of the people here. But learning no one from this state has ever visited the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary… I can hear South Dakotans laughing. Fine, that’s one thing they have on us.

With that as a backdrop, I had the chance to speak with the Director of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Bob Prescott. An incredibly engaging individual, clearly passionate about his work, I’m hoping our discussion will pave the way to inspire someone – anyone, for Heaven’s sake - from North Dakota to break through and visit. Then, finally, North Dakota will be represented in the visitor’s log and the world will once again be spinning properly on its axis.

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photo credit: magnetomotive