Tourists in Grand Forks

Grand Forks, North Dakota, might not be on everyone’s list of vacation destinations, but we spent a very pleasant day there, including breakfast at a bakery/coffee shop with free internet; a bike ride to the southern end of the beautiful Red River Greenway and back; an hour and a half tour of “The Ralph”; a walk around the downtown area rebuilt after the 1997 flood; time to relax in the shade of a towering oak at our campsite; and a stroll to a nearby restaurant for ice cream after supper.

“The Ralph” is the Ralph Engelstad Arena, home to the University of North Dakota men’s ice hockey program.  Much more than just an ice rink, we could easily see why North Dakotans consider it to be the premier college hockey facility in the country.  Completed in 2001 at a cost of $104 million donated by Engelstad, the spectator areas are plush and the athletic training facilities are state-of-the-art.  All 11,640 seats for hockey games are padded leather.  The main concourse floors are polished white and red granite from Italy and India.  The 10,000-square-foot weight room is used exclusively by the men’s and women’s hockey teams.  There is an underwater treadmill for rehab.  The adjoining Betty Engelstad Sioux Center was added on to house the UND basketball and volleyball programs.  It also has an Olympic-size practice ice rink.  In addition to UND games, the combined REA and BESC complex hosts various tournaments, training camps, concerts, weddings, etc.