Top 5 Books to bring on your Canoeing Trip to Metigoshe this Summer

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Relax, read and refocus your mind

Intentionally spending time outdoors is important in every state, but especially in North Dakota. Now is the time. Warm sunshine, long days and the lingering smell of bug spray mean one thing; it’s time to get out and enjoy the lake.

Getting to Lake Metigoshe in Bottineau County is pretty easy. If you are in Bismarck, go north. From Grand Forks, follow the sunset west. For those who call Williston home, find a road a highway that goes east and turn north at Minot and east again to Bottineau.

While directions are easy, packing the car can be harder, especially with a whole family to pack.  Don’t forget to pack a few good books to enjoy. Books add a certain level of peace to a quiet sunrise over the lake or a random rainy afternoon. If you are prepping your family vacation, let us help recommend  a few titles to bring along.

1 – The River Why by David James Duncan

This is the perfect vacation book for someone looking to evaluate life and the balance of choices. The book is a coming-of-age story that carefully uses humor and philosophy to peel away at bigger questions about the purpose and value of life and love.

2 – The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

There are a few great things about bringing this book on vacation. The first of those things is that it’s short. You could read it in a morning, even if you have to stop and make breakfast for the entire family. The second great thing is this book is a classic tale that uses the story of an aging fisherman to contemplate the importance of persistence and resilience.

3 – A River Runs Through it by Norman MacLean

Set in Montana, this is a great book regardless if you have been fishing every day of your life, or have never tied a snell knot in your life. This beautifully-written book has humor and emotion. This is an especially good book about family and the unseen ties between brothers.

4 – Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People by Elizabeth A. Fenn

For those interested in history, this Pulitzer Prize winning book focuses on the Mandan Indians who have lived in the upper Missouri River area for centuries. This read will transport you back to the days before Lewis and Clark arrived in the area and balances the fine line of science and heart.

5 – Land in Her Own Name: Women as Homesteaders in North Dakota by H. Elaine Lindgren

At the turn of the 20th century, homesteaders across the country were living on the prairie. They came from so many different places and this book tells their experiences through first-hand accounts, land records, letters and diaries.