It’s probably not the first place you might think of
for a family vacation, but coal mines and electricity-generating
plants in North Dakota have packaged a tour of their facilities as
the “Energy Trail.” Hitting the trail offers more than authentic
coal soot. If you time it right, Thursday at the Freedom Mine in
Mercer County is blasting day, and afterward there’s a chance to
see one of the world’s biggest shovels in action. These tours have
become popular, says one nearby chamber of commerce, with close to
20,000 people visiting a mine or plant in a year. You can’t beat
the price: all tours are free.
For more
information about the North Dakota Energy Trail or a free brochure,
call the Beulah Chamber of Commerce at 701/873-4585 or write to
P.O. Box 730, Beulah, ND 58523.
* Stanley
Yung
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Tour the underground.
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