It’s the summer of 1970. You’re cruising down the highway somewhere near Mount Rushmore, the windows rolled down, and your radio crackling in and out of signal. When you hear a tune…
“Go North to Dakota, where the skies are big and blue, There's adventure waitin’ for ya and a prairie breeze too…”
That catchy little jingle? It was part of a bold $25,000 campaign launched by North Dakota’s tourism board. In November of 1970, the Bismarck Tribune unveiled the state’s plan to grab the attention of vacationers, especially the 81% of travelers who were prone to impulse travel.
Billboards began popping up along highways in Montana and South Dakota with bold letters stretching across the landscape: “Go North to Dakota!”
Some even pointed directly to the next exit.
The message was clear: You didn’t have to plan your next stop. You just had to point the car north and go.
Suddenly, North Dakota wasn’t just flyover country. With brochures in rest stops, a country tune on the radio, and signs that seemed to call to you from the road, the Peace Garden State became a destination.
And it worked. Over the decades, tourism grew into North Dakota’s second largest industry pulling in over $3.4 billion by 2024. Not bad for a state once considered too quiet for tourists.
Next time you’re on the road and your GPS says "stay the course"... why not make a spontaneous detour and join the 81% and go north, to Dakota.
This Dakota Datebook was originally written by Amy Erling. Edited for radio by Tay Calloway.
