Events
Ice Breaker Reception
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Join us at the Bismarck State College National Energy Center for Excellence for the WASHTO 2010 Icebreaker. The Energy Center is known for its commitment to developing innovative energy solutions and striving for continuous improvements to an organization’s performance and competitiveness. Here we will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres consisting of both traditional fare as well as wild game. Enjoy the view of the recently completed Memorial Bridge that crosses the Missouri River and joins the cities of Bismarck and Mandan.
State Night Dinner
Monday, July 12, 2010
Bring your casual clothes and comfortable walking shoes and enjoy an evening away from the hotel. We will have diinner at Buckstop Junction, an historic village containing actual buildings dating from 1875 to 1935. These buildings were moved to this site, just minutes from our host hotel, and offer visitors a feel for the atmosphere of the Missouri River Valley during the turn of the century. You will want to walk around the village and see automobiles from years gone by as well as visit the historic buildings. You won’t want to miss the Dakota Central & Western Model Railroad display which is housed in the basement of the Lewis Hotel.
Technical Tours - Tuesday, July 13
1. WASHTO Energy Tour 
Tour Coal Creek Station, the largest power plant in North Dakota. Learn why this power plant is vitally important to Great River Energy’s generation needs.
Drive through tour of Blue Flint Ethanol. Learn how
this plant uses a mix of 
primary and waste steam from
Coal Creek Station to produce ethanol, making it one
of the lowest-cost facilities in the nation.
See the gigantic equipment at Falkirk Mine, that is used to help supply up to 8 million tons of lignite coal each year to Coal Creek Station. The group tours the mine aboard the Falkirk Mine bus. The tour will also overview the Coal Lake mitigation site.
2. History Tour
Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center Tour
Explore the legendary hospitality as you tour the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan in Washburn, North Dakota, just 42 miles north of Bismarck. The interpretive center tells the story of the Corps of Discovery and its trip from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean and back. Fort Mandan provides a glimpse into the lives of the group as they waited out the brutal winter of 1805-05 alongside the Missouri River. Discover artifacts from every tribe Lewis and Clark encountered. The Bergquist Gallery features a rare set of the printed artwork of the Swiss artist Carl Bodmer. Fort Mandan is just two miles from the Lewis and Cark Interpretive Center. Tour the reconstructed fort and it’s living quarters.
3. History Tour
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site Tour
Visit the remains of the three Hidatsa villages with 210 depressions at the site. The museum houses exhibits of Indian artifacts and crafts, as well as full-scale reconstructed earthlodge. Come take a glimpse into the lives of the Northern Plains Indians and walk the historic trails where Lewis and Clark obtained the services of Sakakawea and her husband Charbonneau before they embarked on their Corps of Discovery journey.
4. Maintenance Tour
Maintenance & snow removal equipment
Learn about the different equipment used by the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) to maintain our roadways during our seasonal weather. North Dakota winters provide quite a challenge for our maintenance crews , but with today’s technology and our dedicated maintenance staff, we are always able to keep our roadways safe for the traveling public. The NDDOT has reserved a conference room at the Ramkota Hotel to hold an information session about our Maintenance Division Support System Program (MDSS) along with technical information regarding the equipment. Participants will then proceed to the parking lot where the equipment will be staged for further questions.
Attend an outdoor viewing and demonstration of the NDDOT maintenance equipment in the Ramkota Hotel parking lot and get a look at a variety of our maintenance equipment including: A 2009 tandem axle plow truck, equipped with an AVL/GPS system including, underbody scraper, pre wet tank, and 12’ front plow. Also on display along with our new TP26 TowPLow equipped with a 2,000 gallon anti-ice tank a three-lane spray bar and learn about its future uses. Also hear about some of the major changes in our plow truck package over the past year including the benefits of the REPTO (rear mount power take off). Also take a look at the Sign Shop Service Truck with its remote control knuckle boom and extendable catwalk.
Closing Banquet
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The closing banquet will take place at the Ramkota Hotel. Please join us for the closing evening activities as the gavel is passed. Once all the formalities are out of the way, plan to stay a while and dance to “The Front Fenders.” Always ready for a good party, “The Front Fenders” deliver a high energy rock n’ roll night of fun.