f you’re driving towards Regent, North Dakota, and you see a giant metal grasshopper munching on metallic stalks of wheat—you’re not hallucinating. Regent, North Dakota is home to the Enchanted Highway, which features several large sculptures that showcase North Dakota’s rugged history and culture. Former school principal Gary Greff began constructing the sculptures which would ultimately line the Enchanted Highway in 1989 so that his beloved hometown of Regent wouldn’t become a ghost town.The Enchanted Highway begins at Exit 72 on I-94 near Gladstone and terminates 32 miles down the road in the small town of Regent. Beginning with "Geese in Flight" at Exit 72, large metal sculptures are placed along the county highway, each with parking a area and kiosk except "Geese in Flight," which is viewable from adjacent interstate. Sculptures include "World's Largest Tin Family," "Teddy Rides Again," "Pheasants on the Prairie," "Grasshoppers in the Field," "Deer Crossing" and "Fisherman's Dream." The gift shop in Regent has miniatures of each statue and the Enchanted Castle motel and restaurant offer hot meals and a soft bed. Gary’s dream of turning rural Regent into a bustling tourist destination is slowly becoming a reality. The Enchanted Highway features a gift shop, several picnic tables that give visitors the chance to dine beneath Gary’s sculptures, and a stylized motel called the Enchanted Castle.The Enchanted Castle is an old high school which Gary Greff converted into a motel fit for kings and queens. Gary opted to leave the former high school’s gymnasium untouched in order to preserve a piece of Regent’s past. The Enchanted Castle features a drawbridge, several hot tubs, and a Medieval-themed tavern and steakhouse. Visitors can even book a romantic honeymoon suite that features a king size bed and a royal robe and slippers. The Enchanted Castle has been hailed as the finest castle hotel west of the Excalibur in Las Vegas.
