FARG0 - Forget the suntan lotion and bathing suits. North Dakota is this year's spring break destination - at least for 11 Stanford University students.

The group traveled to North Dakota last week through the school's Alternative Spring Break Program. The students started in the western part of the state on March 22 and worked their way east. They left Fargo on Saturday.

Masha Lisak, a sophomore from New York, said she often travels from coast to coast.

"I wanted to stop in the middle to see what the rest of the U.S. is like," she said.

The group stayed with ranchers in Tuttle, making rounds at midnight to check on cattle during calving season. They sat in on a livestock auction and watched cattle being butchered.

Students said they were surprised by the level of technology in rural communities. The school they visited in Tuttle had laptops with wireless Internet access. A farmer they stayed with had a fax machine and satellite television.

"It's not like we expected it to be all Podunk, but it far exceeded what we had in our schools," said Sandie Zuniga, a senior from San Diego.

Scott Federici, a freshman from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said he was amazed that people left their homes and cars unlocked.

The students also got a taste of some North Dakota cuisine - hotdish and desserts made with Cool Whip. Caramel rolls were a favorite - many of the students had never tasted the pastry before.

The state's spring weather was too cold for most of the students. But they said they wouldn't trade it for a week on the beaches of Cancun.