With a casual stroll into North Dakota's Capitol on Monday morning, Edie and Jim Jorns completed a journey that's been 12 years in the making.

The traveling couple, who live in Manhattan, Kan., and recently celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary, have now visited all 50 state capitols. It's a journey that has included a road trip through the South, a boat ride into Juneau, Alaska, and late-night tours from guards on duty.

Edie, a 74-year-old retired social worker, and Jim, a 75-year-old retired agriculture professor at Kansas State University, said North Dakota came last because it wasn't an easy detour from anywhere else they visit.

Both said they were thrilled to finish their journey here.

"We've always loved the Midwest," Edie Jorns said. "It's a special place."

The couple's journey began when they traveled to Alaska for a church event and thought it would be neat to visit that state's remote capital.

Soon after, on trip to visit family in Florida, they found themselves touring a series of Southern capitols.

It's at that point that the couple's state capitol touring went from a curiosity to a goal.

Edie Jorns said she wanted to see all the state capitols because she's been very interested in government since she was a child. Jim Jorns called it "a great challenge."

"Every capitol is different," Edie Jorns said. "They're all beautiful."

"All unique," added Jim Jorns.

Having completed their journey, the Jorns' agreed that they found New York's Capitol in Albany to be most impressive. Its architecture and ornate attention to detail on the interior really captured their attention.

Missouri's Capitol in Jefferson City was "not really memorable at all," according to Jim Jorns, while Virginia's in Richmond stood out for its "amazing depictions of our Founding Fathers."

So how does North Dakota's facility stack up?

"What strikes me is the simplicity," Jim Jorns said while peering into the plain, Art Deco House Chamber.

He said many other capitols have a much more ornate feel, while North Dakota's has a sleek feel.

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli@;bismarcktribune.com)