We made it! North Dakota. I have now officially visited all 50 states. And, I've got a certificate to prove it.
The drive from Sioux Falls SD to Fargo ND is, to say the least, rural. Corn and sunflower farms rush by as we push the posted 80mph speed limit. We can find the farm houses by looking for the circle of trees that have been planted around them for protection.
Once we arrived into the city, our first stop is listed on TripAdvisor as the most popular tourist destination in all of Fargo - the Fargo/Morehead Visitors Center. Seriously! The welcome center is located in an old farm building, and features the original wood chipper from the movie Fargo. At least they have a great sense of humor. The reason for my visit to this welcome center was incredibly selfish: I wanted my Best for Last Club t-shirt and certificate.
As recommended from the visitor center staff, we enjoyed a quick lunch at Beer & Fish Co., located in a downtown Fargo alley. We then drove over the border to Minnesota to visit the Hjemkomst Center in Morehead. When I say we crossed the border, it means that the state border is literally adjacent to the city of Fargo. From Broadway, it is just over a quarter mile to the Minnesota border.
The Hjemkomst Center is a Norwegian cultural center that features a traditional Viking ship that was made by some Minnesota locals or Norwegian descent, and which sailed all the way to Norway. The center also includes a replica Norwegian church.
We returned to Fargo and did a bit of exploring, walking up and down Broadway, and visiting some of the cool, unique shops. We then hopped in the car for a drive to see North Dakota State University, before stumbling upon Drekker Brewery. Really good beer, an extremely cool old factory location right next to some busy train tracks, and a spacious patio area to relax. We ended up back in downtown Fargo, and visited Wurst Bier Hall for a beer and a traditional German dinner.
When we stopped in the Visitor Centre, they handed us a map for us to find Fargo's amazing collection of murals around the city.
To be completely honest, Fargo caught me by surprise. I was expecting a very small city, with not much to offer. But the people were lovely. We liked the funky area around Broadway, and the town has some nice local beer. We really enjoyed exploring Fargo, and in particular, chatting with some of the friendly locals.
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