If you ever find yourself with a day to kill en route to Fargo, North Dakota, from near Dunvilla, Minnesota, a trip of under 60 miles, make the most of it by traveling MN-34 until you meet up with I-90 west of Barnesville. We followed friend John Hamilton’s advice, and were offered a glimpse of rural America that I had forgotten existed since I left my native North Dakota nearly 19 years ago. At every “photo-rich opportunity” along that 18-mile stretch, we were able to stop in the middle of the road and get the photos I wanted. We had the entire lush August landscape to ourselves.
We got a late start, so arrived in Fargo for a late lunch. Our room at Hotel Donaldson downtown wasn’t ready, so we poked around Broadway, which has a certain Fargo funkiness to it, and ducked into a pizza joint for lunch, under the watchful eyes of a Black Baldy bovine hung on the wall. Through the window, an American flag fluttered from a building across the street. This is Americana 2016.
Thanks to the recommendation from Fargo native son Marv Kaiser, our next stop was the Horticulture Research & Demonstration Gardens at North Dakota State University about 10 minutes north of downtown. Featuring an extensive collection of pre-1980 daylily cultivars and a substantial iris collection, this unique garden is the only recognized garden of its type in the world. And you simply drive up to it. No formal entrance, just turn off the road and meander until you decide to stop and get out and walk around the gardens. There isn’t even a parking lot. Just a Port-a-Potty. Now that’s pretty thoughtful. Again, no one in sight. Where else could you meander around a research site and not have to give you name, rank and serial number?
Stay at the Donaldson, if you can. It’s a 17-room boutique hotel with unique rooms decorated with local art. “Our” paintings (there were five of them in various sizes) in Room 13 were done by Mike Marth, painter and sculptor from across the Red River in Moorhead. Rich in imagination and perfectly lilt with monorail lighting. Downstairs, more art on the walls in the lounge and restaurant, HoDo. The tenderloin filet is the reason you order steak in North Dakota. A perfect medium rare and delicious. This is beef country.
I was slightly surprised, in a good way, by the friendliness of the people with whom I interacted, from the hotel valet (no need to have a ticket, he’ll remember your car—and he does), from the car rental return at the airport (Just park the car, note the mileage, and bring the keys to the counter. Tell them the gas tank is full. You’ll be thanked and told to have a nice day.) to the TSA screener at the Fargo airport who followed my pat down with a “Thank you very much.”
Oh, North Dakota, how I have missed you and didn’t even know it.
Prairie Sentry
Rural Reflection
Let’s stop for church
Rural Red
Nobody Home
Curvy Corn Rows
We arrive in downtown Fargo!
Large photo on the wall of the pizza place where we lunched in downtown Fargo
Fargo pays homage on Broadway to its home team, the NDSU Bison
Seen through the window of the pizza place
Local skateboarder. ‘Take my picture!’ So I did. It’s now his Facebook profile shot.
Tom at the HoDo Lounge at Hotel Donaldson
One of five original works of art in Room 13 at the Donaldson. The artist is Mike Marth.
We parked the car along the road by the garden. It was just us chickens.
I can’t believe I’m the only one walking in this lovely garden on a perfect summer day
A freight train passes behind the day lily garden
Our quick trip ends and our memories are refreshed. We’ll be seeing you, North Dakota!
Postcards 