North Dakota’s tourism slogan is “Start Your Journey to Legendary”. We think the wood chipper in Fargo fit that phrase but otherwise the state slogan should be “Come See The World’s Largest Whatever.” That seemed appropriate for this road trip, given all of the other oversized objects we’ve already seen along the way.
Traversing the state from east (Fargo) to west (Dickinson), we saw:
The World’s Largest Buffalo Monument. Dakota Thunder was built in 1959 and at 26′ tall and 45′ long, is the world’s largest bison. He is made of stucco and cement around a steel beam frame. Allegedly, for many years it was customary for members of the graduating class of Jamestown High School to paint Dakota Thunder’s genitalia in the school colors of blue and white. I didn’t look up.
The World’s Largest Buffalo. No competition. No bull.
There are a few things worth mentioning about Fargo, North Dakota.
The city is named after William Fargo, who formed Wells Fargo with his business partner, Henry Wells, in 1852. I retired from their company a few years ago and although the firm has recently lost its way, they have a rich history that began with Mr. Fargo and continues today.
It is also one of the settings for Fargo, among the greatest movies (and subsequent television series) ever made. The film was directed by the Cohen brothers, Joel and Ethan, and takes place in Minnesota and across the state border in Fargo. It includes a classic scene with a wood chipper, one that you will never forget once you’ve seen it.
When we learned that the ACTUAL wood chipper used in the film was on display in the Fargo Visitor Center, we had to add this famous city to our itinerary. We arrived late in Fargo after our adventurous day in Bemidji and awoke the next morning, excited to see this cinematic piece of history. It did not disappoint! The nice Visitor Center staff offered us ear-flap hats to wear as we posed with the wood chipper. It was a great moment for Team Pea as we stood on each side and pretended to operate the chipper. On top of that, the chipper was autographed by the Cohens and the original screenplay was on display. Was it as awesome as we’d imagined? You’re darned tootin’!
We took a short early morning hike on the Painted Canyon trail in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Everything was good until we came around a bend and saw this.
When Mr. Bison claims the trail, you don’t argue. You just turn around.
When I worked for Wells Fargo Bank, I hired a woman named Jenn Green. Jenn worked from her home in Bemidji, Minnesota, which is located in the North Country. This is where temperatures plunge below zero in the winter, the lakes freeze solid, and the wind howls.
Just before Jenn joined my team, we were chatting on the phone and I asked her what her plans were for the weekend. She replied “I’ll be spending it butchering chickens and castrating pigs.” That was a first. A few years later, Bev met Jenn and from that moment on, “visit Bemidji” was on our bucket list. This week we finally checked that box.
Jenn no longer owns chickens or pigs, but she and her fiancé, Shane, live in the country and are high on our list of people we will run to when the zombie apocalypse arrives. These two could survive anything. We got a tour of Bemidji and rode all over the property in their Polaris Rzr (a high performance all-terrain vehicle). Shane was pleasantly surprised when Bev let out a big approving “whoo!” as he hit 70mph on their dirt road. We checked out their new fish house (for ice fishing), ate grilled venison dogs (made from a deer they killed), and made s’mores over their fire pit. We didn’t want to leave and can’t wait to go back. Jenn says we need to return in winter to do some snowshoeing and ice fishing. Maybe. Just maybe.
We had lunch on the lake in Walker, MNA power trio – Jenn with Team Pea!Cheers from Walker, MN!Team Pea in Downtown BemidjiPosing with Paul Bunyan and Babe in Bemidji, MN
Oh, man, this was FUN!!!!!Not your grandpa’s old ice fish house…S’mores are a serious business. No goofing around!
Just a few days ago we were in northern Illinois hanging out at a wine bar with family. Since then we’ve blown through Wisconsin, been embraced by old friends in Minnesota, and made our way across North Dakota, stopping to see a lot of cool stuff (YES – in North Dakota!).
We said goodbye to Illinois and headed to Minneapolis, where we would spend a couple of nights and reunite with some of my former colleagues and dear friends. Along the way to the Twin Cities, we made a pit stop in Wisconsin Dells that turned into a research opportunity, where I hoped to gain some inspiration for my Western “look” from the Cowboy Muffler Man.
Hard at work doing research.
Before retiring, I always knew that there would be a small handful of people I worked with over the years who would be friends for life. I can count them on two hands, so it was a real treat to have four of them join us for happy hour in Minneapolis. It was wonderful to visit with my kind, passionate, wickedly funny, and hysterically cynical colleagues.
We spent the remainder of our time in Minneapolis exploring the city on foot. We learned about the history of milling on the Mississippi River and got a ranger-led tour of the St. Anthony Falls and Lock, which are maintained by the National Park Service and critical to the Twin Cities. We walked across the Mississippi on the Stone Arch Bridge, a feat of engineering built in 1883.
The Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River
Minneapolis also has a new indoor stadium, home to the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. The stadium is designed to look like a ship run aground and it definitely gives that appearance on the skyline.
The approach to the stadium features a Viking ship, where Bev climbed “aboard” and waved from the deck. From the outside, this stadium looks amazing and we’ve been told that the inside is even more impressive. It sure beats the hell out of the old Metrodome, which was a horrible venue that deserved to be imploded so that this new one could be built on the existing site.
US Bank Stadium, the new home of the Minnesota VikingsCan you see Bev in the Viking ship?
We finished our day on foot by walking across town to the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The garden is immense and full of unique artwork, including the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture.
What a great visit to a diverse and vibrant city. We love Minneapolis!
Spoonbridge and CherryHey – they made a sculpture about Team Pea!
