Hitting the Road - Oh Geez it's Fargo!

I deliberately planned my trip to leave Milwaukee AFTER the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Tuesdays are generally a great day to travel and May 30th was no exception. I was up and out of the house earlier than expected because once awake why stick around? The drive from Wisconsin to Fargo was uneventful. I didn't stop anywhere along the way, as this is a route I've taken many times . . . and there were places and people I wanted to see in Fargo (if I got there early enough). The 580 mile jaunt (plus or minus) was really an easy drive, with perfect weather.

Knowing this would be my first overnight on the road, I pre-booked my favorite campground located on the state line border between Minnesota and North Dakota.  The Lindenwood Park Campground is a Fargo Parks System location, with really nice amenities for being right along I94 and within the city limits.  I got myself checked in early enough to allow me plenty of time to take in some local sights before connecting with my friend Hannah . . . but I'm getting ahead of myself.

First on my agenda was the Roger Maris Museum.  I knew there was history in Fargo, as the road to the campground was named for the famous New York Yankee's slugger.  I was surprised that the museum honoring him is actually in a shopping mall . . . the West Acres Shopping Center.  It was more of a window exhibit spanning roughly 25 yards of memorabilia and articles about Maris.

Of particular interest was the alcove with some of the original seats from Yankee Stadium, where a continuous loop video played, telling the story of Roger Maris.  Clips included his baseball years, as well as time spent afterwards with "THE MICK" . . . Mickey Mantle.

After my time here, I used TOOTS (my GPS) to see what other local museums or attractions were in the area.  Lucky for me, it was Tuesday which was an admission free day at the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center, located just across the river in Moorhead, MN.

A cultural center providing a glimpse into Norwegian culture, it was interesting to see the Hjemkomst Viking Ship that sailed to Norway from NYC back in 1982.  A full-scale ship modeled after the 9th century Gokstad burial ship, I enjoyed the video depicting the story of how the Hjemkomst was built and her sailing across the Atlantic to Norway.

Also on the grounds is the Hopperstad Stave Church, a replica of the one that sits outside of Vik, Norway.  Unfortunately timing didn't allow me to linger for the 6:00pm tour inside the church, so photos from the outside had to suffice.

As much as I enjoyed taking in some of the local sights, the highlight of my short stay in Fargo was getting to catch up with my friend Hannah and her husband Sam.  Hannah is one of the many people who I can call "friend" thanks to first meeting through the internet and social media.

Many of you will recognize the photo that became a viral sensation thanks to the world-wide appeal of the image seen here.  The photo of John and his ailing dog Schoep was taken more than 10 years ago, and yet still makes the rounds thanks to dog lovers and enthusiasts who continue to share the image caught by Hannah that day in Lake Superior.  Since that photo was taken, Hannah's life journey is one of resilience.  Her path has been anything but easy.  Thankfully for many, she's honed her many talents to help others.  I connected with her "in real time" through her marketing and social media seminars.  This photo was taken at a session she did at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside in Kenosha.  I'm an avid follower of her social media content and proud to call her a friend!  She recently married Sam, who I have also grown to admire through their social media presence.  Getting to spend time with them Tuesday evening in Fargo was the first of many highlights of my road trip!

The next morning I enjoyed a nice shower at the campground and headed out, stopping by the Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center, to snap a quick photo of the "stunt double" woodchipper from the movie Fargo. (The actual one used in the movie is inside on display for photos, but it was too early in the morning to go inside.)  It was then on to Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the far western end of the state.