Fargo, North Dakota

If it were not for Roger Maris and the Academy Award winning movie, most would probably not have even heard of it. While I would not tell you to immediately place Fargo at the top of your "List of Places I Must Visit Before I Die", it’s a nice place for a weekend trip if you live within driving distance, or, a logical place to stop if you’re making a drive out west and need to stop for a day or two. Stroll the streets of downtown Fargo, visit the Plains Art Museum, take a walk along the river or on the trails of some of the nearby parks.

Quick Tips:

Visit www.fargoweb.com or www.fargomoorhead.org/ for listings of local events, some pretty prominent performers, from the Rolling Stones to B.B. King, have played the Fargodome in recent years.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving is the best way to get around, although if you’re traveling by train, the Amtrak stop is in downtown Fargo within walking distance from hotels, shops, and restaurants.

Chez Susanne a Victorian B&B located on the outskirts of downtown Fargo. The rooms are charming, beautifully decorated with stained-glass windows. The bathroom contained most of the original fixtures including a large claw-foot tub. There are a total of four suites at Chez Susanne. Each is uniquely decorated and has a bedroom, bathroom and sitting room. I noticed that the suites vary in size, but not, apparently, in price. We stayed in the largest of the suites, so our stay was an excellent value. Breakfast is served in the kitchen or dining room, and includes fresh fruit, fresh baked bread, cereals, juice, and coffee or tea. Guests are also welcome to beverages and home-baked treats from the kitchen in the afternoon and evening. Susanne made every effort to make our stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

If you happen to be passing through Fargo on your way to another destination, or you’re looking for a relaxing weekend getaway with elegant but affordable accommodations, stay at Chez Susanne.

Good Indian food in Fargo? Believe it or not, yes. Taste of India is nestled away in a strip mall a few miles southwest of downtown Fargo. Both of our entrées were quite tasty, I had the chicken kurma while my wife had a vegetarian curry dish. The naan and the samosas, however, were the highlight of the meal. Both were as good as I’ve had anywhere. You’ll probably have to go a bit out of your way to get to Taste of India, it’s not really near or on the way to anyplace you’re likely to be going. However, it’s well worth it.

The Plains Art Museum is an unusual but interesting fine arts museum housed in a renovated warehouse in downtown Fargo. There are exhibits featured on each of the building’s three stories, as well as a gift shop and a café. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of works at Plains Art, the Van Briggle pottery exhibit was particularly impressive. Visit the website for information on current and upcoming exhibitions. Given it’s modest size, two to three hours is sufficient to cover the entire museum. Admission is cheap at only $3 US. They offer guided tours as well. If you find stuck in Fargo on a rainy afternoon, this is a good place to spend it.

It’s actually just over the border in Glyndon, Minnesota about a 15-minute drive from downtown Fargo, Highway 10 will take you straight there. The park gives you a glimpse of tall-grass prairies, an unfortunately vanishing ecosystem. There are several trails to follow, they pass through the prairies and the forest. You’re likely to see white-tailed deer, and various species of birds. The sound of woodpeckers pecking away can be heard through much of the park. We went to the park on an unusually warm and beautiful fall day, and were surprised to find this lovely park nearly empty. Having the place practically to ourselves made the afternoon that much more pleasant, and allowed us to see more of the deer roaming the woods.

If you’re one who enjoys antique shops, Fargo has a great deal to offer. They seem to be everywhere in downtown Fargo. Visit Widman’s Candy shop for a taste of a local specialty, ‘chippers’. ‘Chippers’ are potato chips covered in chocolate. A unique flavor to say the least, I would call them an acquired taste. Zandbroz Variety Shop on Broadway has books, gifts, cards and other assorted odds and ends. Try a milk shake and the old-fashioned soda fountain in the back.