Comfort Inn West - Fargo

Isn't It All Off The Beaten Path?

by riorich55

Any town I travel to I try to find some unique expressions away from the local tourist trade. The Fargo-Moorhead does not really have a tourist trade and is usually bypassed on the road between Minneapolis-St.Paul and the National Parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. I suppose I could make a joke about the use of 2 towns to project an area image like the 2 combination cities above. Something like they need to huddle together to stay warm in winter or something like that.

Instead, hopefully with these normal and far from normal pictures that I took on my 6 day business trip to the area will entice you to get off the highway as you pass and come on in and take a look around.

This is after all the home of my most favorite restaurant in the world. Sarello's in Moorhead.

Bonanzaville USA

by my2kids

Bonanzaville has been an educational, enjoyable stop for over 30 years.

An historic village of over 40 buildings depicting life in the Red River Valley in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Guests travel back to the time when our bonanza farm homes dotted the wheat-blanketed plains and our general store was spilling over with merchandise.

The self guided tour includes authentic log cabins, church, schoolhouse, train depot, and bonanza farm mansion. Each building is filled with period furnishings and artifacts. In addition Bonanzaville features a main museum housing Native American artifacts, dolls, world war memorabilia and much more. Also vintage automobile, tractor and airplane museums are a part of the village.

While Bonanzaville is a fun place to visit anytime of year - keep watch on their website and visit when they have special events such as Pioneer Days in August or Wild West Jamboree in July.

Event: Pioneer Days

Location: Bonanzaville USA
August 20 & 21, 2005
$7 adults / $4 children

The region's longest running festival of our heritage features pioneer demonstrations and food, costumed interpreters, live musical entertainment, children's activities and a fantastic parade of vintage automobiles and antique tractors.

Brrrrrrr....

by LouisianaTraveler

"Brrrrr............"

After Thanksgiving 2003, I was assigned to Fargo. My research consisted of renting the movie, "FARGO". When I landed there, ice was on the sidewalk outside of the airport and for a southern guy with two bags and a briefcase, negotiating slippery walks probably looked funny to the locals.

I really was excited about going there because I had never been truly cold before and viewed it a challenge. My stay at Fargo was from December to February 15 of 2004. While there, I experienced temperatures in the mid minus twenties. I know it was cold but after it reached zero, it seemed all the same to me.

More than one citizen explained to me that the movie was not representative of the people there but frankly, I couldn't tell the difference between them as a people and the folks over in Bermiji, MN where it was really filmed.

As for snow, most of what I experienced was falling in a horizontal direction headed to Minnesota. I was amazed at the frozen rivers that people walked and drove snow machines on. Unfortunately, while there, someone went through the ice on their machine.

"Seaching for something to do"

One of the challenges for me as a married middle age man who didn't drink or party was finding things to do. Mostly, I searched for photography shots but there's only so many trees and full moons you can take a picture of without leaving the place.

Fargo

by sketchyhand

Fargo? Who in the heck would visit Fargo? I lived in Fargo for 5 years as I attended North Dakota State Universities college of Architecture, and I can tell you that people just end up there. Then after the years go by you find yourself saying, how did I get here, and why? Fargo is plagued with a extreme lack of culture and interest. If you look hard enough you may come across glimpses of beauty and tid bits of intelligent forsight, but usually they fade away as quickly as they appeared. Fargo is a University town. With three major Universities in the area, the population nearly doubles during the school months. Fortunatly for Fargo since the only glimmer of life comes from the efforts of the student population as they support local music and small business. The permanent population subject themselves to endless strip malls, chain restaurants and suburban sprawl. Fargo is on a fast track to nowhere and it is getting there fast. Since I lived there long enough to explore the town and find the few rebellious examples of culture and interest, If you must spend some time in Fargo, I can possibly help you locate some meaningful activities to fill your time. I promise you, a good time has nothing to do with West Acres, so if someone mentions it as a place to be, don't believe um.