In contrast to the sunny dry heat of Arizona, I spent month six of my travel challenge even further north than my home (and therefore, colder and snowier). But Fargo, North Dakota was the perfect travel destination for December. With the holidays just around the corner, Fargo really enveloped my friend Ashley and I in the cozy Christmas feels. We hit the road mid Friday morning, ready for our four-hour road trip and armed with fancy coffee and cheesecake from a small shop near home. Only having the weekend to spend in Fargo, we were on a mission to get there, only making one real stop for lunch in Brainerd, MN. After checking into our cute and tidy room at the Holiday Inn, we headed to the first place we planned to check out, Scheels. If you’re unfamiliar with Scheels, it is a chain sporting goods and apparel shop. I’ve been to Scheels before. There is one an hour from my house. But apparently the Scheels in Fargo is a big deal. One of the doctors I work with told me about it. Ashley’s sister told her about it. So we figured we’d better stop and see what all the fuss was about. And let me tell you, the Scheels in Fargo IS worth the fuss. All decked out for Christmas, this Scheels was home to its very own Ferris Wheel that one can ride for the low price of $1.00. And we did. After spending more than I planned on God knows what, we headed out the door for dinner at Doolittles. I don’t remember a whole lot about Doolittles aside from they had fancy drinks, and their ranch was top notch. After dinner, we tried to swing into the Visitor Center to see the iconic Fargo Woodchipper but it was closed for the day. So, we headed to the nearby town of Moorehead where we had massages scheduled at Elite Therapeutic Massage. At home I see a massage therapist on a somewhat regular basis. And I treat him like I treat my hairdresser… I trust him to know what he is doing, I trust he knows my likes and dislikes, and I trust his recommendations. I always feel a little bit like I’m cheating on him if I see anybody else. Getting a massage while traveling is something I truly enjoy though. Not only does it help me enter “vacation mode” both physically and mentally, it’s also very interesting observing the techniques and trends of massage therapy in a faraway land (yes, even in exotic Fargo). While the outside of the building wasn’t very inviting, indoors housed soft, peaceful music and the lobby was lit only by Christmas lights. Because we were new customers, we got to choose two “extras” to incorporate into our massages. I chose a warm neck wrap and essential oils. We left with paperwork highlighting our problem areas and recommendations, which I thought was a nice touch. We had one last stop before heading back to the hotel for a hot tub soak and that was a drive through a Christmas lights show in Lindenwood Park. There were plenty of creative lights displays to be seen, many promoting local businesses in the area. Escaping the frigid cold by offering the drive though option was fantastic!
We took our time getting ready Saturday morning and took advantage of the complimentary breakfast the hotel had to offer. We were told we had to stop at the mall because, because apparently we didn’t spend enough money at Scheels. The mall did not dissapoint though. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays. Ashley was on a mission for boots and bras and I had the itch to get a new ear piercing. Having nailed our shopping goals, we headed downtown. Annnnnd enter Hallmark Christmas movie scene vibes. Broadway Square housed beautiful lights and decorations, bonfires, food trucks, and an ice-skating rink. We wandered in and out of some boutiques, trying to find some unique Christmas gifts. When hunger struck, we swung into Teddy’s Eatery & Parlor. I asked the waitress what she’d recommend drinking and she suggested Blake’s Apple Pie cider on tap. YOU GUYS…it was AMAZING. Lighter than many hard ciders, Blake’s had just a skosh of bubbles and a great buttery pie crust flavor that was obvious but not overwhelming. To this day I keep a couple of cans in my fridge at all times. With plans to order delivery pizza to the hotel for dinner, we left downtown and headed to Drekker Brewing, a hot spot in Fargo. For a non-beer drinker like myself, beverage options at Drekker were limited. I did try a warmed wine that I didn’t much care for, but hey, now I know. With plenty of games to choose from and a bonfire area, the atmosphere alone at Drekker was worth the stop. We called Rhombus Guys to order dinner and were told it’d be a two hour wait for delivery, but we could get takeout in about twenty minutes. So we drove back into downtown, except by this time of day there was NOWHERE to park. We got creative and had Ashley jump out while I proceeded to do hot laps within the block around the pizza joint. Being naturally poor with directions, especially in a foreign city, when Ashley got out of Rhombus Guys the only thing we both noticed was the large Christmas tree in the area, so we agreed to meet there. With my sights on the tree, I hadn’t noticed I had driven past her, but luckily she did and she took off at a sprint, pizza box in one hand and salad box in the other. Apparently she got some laughs. Our supreme pizza was well worth the whole debacle…10/10 recommend. Ignoring the thirty-minute swim rule, we decided to check out the pool area again. Being much busier than the previous night, we opted to not stay long, instead ending our night cuddled up in bed eating our cheesecake from home while watching a cheesy Christmas movie. The next morning when we drove home it would be snowing. Our weekend in Fargo was truly the winter wonderland we both needed to kick off the Christmas season!
