Fargo, ND: Cass County (Our 2nd ND County)

Midwest metro area has certain panache to it these days and our friends in Fargo embrace this cultural movement. They, along with their neighbors in Moorhead, MN, have a little slogan that we got to know very well while we were there…”North of Normal.” This is certainly how you can pull in an outfit like The Iowa Gallivant to cross a few borders and get us to the Peace Garden State. This was overnight number one for us in North Dakota and we parked the car and said adios to driving around until the next morning. This is how you do Fargo on Foot on our grownup getaway!

Eat tacos! You don’t have to tell us twice! The very talented cooks at Vinyl Taco work with energetic, positive servers to give you a premium taco experience. Most everybody loves chicken on their tacos and this venue does it in a very delicious and unique way. Crispy crusted chicken with fresh spinach, lettuce, diced mango, shredded cheese, and a sweet onion vinaigrette. We’re not done! The headliner, for us, was the crispy fried whitefish taco! The flaky little swimmer had a good run, but it hit the Vinyl Taco with precision and was topped with fried capers, sriracha tartar sauce, and a serrano-avocado salsa. That’s just meal #1!

Time for a flight! And we didn’t even need a ticket. A short walk from the downtown area is North Dakota’s oldest brewery and well worth that jaunt there. Fargo Brewing Co. has the feel of getting welcomed into the garage of that really awesome neighbor with all the coolest tools and riding lawn mower you envy.  We enjoyed the crated beers and sipped our way into a great afternoon break with the Fargo sun pouring over our table.

If you like breweries then you will love Fargo. Click here to see a list and map of all their local beer makers. Don’t forget to have your Crafts and Drafts card stamped when you visit too! The fine folks at the Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center will toss you a free shirt if you get enough checked off!

We’re back in the center of the downtown district, so let’s have another flight! This time its the sausage flight at the Wurst Bier Hall! Fresh rolls with gourmet sausages are up for grabs here. Please for the love of Fargo, don’t leave this place without a round of their Bavarian pretzels and cheese dip. Don’t let me down on this.

These fellers at Moler Barber College got the big, cushy, foot pumped chair ready for a the proper trim that I was overdue getting. Brandon made this old gallivanter look fabulous and it’s kinda their specialty. There was anther reason why I headed to Moler’s. Local barbers and stylists are natural conversationalists and they seem to always have the best local advice when it comes to places to experience. They were some of the funnest scissor yielding folks I’ve ever met and we indeed took their advice. Where did that lead us? It’s game time!

There will be a day when all of us will wonder what happen to the good ‘ol days. Pixeled Brewing Co is doing its best to show you where they went for many of us. Add terrific craft beer to vintage arcade games with artwork of your heroes. Like Robo Cop and Walter Sobchak. Your inner 80’s and 90’s pop culture is calling and now you get beer with it.

*Our stay at the Hotel Donaldson was complimentary. All the views expressed are of our own. You ready get back to gallivantin’!

Happy hour at the Hotel Donaldson (HoDo) was not to missed. They were the gracious hosts of our lodging needs and they know how to keep their guests to stay as close to Downtown Fargo as possible. If you’re staying here you get to partake in this nightly treat of a complimentary charcuterie, cheeses, artisan bread, fresh fruit cold beer, and glasses of wine. Enjoy here in the lobby or on the outside patio overlooking the busy streets below. The staff here does an amazing job of taking care of the guests and giving you the history of the hotel. Right down to all the artwork all over the building and rooms.

Inside our room was the main event of the hotel stay at the HoDo. Flat screen TV, hot bath with a faucet that pours from the ceiling and plenty of relaxing vibes filling the whole room. And this isn’t even all that we have to say about this beautiful hotel in the center of Fargo’s Downtown universe. We have more to show in Part 2 of Fargo on Foot here on The Iowa Gallivant!

Thank you to Andi Thoreson and everyone at the Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center for pointing us in all the right directions and coordinating a night at the amazing HoDo!

Make sure to click on the Fargo-Moorhead events calendar and start making you plans to be North of Normal!

Click here on the Travel ND website to start your own Legendary North Dakota adventure!