Fargo, North Dakota

We have a quiet evening at the Minnesota, Middle Spunk Rest Area, on West bound US94. Linda and I talked with the maintenance person at both rest stops and learn that they have a full time staff person at each rest stop and it shows. They are very clean and well maintained, they are more parks than highway rest stops, picnic tables, walking paths, playground equipment, etc. 

Sleeping in

It is so quiet we don’t get up until 8:30. The truck lot was full last night, is empty this morning. The lobby to the bathroom even has a vending machine to make a cup of coffee. 

We pack up and leave and decide to get breakfast down the road since we slept in so late. A few miles down the road we stop at the small town of Freeport. Odd name for a very inland town. The roadside sign for “Cafe Charles’s” catches my eye, sounds like my kind of local dinner and it turns out to be so.

Freeport Cafe

Our next destination is the Fargo Visitor center. Linda gets her “Best For Last Club” T-shirt since this is her last of the 50 states to visit. Apparently a lot of people eventually go to North Dakota for that same reason since we can’t think of any other good reason to go there.  Since it is only my 49 state, Alaska will be my 50th.  Linda rats me out so I don’t get a T-shirt.

By mid-afternoon the temperature is getting into the high 90’s. I try to get into one local RV park that is only half open due to some recent flooding. I was hoping for power to run our AC. I just miss getting the last spot. After a little more research I find a east bound rest area, “Wayside Reset Area” just back in over the border in Minnesota.  I look at Google Earth and see that it has lots of trees and see we will have plenty of shade to park under. It is still very breezy so it should be fairly comfortable, so we head there later in the afternoon.

Wayside Rest Area, via Google Earth, lot of trees

Wayside Rest Area, via Google Street View, good shade

WTF !, we get there and there is hardly a tree standing, just a field of stumps. They were mostly Ash trees and were removed last winter because of the Ash borer. Son-of-a-B ! We park under the shade of the only tree casting a shadow on a parking lot. 

SOB ! One tree left standing

After some more research we find Buffalo River State Park 15 minutes further into Minnesota. Very nice park, with shaded sites and power. We have a very nice evening.

Buffalo River State Park