Fargo? You betcha!

To be honest, I was a little worried about creating the itinerary for three days in Fargo. 

Whenever I mentioned my trip, people would say, "Oh, you have to go see the woodchipper," referring to the infamous movie prop. Well, OK, but we couldn't spend three days staring at a woodchipper. Was there anything else to do in a small town in North Dakota?  You betcha!

First stop, the Fargo-Moorhead Visitor's Center for a photo op with a movie prop.

Fuel up with a delicious latte at Youngblood Coffee or a bagel at Bernbaums...or a donut at Sandy's donuts.

Shop along Broadway and Main Street

Keep an eye out for the painted bison 

scattered around Fargo.

Go on a mural hunt. How many can you find?

We found them all!

Catch a movie at the iconic Fargo Theatre.

Check out regional art at The Plains Museum 

and The Rourke Art Gallery & Museum

Sample a beer at one of the three local breweries...

...or sip a local cider at Wild Terra. 

Be sure to save room for cocktails and dinner at the Toasted Frog.

Walk or bike on the trails along the Red River.

Cross the bridge into Moorhead, MN

Tour Hopperstad Stave Church

See a replica of a Viking Ship

Cheers to a fun adventure in Fargo!

The Big 4-0!

It's not my birthday...although if any of you think I'm only 40, thank you, I'm flattered. No, I'm talking about visiting my 40th state: Nebraska. Nebraska was tricky to visit. I mean, logistically, it's easy--about a two hour direct flight on Southwest. It's just that no one I know actually wanted to visit Nebraska. No one. So when Paul announced that he had a business meeting in Omaha, I figured this might be my best and only chance.

I flew in to meet Paul after his meetings on a rainy Friday night and downtown Omaha is a short 10 minute ride from the airport. Our first stop was dinner at The Grey Plume, which is a "Farm to Fork" restaurant featuring seasonal cuisine using produce and livestock from local farmers.  In hindsight, we ordered way too much food but it was all so colorful and beautifully presented that we couldn't help it.

The rainy weather continued into Saturday morning so we bundled up into the misty dark in search of a local coffee shop and the Farmer's market. We didn't rent a car because everything was walkable and our Hilton Garden Inn offered a complimentary shuttle if we didn't feel like walking.  We walked along cobblestone streets in the Old Market district where we ducked into the 13th St. Coffee company. The walls were lined with shelves sagging with books and old-timers sat around the tables paying bills and sharing stories. Warmed by our coffee, we wandered over to the Farmer's Market to browse the local produce and products. I met a young welder who, when he wasn't busy in kindergarten, helped his dad recycle old horseshoes into pumpkins. I definitely would have bought one except they weighed a ton and I didn't think it would fit in my carry-on for the return flight.

We left the farmer's market with plans to stroll around Heartland of America Park but the drizzle turned into a steady rain so after a quick look at the fountain, we aborted the plan and opted for the indoor option of the Durham Museum instead.

The Durham Museum is housed in Omaha's former Union Station and one exhibit focuses on the impact of railroads in the area. We also enjoyed exhibits on the history of the region, 100 years of Omaha Steaks, and a temporary exhibit called "Zoom into Nano" about the growing science of nanotechnology.

Scout the Buffalo

Now I'm craving steak for dinner...

Nano-photography 

By the time we left the museum, the sun was shining! It was time to meet a bridge named Bob. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge connects two states, so of course we had to take a picture with one foot in each state. (This is called "Bobbing" according to Bob.)

After completing our 0.9K, we celebrated with a little souvenir shopping. My two favorite shops: 1)Hollywood Candy, a warehouse of every type of candy you can imagine, including an impressive collection of PEZ dispensers and wax lips. I even found Zero bars, the candy my grandfather used to buy for me.

2)True Blue Goods and Gifts, which featured the work of local artisans. We were intrigued by the cigarette machine refurbished to sell art instead of smokes. Who could resist pulling the knob to release "Random Funsville?" I won't tell you what I got. But it was random. And fun.

By now we had worked up an appetite for dinner, which HAD to be steak, of course. The portions listed on the menu were huge, and thankfully our server at Spencer's suggested splitting the meal. So, between the two of us, we devoured a mouthwatering 20 oz. bone-in ribeye, truffle mac-n-cheese, and maple-bacon roasted Brussel sprouts.

Our last stop of the day was The Blue Barn Theatre to see Every Brilliant Thing. For those of you who know me, it was a play about writing a list. Of course I had to go! Reading the theatre's synopsis, the play was about more than that: You’re seven years old. Mom’s in the hospital. Dad says she’s done something stupid. To cheer her up, you start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for. You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling. Soon, the list will take on a life of its own.  We weren't sure what to expect, but it was a sweet, funny and sad play about depression. The audience was invited to participate, so Paul and I both received lines from the play to call out. 

Did I just arrive in Nebraska yesterday? 24 hours and 20,000 steps later, we had experienced our own list of brilliant things that Omaha has to offer that make it a city worth visiting. And Nebraska becomes #40 on my list of states.

A Walking Adventure to a Pirate Ship

"Part 1: Start near Nationals Park..." We haven't even officially started our walking adventure and we have our first problem. We can't find the start. Well, we walked to Nationals Park from the Metro with no problem. But now we are standing in front of a very large baseball stadium wondering where the "wide waterfront boardwalk" is.

We wander off in one direction, only to see a busy highway and shady-looking liquor store. Nope. Directionally challenged adventurers need more specific guidance than what we've been given. Luckily the article guides us to pick up ice cream from Ice Cream Jubilee, so I enter in the address on my GPS and we are back on track, winding our way through Yards Park to our pre-riverwalk treat.

I've been coming to Nationals games for years but had never taken the time to explore Yards Park, which includes dancing fountains, a dog park, lots of restaurants, and this canal basin waterwall area--a very popular destination for happy, splashing toddlers on our hot August day.

The ice cream did not disappoint. After sampling several flavors, Katherine chose mint and I selected a honey lavender. Properly energized and properly oriented, we were off to find Kingman Island via the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.

Back in May when we were overwhelmed with everything school related, I pulled an article out of The Washington Post's weekend section with a guide to "D.C.'s best urban rambles." When I travel, I love to experience as many local flavors and activities as I can fit into my vacation, yet I don't often enough take advantage of the "tourist location" that I call home. The idea of exploring our city on foot appealed to me, and some of the routes were places I've never been. Katherine and I chose this 4.5 mile jaunt written up by Fritz Hahn and Harrison Smith to explore first.

 Following the directions from the newspaper, we made our way into the Navy Yard and found the Vietnam-era Swift Boat, then continued on to the 11th Street Local Bridge. Katherine and I did stop briefly at the observation area, but we didn't find the views as stunningly panoramic as the author had mentioned. There are definitely cool photo opportunities but there is also quite a bit of construction and trash to be seen.

After crossing to the eastern side of the river, we began walking on a wide paved path toward the island. We walked, and walked some more but no island. It was hot and my backpack was making me sticky and sweaty. Where was the island?

 I began to have a sinking suspicion...was the 4.5 mile trek ONE WAY?

"Part 2: Once you're on the eastern side of the river, keep hiking upstream. The path next to the water is wide and grassy, passing a playground with giant pirate ships..."

We found the pirate ship. While Katherine climbed around, I tried looking up the remaining distance to Kingman Island and it appeared we had another mile to go. When the article described the trip as 4.5 miles, it hadn't even occurred to me that it was a one way trip. We decided lunch was a more appealing option than a 9 mile hike, so we turned around and headed back to find the restaurant suggestion, 100 Montaditos. 

If you don't know (because we didn't), a montadito is a small baguette sandwich and 100 Montaditos offers "Dollarmania Wednesdays" where many of their menu offerings can be enjoyed for just a buck. Between the two of us, we ordered 5 montaditos and a beverage and our lunch was $7 and some change. As we ate, we talked about the pros and cons of trying to follow the directions in the article.

Pros: a newly explored area of DC, great restaurant recommendations, fun mother/daughter morning together. Cons: vague directions were sometimes tricky to follow, distance was misleading (Fritz, how did you get back from the island? Uber?), and we felt like the adventure was a bit oversold. ("Stunning panoramic"--really?)

All told, I was happy to get out of my comfort zone, spend some quality time with my teenage daughter, and try something off the beaten path. And I know the trip was a success because on the metro ride home, Katherine pulled the folded article out of the backpack. She pressed to smooth the creases, scanned it over and asked, "Where do you think we should go next?"

Link to article published online May 11:
These routes are made for walking 

Chicago

 We made it! No better place to start our Chicago adventure than "The Bean" at Millenium Park.

 Just the girls this time...no boys allowed!

 Next stop, Navy Pier.

 View from the ferris wheel

 View in the ferris wheel

 Trying the famous Chicago hot dog dragged through the garden with 7 toppings. How and why do they make the relish so neon green?

 Taking time to stop and smell the flowers as we explore different parks along the Lakefront Trail 

  Learning about Chicago's history and architecture during a boat tour on the Chicago River

 Some highlights of Chicago Art Institute

 Checking out the Wooden Alley during our bike tour

 Guess who has a stature in Lincoln Park?

We loved learning more about Chicago's neighborhoods during Bobby's Bike tour.

 One of the last remaining "kit houses" that were sold after the Chicago Fire of 1871.

 The baby camel at the Lincoln Park Zoo is named Alexander Camelton.

 Our bikes had names too. I rode Beyoncé and Katherine rode Gilbert.

 The view of Chicago's iconic Skyline from the kissing bridge.

 After our bike ride, we just happened to walk back to our hotel via The Magnificent Mile.

 Remember, no boys on this trip. So of course we went shopping. 

 The main event of our trip was Hamilton. Best. Musical. Ever.

Since we walked and biked everywhere, we had quite the appetite for deep dish pizza and Garrett's popcorn. 

 We ended our trip with the view from the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower.

Amazing views. Amazing company.

Katherine, we may have to make this an annual tradition! Just don't tell Daddy and Jack.