Knight
During an early get-to-know-each-other conversation, Becky and I discovered we had each set for ourselves the personal challenge of visiting all 50 U.S. states. Later in our relationship, after a few years of traveling together, it came to pass that Becky had checked off 48 states on her personal list. She had only North Dakota and Alaska to go. (It is a literal list, a 3-by-5 card we keep on the fridge and scratch off when warranted.)
In early 2020 I learned of a half-marathon to be run in Fargo, North Dakota, in May. “Let’s do it,” I said. “What better reason to get North Dakota off your list?” We signed up but COVID had other plans. Two years later the run was back on, so in May 2022 we headed to North Dakota on a bucket list adventure.
It is a long way to Fargo but eventually we settled into our hotel room and early Saturday we laced up our running shoes and filed out from the Fargodome with other participants to run a circuit along the city streets. It was a sunny, breezy run with temperatures in the cool 30s. As one hand-painted sign along the route read, “All this for a banana at the end?”
Not only did Becky get her 49th state, she also came in first in her age group. (Yay!) I did not do nearly as well, but, these days, a successful run for me means finishing. Afterwards we both enjoyed our bananas.
Before we left home, we decided to turn this trip into something more than a drive to Fargo and back again. What about an extended driving vacation where we mostly played it by ear? In some people’s minds North Dakota doesn’t offer much. Even North Dakotans seem to understand other U.S. citizens’ reluctance to visit. Referencing the 50 state bucket list, the phrase “Save the Best ’Til Last” can be found on tourist merch everywhere. Okay, challenge accepted. North Dakota beckoned.
We headed out on Interstate 90 figuring to explore Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the far western edge of the state. Along the way we were excited to stop at “The World’s Largest Bison,” “The World’s Largest Sandhill Crane” and “The World’s Largest Cow.” Clearly, these sites put to lie the canard that North Dakota doesn’t have anything to offer.
At the Largest Bison stop, Becky and I struck up a conversation with a woman who was wearing a Fargo Marathon shirt. Shannon had come from Washington DC to run in the marathon. This allowed her to add another state in her pursuit of running a race in all 50 states. She had modified her original plan to run 50 half-marathons and now considered a 10K or even a 5K as meeting her bucket list standards. The good thing about bucket lists is they usually can be modified and a person can still feel successful.
Later on during the drive across the state, we talked to a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary by driving through all 50 states. We met the happy couple at the “Pheasants on the Prairie” sculpture, one of the many scrap metal sculptures on the Enchanted Highway. (This 30 mile stretch of road is one more example of the interesting curiosities North Dakota has to offer.)
Talking with others, I have discovered most people have some version of the bucket list. Maybe it’s running a marathon. Maybe it’s visiting all 50 states or all 63 National Parks. Maybe it’s going to a game at every Major League Baseball stadium. Maybe it is reading the entire works by a certain author. These challenges are developed by individuals for their own personal reasons, positive actions in a person’s growth. Having a bucket list means you still have goals. And goals are good.
(Oh, yeah. The Fargo Tourist Office also has the original wood chipper from the movie Fargo. A must-see when you visit the state.)
Norman Knight, a retired Clark-Pleasant Middle School teacher, writes this weekly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
