Ever heard of Dickinson, North Dakota? Me neither 😂. Experiencing an oil boom, this city has grown to a pop. of 25,000 people, a high proportion of Ukrainian descent. We coasted into the city just before midnight after a 12 hour travel day, getting some much needed respite from Interstates 90 & 94 (which roar via Mtn pass and prairie, often at a posted 80 Mph)! With less road time planned for Friday, we were up and at it early (in a steady rain) to get that part of our day accomplished.
The Friday plan, in loosest form, was to navigate North Dakota and Minnesota States to arrive in the city of Minneapolis mid-afternoon and spend the evening. We are staying close to the ball park so a game is in the offing as well as some time to explore! It was such a great decision to return another route… we’ve managed double the learning. The landscapes do mirror quite closely with Canada, and we watch the GPS to compare South to North of the border. Today marks a week on the road… so thankful for the ability/opportunity to make a run like this without immediate worry / concern.
We cracked out in good order the 7.5 hr interstate trek to Minneapolis with a couple of fuel stops ⛽️ and were checked in by 3:30. After a quick bag drop we strolled to O’Donovans Irish Pub shortly after 4:00 enjoying a Shandy / Guinness 0.0! Little pre-game session, as we had booked at the Hampton Inn not 5 minutes from Target Field! So bit of finger food and refreshments to get us over the hump! ⚾️
We hit the Stadium as early as possible to scope out our seats and maybe catch some BP. Warm evening, at 32°C, but we all leaned when an intermittent and refreshing breeze rolled by! The game was stellar… a 3-2 comeback win for the hometown Twins… lots of long ball! And it was “Harry Potter” night to boot! Post game saw a 10 minute fireworks 💥 display… lots of bling and pop to end a great evening. Quick… but a fun glimpse at the city of Minneapolis!
Sounds like that was a short overnight rest in Dickenson! What an adventure this trip is turning into…so interesting to even read about… time well spent for two history buffs!!
Suckers for a good history lesson indeed! Feeling like we are in a bit of a “forgotten” part of the US in some ways. Maybe as though it’s a part of the union that has traditionally had to find its own way and is working very hard to become a player! Listened to Minnesota’s Governor recently and really liked his message. Back on central time so only a couple of hours behind home 👍!
After a weekend of visitors… it was great to check you folks out again. I was pretty sure I’d be up for some nice ‘journalism’ this AM. After all of these years of following your blogs, I’m seeing a few themes…. sports, history and good food. Two out of three are key for me and I’m working on the third. You’re hitting lots of spots that are new to me and making my ‘to do list’ longer and longer.
Yeah… those themes are integral for us. We are trying to add more walk/hike opportunities these days (ie Lake Louise stop). Certainly essential on this trip with so much highway time. We made a lot of choices (as little was pre planned this time) and almost always opted for “unseen / new to us” drives/locations/attractions other than our time in Ottawa. Loving your feedback as it forces me to think through the why/how of the trip process! 👍