Fargo to Bismark

Happy Halloween aka All Hallows Eve aka Samhain and a bunch of other things. Including a record-setting cold snap in the lower 48. After record-setting heat over the summer, we are now experiencing an early and unusually cold winter . Heck of a year I picked to travel .

I knew the drive from Fargo to Bismark was only about 4 hours. So I went looking for a stop along the way. The Arrowwood NWR caught my eye, so I decided it night make a nice visit. When I left Fargo, the temperature was in the low 20s, with a bit of wind chill. As I was driving, I could see the temperature dropping, degree by degree, until it was in the single digits. And then my tire pressure warning light started blinking. I knew from experience that this was just due to the cold air, and sure enough it did resolve later in the day, when the temperature rose back above 20 degrees. Nevertheless, it was a sure sign that it was bitterly cold.

I got all the way to the gravel road leading to the refuge - not inherently a problem - but it had iced over from last week’s storm. They had spread sand over the top, but there were still plenty of icy spots peeking through. I drove a few hundred yards and decided to turn around. I knew it was about 5 miles to just get to the refuge, and another few miles on the auto tour route, which I expected to be more of the same. It was disappointing, but I didn’t want to take the chance of skidding out, especially with practically no one around.

With no intervening activity, I arrived at the Fairfield in Bismark around midday, but there was plenty of room at the inn and they were able to check me in. This is definitely off season in the Northern Plains states. Having had very little exercise the last week due to the cold and ice, I thought I might walk the mile into town, just to stretch my legs and get a feel for downtown Bismark. I took a few steps out into the parking lot and immediately realized that was not going to happen. The parking lot itself was completely iced over and I could see that the sidewalks had not been cleared either. I headed back in, grabbed my keys and drove the few blocks. The sidewalks in the small downtown area were mostly cleared, but patches of ice remained. Thinking back to when I lived in Massachusetts, I just don’t remember this much hazardous ice. Maybe I was just young and invincible. Here, I was watching ever step.

I did spot a store that looked interesting. With a name like Magic Photo Art, I had to stop in and see what it was all about. This turned out to be a business run by Dan and Claudia Masseth. Dan is a wonderful photographer in his own right - he showed me some of his printed images. However the store centers around historical photographs of a number of local photographers. Dan acquired the rights to all of the images as a result of inheriting over 100 boxes of miscellaneous negatives that were stored in the historic Blackstone Club, the same building in which their store is located. Dan makes beautiful large framed prints, many of which are displayed in the gallery. I had a lot of fun chatting with both Dan and Claudia. They also gave me some local tips, as well as information for later in the week when I head over to Roosevelt NP.

After leaving Magic Photo Art, I walked around for a few more minutes. Nothing else drew me in and it was just cold. So I headed back to my room.

Tomorrow I will visit the North Dakota State Museum and Heritage Center, which was the main reason I stopped in Bismark.