Rules are meant to be bent, even broken. I definitely bent my rule on "visiting" a state a few weeks ago because I flew into Fargo, ND (state #38 on my quest to visit all fifty states), and then immediately drove over to Minneapolis (state #39) to spend the weekend. I didn’t stay very long in the state of North Dakota, but for all those North Dakotans out there, please tell me what there is to do in your state and I will gladly try it. My goal is to get to all fifty states by the end of the year and I picked up two more this weekend.

I did get a bite to eat at this cool restaurant which served "bacon flights" in Fargo. Yes, you read that correctly, a BACON flight. When you see certain items on a menu your eyes just glare at them in wonder (if you’re a foodie that is). Peppered, Guinness glazed, brown sugared, and hickory smoked bacon were the amazing samples I got. For the few hours I was in North Dakota, I very much enjoyed Wurst Bier Hall, fun place and good eats. Psst, they also have some good brews there too.

The next few days I spent walking, hiking, and eating at three very different places in Minneapolis. For breakfast I went to this downtown restaurant called the Hen House Eatery. I got this salted caramel latte, which had espresso, whipped cream, & salt sprinkled on it. Oooooooh, it was wonderful. Service was great, food was good, and it’s a good place to write an article, if you know what I mean.

(Is this a bacon-themed trip?)

The Stone Arch Bridge was calling my name next. There’s a park associated with it and you can easily spend four to five hours just wondering about. Trails allow you to go down little rabbit holes and explore and the river is lined with the old remnants of the flour mills. Think 5-year-old kid playing in a stream and you get an idea of how fun it is.

Shout out to The Bachelor Farmer for dinner. They change their menu frequently and I had two of their specials that evening which were spectacular. They also have wine specials on their chalkboard, i.e. if they open a bottle up and use half of it they put it up there for others to try! I love cool ideas like that. The building the restaurant sits is in part of the old milling district so it looks old and rugged on its exterior, but beautiful and quirky on the inside. For all you Milwaukeeans out there, think the old brew houses and the color of those brick buildings and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Next day I traversed Lake Calhoun and all its connecting lakes via kayak. Kayaks rent by the hour, but it’s always worth asking if they do half-day rentals too. Wheel Fun Rentals didn’t have anything on its website, but when I got there I asked and they had a half-day special. Asking is always worth it because you could save some moola that could be better spent on a nice appetizer or gift.

Last day there I went to Minnehaha Falls, which I highly recommend you go to with breathable walking sandals. I walked through the stream all day in my sandals and it was great because the majority of the crowds couldn’t do that, so it was a great way to get away from them.

If it wasn’t for the city being frozen for half the year, I could see myself living in Minneapolis, but it does get a little chilly here. Coming back is definitely in the cards for this great Midwestern city. Until next time, go explore!