Fargo, North Dakota to Callaway, Minnesota: Can I have an amen from the Deacons?!

June 25, 2017

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Great Googly Moogly!! Can I have an amen from the deacons? This morning, after a reasonable penance of eight miles we finally were gifted with the Queen Mother of tailwinds. Whatever sin we had committed 2.3 days ago has apparently been absolved. I did some quick math while on the bike this morning. Calculating right up to the point where the ACA route takes hard a right turn and heads directly east on Minnesota County Road 26, we had ridden 102 miles into the teeth of a demonstrably nasty headwind. 102 Miles of Headwind. It sounds like a Johnny Cash song, doesn’t it?

First a little follow-up to our stay in Fargo. Knowing today would be a shorter day and probably wind-aided we slept a little late and then rode our stripped down bikes over to “The Shack,” a highly recommended breakfast joint. Oh My. It was good! Eggs, Corned Beef Hash and Hash browns for both of us. We again covertly dosed the house coffee with Starbucks instant and all was Delish. One last detail I was musing about last night in regard to Fargo … How do you refer to a person who hails from Fargo? A Fargonian? A Fargonite? Perhaps a Fargonaut? A Farger? Hmmm .. No, don’t call anyone a Farger. That could unintentionally start a fistfight. There must be a way beside saying, “Are you a native of Fargo?” Anyone out there know what the proper convention is for Fargo Folks?

Once we made that hard right hand turn to the east we just flew! In no small part because the wind was now a ripping tailwind, but a just as much because Margaret was feeling fine after being unchained from that miserable headwind. She was thundering along like a thoroughbred horse that had been forced to pull a plow the last two days. She had the bit in her mouth and was off and running.

The point at which your heroes felt a need to sacrifice a Power Bar to the wind gods in way of thanks. The wind, as is its wont, is howling from the WNW. We are now, blessedly, riding east

The scenery up here is jaw dropping. Yes, the horizon is almost completely horizontal, but it looks like a green ocean stretching to infinity in every direction, and the sky … oh, man, the sky today was a vibrant blue peppered with all manner of white, grey, and smoky dark clouds scudding along because of the wind. The scale is immense out here, and the horizon line is visible everywhere you look, stretching to eternity. It is almost scary in its vastness. That view and the high speeds we were managing (18 mph!) made for a giddy atmosphere.

More of that Big Sky out here on the edge of the high prairie.

Our destination today is Callaway, Minnesota, pop. 234. We are riding where there is a whole lot of “not much” ... tiny towns with few services and fewer places to lodge or camp. Last night we made a couple phone calls to lodges or resorts that were listed on the ACA map as overnight options. They were 75 miles from Fargo which was doable but fortunately we had the foresight to make a verifying phone call. One simply did not answer and their website said they rented cabins for $275 a night and made no mention of camping options. Another we did reach by phone, but said they did not rent cabins by the night, did not have any short term camping sites, but did allow bike tourists to pitch a tent behind the lodge so long as you bought dinner there. She mentioned offhandedly that they had been having a problem with a young bear that was pilfering their dumpster behind the lodge, but that “if you make some noise he’ll just run away.” Nope. Nope. Nope.

That left us with Callaway, where we are sitting now. There is no water, no showers, and nobody visible in this little place but there IS an immaculately clean port ‘o john and a place to pitch your tent next to the softball diamond. Right across the street is a gas station where Marg and I did some shopping a couple hours ago: They had a wonderful assortment of chips, junk food, and microwave burritos but not a stitch of fruit, vegetables, or anything that is visibly part of any food group. We did load up on some salty treasures, and thank goodness we have the back country stove and some freeze dried meals. We will not starve here.

Our bag full of Healthy Choices from the Callaway Conveneince Store and Food Desert.

On the way to Callaway we stopped in the equally tiny town of Hitterdal, whose name I must admit I thought was actually “Hitler Dale” as we rode past the sign announcing its approach. “Hitler Dale?” I wondered if in 1945 some of the Reich overlords missed the last U-Boat to Argentina and instead had to start new identities in far NW Minnesota. But, phew, not the case. Hitterdal is a nice looking little place that is obviously making an effort to be an inviting stop. Biking tourists, their public park, where you can camp, is very nice. It has running water and a flush toilet (though not especially private) so you could do worse. They also have a small shelter.

The happy couple in Hitterdal, Minnesota for a water stop and a Bobo Bar for lunch

The Hitterdal city park, where one could do worse for free camping. We were hell bent for Callaway though.

While lunching there today, Margaret found a large format postcard showing an birds-eye view of Hitterdal. How it landed there is anyone’s guess, but she appropriated it for her next Art Card. Here is the result.

Found Object Art Card by Margaret. The large format aerial-view postcard was laying on the ground at the Hitterdal City Park so she appropriated it.

Back in Callaway, we are feeling as if we’ve been given the key to the city! There is a cement pad with a small shelter over it, we are sitting at a picnic table where I am writing the journal and Marg is constructing her Art Card, the tent is pitched and things could be worse. In fact, the clouds are gone and it is mostly sun here at 4:59 PM and the wind is dying down as well. No shower tonight which is a downgrade, but we can sleep in our own funk one night. Though there is no water source in the park, the kid at the gas station said they are open until 9 PM, and then again at 7 AM Monday. There. Solved.

The dining room, living room, kitchen, library ......

The Rose, Thorn and Bud for today!

Rose: Marg – Watching the wind bend the grass straight down in the direction we were riding!!! Mike - The Corn Beef Hash I inhaled at breakfast.

Thorn: Marg – That she hasn’t eaten any fruit or vegetables for two days Mike – I think my bike saddle is doing me no favors. J’accuse!

Bud: Marg – Seeing the Headwaters of the Mississippi tomorrow. Mike – Same here! I grew up on the Mississippi for the first 18 years of my life in Moline, Illinois

Today's ride: 50 miles (80 km)
Total: 349 miles (562 km)

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