Microtel Suites by Wyndham, Mankato, MN:

This particular hotel gets some points for stepping up when the original hotel we reserved in Mankato canceled the reservation without too much time to spare. That said, the walls of the hotel rooms were very thin, and from our room you could hear the bell at the lobby as well as the ding of the elevator. The staff was formally polite but not overly friendly. Continental breakfast options were limited as well. Still, as the people in the hotel were quiet and the location was lovely it was an acceptable experience.

Fort Ridgely State Park, middle of nowhere, MN:

Fort Ridgely is a notable site in the Sioux War, but reaching the site requires driving into the middle of nowhere and it can be a bit spendy to get there-$7.00 for a vehicle pass and more than $30 if you want to camp there. Still, if you have an interest in that area, it is a lovely place to visit, if a bit remote.

Doolitles Woodfire Grill, Fargo, ND:

This particular restaurant is a relatively upscale place with a friendly staff and some tasty food. I tried their Flying Tiger Chicken & Peapods, which was tasty but not a particularly large serving, and my mother had the roasted pear and chicken salad, which was certainly more than enough for her. The meal also included some tasty herb bread, and most of the meals (including that of both my mother and I) are based on rotisserie chicken. If you’re looking to have the manager deliver your dishes and apologize for the delay for being understaffed, you can come between lunch and rush hour like we did.

Fort Seward, Jamestown, ND:

Although the fort is a bit different to find on GPS due to some faulty connections, this particular site is an interesting one. It was a fort for only five years, from 1872 to 1877, built on a strategic location in the bluffs above Jamestown, but the site has tents for reenactors and also a small museum that includes plenty of interesting archaeological finds from the site for those who are interested, and the site also includes North Dakota’s largest American flag flying over the city.

Kroll’s Dinner, Bismarck, ND:

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by this place. Although Kroll’s Diner has a noted reputation as one of the best diners in North Dakota, and claims to have a wonderful yellow chicken soup, when I had dinner there service was particularly slow (the diner seemed understaffed), and the restaurant seemed to lack a lot of items. That said, they had a lot of tea options (including sweet tea) and their chicken strips, chips, and salad were all tasty and served in inventive plates. If you’re looking for a slightly quirky and tasty diner and don’t mind that it is understaffed and don’t mind that some of the distinctive German dishes may not be present, this can easily be enjoyed.