Mad Max’s Weekend Adventures in North Dakota
Took a road trip to visit family in Grand Forks on Friday, and if you're cruising along Highway 2, a stop in Stanley is a must! You can't miss Dakota Drug for their famous Whirl-a-Whip.
This throwback treat was invented by a Nebraska ice cream shop owner in the 1930s. The Whirl-a-Whip machine blends up ice cream with all kinds of tasty mix-ins like fresh fruit and candy.
Whirl-a-Whips were once a soda fountain staple across the country and were actually the forerunner of today’s Dairy Queen Blizzard and McDonald’s McFlurry! Trust me, it's worth the stop.
When I arrived at my brother Luke and sister-in-law Crystal's house, my ten year old nephew Corban immediately challenged me to a knee hockey showdown.
We went all out in a best-of-seven series in the basement. After an intense back-and-forth, I came out on top, winning 4 games to 3! Not only did I earn bragging rights, but I also got to sleep with the trophy proudly in my room.
A special moment was when my nephew Corban, who just started playing trumpet in the school band, played a bit for me. It was awesome to see him getting into it!
On Saturday, my brother and I checked out an art exhibit at the Arts for Vets Gallery called Outside Punk: Artists on the Edge. The show featured some amazing works by local Grand Forks artists, showcasing Graffiti, Surrealism, Cartoon, and Outsider Art. Here's one of my favorite pieces from the exhibit-"Bite Me" by artist Mandy Smestad.
After the exhibit, we strolled downtown to visit Widman's Candy Store for some Chippers (chocolate covered potato chips) and couldn’t resist snapping a photo next to a giant fork!
Then we swung by one of my favorite spots in Grand Forks: DogMahal DogHaus/Ojata Records. It’s a charming, locally owned hot dog shop that also doubles as a comic book store, record shop, and music venue!
I treated myself to the 5th Bro hot dog—a delicious 1/4 pound all-beef frank topped with cream cheese, mango relish, pineapple, Asian peanut sauce, and sriracha. I couldn’t leave without picking up some records too: the Grease soundtrack, along with George Carlin's Take Offs & Put Ons and Steve Martin's Let's Get Small!
Saturday night, we enjoyed a family dinner and then headed back home for a classic game of charades. Before hitting the road on Sunday morning, we played a board game called Ticket to Ride. It’s a fun cross-country train adventure where players collect and use matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities across North America. The longer the routes, the more points you score!
All in all, it was a weekend filled with laughter and fun!
LOOK: Most common domestic destinations from Grand Forks International Airport
Gallery Credit: Stacker