Fargo Parks

 We spent some time geocaching in two parks in Fargo on Sunday afternoon. The first was a Botanical Garden and the colors and flowers were a photographer's delight.

This was a new plant to me. The leaves looked like a corn plant. The flowers were on a stem like a cattail and from a distance looked like a cattail. But it wasn't! Upon checking the correct spelling for cat tail or cattail, I found this is cattail or pearl millet.

pearl millet

a fairy garden

these flowers smelled like popcorn

have no idea the name

an interesting shape for this flower

like a fan

Then we visited Island Park stopping at statues and park structures built when the park was a 1939 WPA Project.

a Civil War Memorial

Angel of Hope

squirrels stocking up for winter

Henrik Wergeland (1808-1845)

Wergelend is credited for naming the 17th of May (Syttende Mai) as Norway's Independence Day from Sweden.

20 more geocaches in the books

and a lovely day to walk city parks

Gilby Gone Wild III

 Saturday was the event in Gilby and one of (the main) reasons for the ND road trip. The day started with a gathering in light rain.

blue hats and clothing for Bluebird of Happiness Day

The rain quit about 9:00 and it was time to look for gadget caches in and around Gilby, placed by Trycacheus, Chad Thorvilson.

he placed worn out tools in trees at a cemetery

the tools have been there since 2009

this would NOT work just anywhere, but it does in Gilby

a couple of wild turkeys watched over us in the cemetery

a truck bed tool box contained the log

Jon & Sherry were there in May!

Another must do geocache was The Gilby Bank Robbery. Hubby and I transported the large container from AZ to SD. Our geo friends Jon & Sherry brought the container from our place to Gilby. Chad placed the container and created a story about a bank robbery in Gilby to help geocachers figure out how to open the container. Opening it was just the first step.

Once the cover/door was open, cachers still had to figure out how to release the drawer holding the log book. Hubby and I did this cache when it was in place in Apache Junction. It took a memory jog to figure out how the drawer was to be released...but we did.

this was another fun one

the key was to release the plastic container within

I really like the cache name!

the small town of Gilby was very welcoming & accommodating

117 lunches served

102 shots espresso

59 cups of coffee

51 delicious caramel and cinnamon rolls

11 states represented (by my count anyway)

3 countries represented (US, Canada & Norway)

AND 1 very, very grateful community! Thank you geocachers for your generous support.

geocachers from Sioux Falls

Joshua, the Geocaching Vlogger autographing his book

a vlogger is a blogger who posts through videos

Chad and Jane doing the raffle & door prize drawings

my box of 3D containers made & donated by Chad

the drone ready to take the group photo

those present for the photo

a smaller group than last year

about 100 attendees

September 16, 2023 for Gilby Gone Wild IV

ND Road Trip, Day 2

 The Day 2 ND Road Trip started in Minot and ended in Grand Forks ten hours later, with an unplanned side trip into Canada. The distance between the two cities is 210 miles or 3 hours and 21 minutes. No, we did not get lost. Here are some of the more interesting things we saw along the way.

created in 1982 the turtle is two stories tall

and the location of a geocache

The head alone on Dunseith's metal turtle weighs over a ton, and is mounted on a pivot so you can bob it up and down if you've been working out.

Dunseith's claim to fame

George Gottbreht welded and painted 2000 tire rims

its backside

While in Dunseith we realized we were 13 miles from The International Peace Garden. We had the time, so we headed north arriving at the IPG without having to enter through the Canadian Port of Entry. The IPG entrance is between the the US Port of Entry and that of our northern neighbor. Good as we did not have our passports, so no problem. Right?

some of the flowers at the entrance

Lake Stormmon on the Canadian side of the IPG

someone is confused

is he in Canada?

while I am in the US?

the 9/11 Memorial in the Peace Gardens

the Bell Tower

There are 14 bells in the tower ranging from 250 pounds to 200 pounds in weight. Two sons had the bells cast in England as a gift to their mother and given to her church in Brandon, Manitoba. When the church no longer wanted the bells they were donated to the IPG, but the church could not afford to move the bells.  North Dakota Veterans organizations raised the money to transfer the bells. The Tower is dedicated to War Veterans.

probably the most photographed item at IPG, the Flower Clock

We drove to the International Peace Gardens in August 1970. I am certain there have been some changes, like the 9/11 Memorial and the Carillon Bell Tower. I do remember the Flower Clock from the first trip. The Conservatory was closed to traffic and it was raining on this trip, so we did not visit that area.

The US Port of Entry officer wondered why we did not have our passports but allowed us back into the US with our drivers license. WHEW!

While Belle Fouche SD is the geographic center of the United States, Rugby ND is the geographic center of North America. 

tower for climbing in Rugby

metal sculpture also at the Prairie Museum in Rugby

and just for fun...

I read this two times before I got it

thankfully finding the geocache was quicker

And finally, this road trip to Gilby was all about finding geocaches in new/more North Dakota counties.

ND after last year's excursion to Gilby

the North Dakota map after this trip

we added 8 counties these two days