Fargo, North Dakota: The Celebrity Walk of Fame

You know you've made it big when you go to Fargo and you are asked to leave your footprints in cement before you go.

More than 100 celebrities have left a good impression on the residents of Fargo (sorry). They are part of the Fargo-Moorehead (Minn.) Celebrity Walk of Fame, located outside of the visitors center in Fargo. Get off at exit 348 on Interstate 94, and head a little north. You can't miss it.

It is an interesting group of celebrities, one after another. You can see the cement blocks stretching below the sign pictured above, along the grass. Bet you never linked Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Phil Jackson together, but they are side-by-side here.

My guess is that many of these celebrities have musical connections, mostly in the form of country music. But others are here too - George W. Bush, Oliver North, Bob Costas, Bert and Ernie, John Updike, Art Linkletter, Meadowlark Lemon, and Jesse Ventura.

Fargo, North Dakota: Movie Woodchipper

This may not be the most appropriate way to welcome tourists to North Dakota.

The good city of Fargo, located right by the Minnesota border, doesn't bother with one of those welcome centers that are just off the highway. No, they have a full-fledged information center in town.

What's more, the most famous woodchipper in movie history is the main attraction. You know, the one used to, um, dispose of the evidence in the movie "Fargo."

Here it is. You can't read the autographs of the Coen brothers, the brains behind one of the best movies in 1996, but they are there. The woodchipper is joined by a copy of the movie script, and a scrapbook.

There are the usual maps, tourist guides and rest rooms here, but I'd bet plenty of people come in just to see the woodchipper. By the way, there's also free popcorn - if you didn't see the movie. But if you didn't, treat yourself and get it.

Rothsay, Minnesota: World's Largest Prairie Chicken

Tourist attractions are a little tough to find off Interstate 94 in Western Minnesota. It's mostly an agricultural area.

But Rothsay is definitely worth a stop, if only to see this sculpture in a park right off the road.

Prairie chickens have been known to wander around in this part of the world, although the habitat is shrinking. These make a sound that is called "booming" because it can be heard for quite long distances, so some call them "booming" prairie chickens.

In 1975, Rothsay became the "Prairie Chicken Capital of Minnesota." The community helped chip in some money, and Art Fosse built it. Nice job - unless you have to move the 9,000-pound object. Luckily, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. The chicken is too busy feasting on innocent visitors like the guy here.

Fergus Falls, Minnesota: Continental Divide Marker

Here's an example of the power of positive thinking.

This nice little tourist attraction opened in 2000 in Fergus Falls, down from the commercial center of town just off the Interstate at exit 61. Look for it near the restaurant.

It's a tribute to the fact that the Continental Divide goes through this part of the world. Now, the Divide usually is associated with Glacier National Park and other such areas in the Rockies. However, another Continental Divide separates water that flows into the Mississippi watershed with the one that goes into Hudson's Bay.

This little area was set up as something of a history lesson. Until 1818, all such property on the north side of the divide was owned by Great Britain, but at that point it moved over to the United States.

How to mark such a spot? Get a really big surveyor's transit, and add a plumb bob. Then add a shed with more information, and a Native display.

The idea, according to a newspaper article, was to give a boost to tourism in Fergus Falls. Not sure it ever accomplished that goal, but I did learn a bit about the area by stopping. That's worth something. The plumb bob has disappeared, but it's worth a quick stop.

Fergus Falls, Minnesota: Otto the Big Otter

When you live along the Otter Tail River, I guess you need to have some sort of tribute to the otter. This is one big tribute - 40 feet long, in fact. The natives call him Otto.

According to Roadside America, which did much of the leg work for us on this trip, teenagers put it together about 40 years ago. Those teenagers went to a high school which had sports teams named - wait for it - the Otters.

The work of art is located right along the river in Adams Park. It's a bit of a drive from the Interstate, so make sure you do your homework and find South Burlington Ave. on a map before venturing off to see Otto. 

Fergus Falls, Minnesota: Historical Society

The Otter Tail County Historical Museum is on the main road (Lincoln Ave.) into town from Interstate 94. And in case you were wondering, the Otter Trail River flows right through town, which does have some charm attached to it.

If you want to get a history lesson on the area, the museum is clearly the place to go. It has a variety of exhibits on life in the town a century ago.

But if that's a little too much history for you, then you should at least stop and gawk at the goose sculpture. It's located on the grounds near the museum, and it's extremely well done. The landscaping is top-notch as well.