We left the house at exactly 9am and started jogging toward the toll bridge to Fargo. I had heard the bridge was now open and wanted to take our first jaunt into the parks and trails of north Fargo, where a kid can be a kid. The last time I was near that toll bridge was a week before the record crest of the Red River of the North. An elderly but active woman who was out for a walk as well asked me where exactly the toll bridge was. I pointed out the top half of a lamp post in the middle of the river and she was shocked to realize we were looking right at it.

Detour signs and hardhats appeared on our route so we skirted the El Zagal golf course and talked about how all the guys were working hard to take care of the icky water. Since we were forced inland, our funtime options narrowed to Yunker Farm or the airport park. As we made our way along 19th Ave N, my legs decided they were up for a challenge and told me to head for the airport. Thinking I would impress my two year old son I said, “There’s the FargoDome, that’s a really big building!” To which he quickly replied, “Is that the circus? I did a good job high-fiving the clown.” I may have forgotten that he and my wife recently took in the Shrine Circus, but I had an ace up my sleeve; I still had a chance to impress him with airplanes.

We arrived to a mostly deserted airport viewing park, just a man walking his dog and us, so we snacked, juggled, and re-applied sunscreen as we waited for the planes. No jumbo jets arrived during the hour or so we were waiting, but we did get to see a few smaller jets land. Toddlerpants was happy to see the planes and all, but he had a tough time understanding how I could call it a park when there were no slides or swings in sight so we moved on to catch some lunch at a restaurant.

My first choice, Buffalo Wild Wings, had yet to open so we ate at Subway instead. I spoke with a mother of four while she prepared our sandwich. She was very friendly and was interested in us and what we were up to today. It occurred to me later that I missed a chance to point her to this site so she could read more about our adventures. I think the time has come to start advertising via T-shirt while we run around town, it would be a lot easier than trying to throw paper airplane flyers into the open windows of passing cars.

We stopped at the “Elephant Park” for a bit on our way back to Moorhead, and the boy fell silent and nodded off as we crossed the toll bridge. The events that next conspired to transpire are worthy of their own column, which I have tentatively titled “Parenting While Male or: Juggler’s Remorse, My Brush With The Law.” Stay tuned.