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Entering North Dakota, you might as well check out Fargo. The city won’t remind you of the clever film of the same name, unless you visit in the depths of the state’s icebox winter. But west of town on Highway 10, you’ll fall for the mellow vibe at the Sunset Inn where beautiful carnations grow adjacent to the road. Offering a game room, indoor pool and waterslide, the Sunset is also home to concrete deer grazing on the leaves. Owned by the same family for two decades, the Sunset reflects a Mom and Pop mentality that only looks like a pricey hotel. Nearby, a genuine meat-eater’s paradise may be found in Smoky’s Tavern and Steakhouse (with none of the artificial stimulants of “blackening” that has spawned a thousand “Texas-style” prefabs).

All text copyright Andrew Wood. Photos copyright Jenny Wood and Andy Wood.