After closing out our tab at Neumann’s Bar we turned our Mitsubishi Mirage G4 towards the capital of North Dakota, Bismarck, the location of that state’s oldest bar. It was going to be a ride in excess of 6 hours (440 miles) so we decided to stop for the night about halfway in Fargo, SD. Unfortunately, just as we hit Fargo we encountered a hellacious rain storm. Rather than look for lodging in the downpour, we decided to keep pushing through the driving rain and black boiling clouds. A couple miles outside of Fargo the weather cleared and we settled in for the night at a Wyndham in Casselton. The next morning we continued on to Bismarck through the beautiful open vastness of North Dakota. Most impressive during the drive were the expansive fields of sunflowers; bright yellow and black sunflowers as far as the eye could see.
The state’s oldest bar is the Peacock Alley, and it is located in the grand building housing the Patterson Place Apartments (formerly the Patterson Hotel). We’ve found many of the states’ oldest bars to be dives or relics of a bygone era. However, though the Peacock Alley had a historic ambiance, it was blended nicely with a cool modern urban vibe that could easily coexist in a place like Manhattan. Speaking of Manhattan, our bartender, Paulie, was from New Jersey and in his younger days he regularly had DJ gigs in NYC. Where it gets crazy is that Paulie DJ’d Yolie’s ten-year high school reunion in Manhattan back in 1992. Who da thunk that! Besides Paulie, the bar was also professionally staffed by Mary and Merab. James had a great time going through all their delicious Black Leg Brewery drafts. Meanwhile, Yolie took advantage of their awesome happy hour cocktails. Peacock Alley was our 37th state’s oldest bar and it was the kind of place that you just didn’t want to leave.
Even though we easily could have spent the evening at Peacock Alley with Paulie, Mary, and Merab, we needed to get to work and do our usual walkabout to get a reading on Bismarck’s other gin joints. We stopped in at the Blarney Stone Pub for a Guinness, but what caught our eye was the blackjack table in the Pub’s back room. We came to find out that you can gamble pretty much everywhere in North Dakota. The dealer looked a little bored sitting by himself, so we gave him some company and Yolie walked out the door after doubling her investment. Next, we stopped in for a beer at Gideon’s Brewing Company, where they were having a lively bingo in support of a local animal rescue organization. Our last stop of the day was around the corner at The Elbow Room. At The Elbow Room the drinks were cheap, the locals were super friendly, and the gambling action was busy. We had a great time there and had the good fortune to meet four lovely local lasses who shot a mean game of pool while giving us the 411 on life in Bismarck. Too bad the night had to end and it was time to head for the hotel and rest up for our next adventure in South Dakota.
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