Discussions

My friends and I are planning a trip to grandforks for a few days. This is our first time all going to the states. We are looking for your input on favorite stores, where you stayed, price and where is best place for travel insurance. We are thinking of going to rbc but wondering what your input is.  
 
thanks

the exchange rate sucks right now. Be prepared to know that 1 US dollar is going to cost you probably around $1.36 Canadian.  
Hotels: Canad Inn for recreation with water park second to none. It also has a couple of nice lounges. C'mon Inn is also a fav - open courtyard with multiple hot tubs.  
Fav stores: TJ Maxx, Gordmans, Kohls, Macy's, JC Penney's for clothing. Menards and Lowes for household stuff. Scheels (although it seems expensive since it moved to the mall) and Cabelas for sporting goods/active clothing.  
Restaurants: Texas Roadhouse, Toasted Frog...blanking on this one a bit.  
To Do: Hmm... shop, pool at hotel..catch a UND sporting event, find a lounge for a drink. Never really checked out the bar scene in GF so have no suggestions there.  
Have fun and try not to cry when you see your credit card bill when you get home  

A friend and I went down once and she booked us into "Happy Host".....all we wanted was a cheap clean place with semi comfortable beds because we were going to be shopping ALL the time. It did the trick and we've actually stayed there MANY times with other people now lol. It's only $50-60 a night and if we want to swim(if we even have time), we pay $5/person to swim at the Howard Johnson.  
 
Places we shop.....menards, target, gordmans (love!!), bed bath and beyond, jc penny, Maurice's, deb, few other places in mall, can't remember name, kmart. There's a few second hand stores and antique chabby chic stores I've heard about but haven't been yet.  
 
Restaurants....Texas Roadhouse always!!, pizza ranch, cullivers was okay, a buffet place in Fargo (forget the name). Sometimes we just buy things to eat in the room because a day if shopping wipes me out lol  
 
Have fun!! We haven't been in a year or longer due to crappy dollar  
 
Edited by sammy, 2015-09-29 21:15:01

Consider Fargo, its an hour further and much better for shopping and way better for dinning.  
Downtown has undertaken a really cool change in the last ten years  
Both places have a JL burgers and beer, must go!

Go to ezmarketing .ca for coupons.  
 
We usually stay at the Days Inn. It's always been very quiet, clean and nice and close to the mall and Gordman's (my favorite store)

Carnivor said "Consider Fargo, its an hour further and much better for shopping and way better for dinning.   Downtown has undertaken a really cool change in the last ten years   Both places have a JL burgers and beer, must go! "

For the extra 45 minutes it takes you to get there I have found the shopping is better, more selection, and better prices. Restaurants are pretty good too. I always get at least $20/night better rates at the Holiday Inn Fargo over GF too - not sure about other chains.  
 
Grand Forks tends to up their prices to take advantage of the Canadian shopper from what I have seen.