Dale and Patti Thormodsgard (T-Gard) are excited to bring their newest campground vision to life right here in tiny Solway, MN. Married for 36 years with one daughter and 5 grand children, Dale and Patti moved to Solway to be closer to their family in the fall of 2022. Their purchase of the 232 acre property on which Bergamo sits, started in motion a dream to create a recreation property for families to “get their mind right”, having a relaxing place to get away, have fun and commune with nature.

Dale and Patti have been running businesses together for many years. While most married couples couldn’t spend a day working together, Dale and Patti have a very cohesive partnership that has helped them run a successful real estate brokerage, a DJ business, ice cream shop, gas service dock and the family campground. They look forward to using the same skills and work ethic to give the families of Bergamo the best environment to “get their mind right”.

Dale (Co-owner, Maintenance, and Public Relations) comes from a military background having served in the Air Force for 20 years including 9 tours in the desert during Operation Desert Storm from which he is a retired, disabled veteran. He holds a degree in Supply Chain Logistics from the Community College of the Air Force. Dale has been helping run the family campground at Union Lake Sarah in Erskine for the last 21 years and has vast knowledge of environmental impact and customer service. He is an awesome ambassador for the business, he is often referred to as “PR Dale” because of his approachable nature and friendly character. He is often seen driving through the campground to see if anyone needs his help or to shepherd residents to the shelter during bad weather.

Patti (Co-owner, Book Keeping, Vender Relations, Customer Service) often referred to as “Paperwork Patti”, Patti has been managing retail, restaurants, bars and the family campground for a combined total of 40 years. She has extensive experience planning events and organizing meetings, classes, and record keeping. Her diligence and slight OCD makes her a perfect fit for the job and the perfect ying to Dale’s yang. Patti has a degree in Business Management and Accounting from Lake Region State College. She looks forward to having Saturday night ice cream socials in the event barn and planning each season’s special events and barn dances.

Pronounced (Bear-ga-moe)

Beltrami County was named after the Italian Explorer Giacomo Beltrami. Giacomo was born and raised in a small Italian town by the name of Bergamo, Italy. Patti’s family on her father’s side is also from that same small Italian town. The family has owned, for generations, a 40-acre hunting property in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that bears the same name. While researching possible names for the campground, Dale and Patti felt a calling to name it Bergamo in honor of both the explorer and their own family ties.