Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Carrol Juven: seasoned traveler

HPR Abroad | June 21st, 2017

By Kaycee Boe and Rachel Levy

Carrol Juven, 80, enters the Radisson Blu hotel in Oslo, Norway with a bright red jacket and a walking stick and greets his long-time friend Karl Nyland. This is Juven’s 154th trip to Norway, and the Radisson is his favorite hotel.

Juven is the operator of Juven Tours and Travel Inc., a Fargo-based travel agency that hosts Americans on Norwegian cultural tours.

He started his travel company in 1966, when he would charter flights for the Sons of Norway. By 1985, the small program he started had turned into a full-fledged travel agency. According to Juven, he guides tours every two weeks and has brought over 47,000 people on these trips.

The tours specialize in connecting travellers with their family members in Norway. All they need is your name and birthdate.

“You can’t imagine what a gratifying experience it is for them, and for us who find the families for them,” Juven said.

Juven himself was born in Fargo, but his family is from Hallingdal, Norway. Anyone who meets Carrol can quickly see his passion for the north. He is even a past president and 50-year member of the Sons of Norway, which is a fraternal organization made up of men and women of Norwegian descent.

“The organization’s goal is to preserve, maintain, and perpetuate the Norwegian culture, and celebrate all of the benefits of travel and social life within the organization,” Juven said.

He also loves of Norwegian food, including goat cheese and potato dumplings. According to Juven, the food is an important part of the culture, and a focal point for many Sons of Norway events.

As someone who spends plenty of time in both Norway and the United States, he recognizes the differences between the two countries. The most prominent difference is the way religion is handled. “Only two percent of people in Norway go to church but they all belong to the church,” he said.

According to the official website “Statistics Norway,” currently 71.5 percent of Norwegians belong to the Lutheran-affiliated state Church of Norway. Catholics make the second largest group of religiously affiliated Norwegians at just 2.9 percent.

Juven also said that for many Norwegians the language is an important difference. Most Norwegians speak fluent English, however most written material in Norway beyond tourist information is only found in the Norwegian language. Since Juven speaks and reads both English and Norwegian, he said the language barrier isn’t an issue for him.

While Juven makes many trips to Norway each year, he has also visited and loved many other countries. To date, Juven has visited 98 countries on five continents. One of his favorite trips is New Zealand in the summertime.

Juven Tours and Travel also provides trips from Norway to the United States, and that is where he met a longtime friend. Karl was on one of Juven’s agriculture tours in North Dakota when they first met and they’ve been friends ever since.

“I was one of the first Americans Karl ever met,” Juven said.

Now, Karl visits the United States one or two times a year, every year, to see Juven and attend Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota. Karl can’t speak English well, so Juven translates for him.

“He likes to come to the Minot fest,” Juven said. “He likes to hear the entertainers that are there from all over the world. He goes with me every year.”

Karl also likes to visit the massive American farms, especially during harvesting season.

Juven has no plans to slow down. He is guiding his family on a Norwegian tour to celebrate his 60th wedding anniversary in August. “So the kids, three of them, and their spouses and the grandchildren are all coming here, and my wife and I are taking care of it,” Juven said.

Juven will continue to guide regular tours both before and after his family’s visit.

“I have no intention of retiring,” Juven laughs. “Karl is retired, but I’m not old enough yet.”

Juven will be back in Norway on June 19, 2017, with his 155th tour. Radio personality Scott Hennen and his family are joining Juven on the trip. 

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comDairy Queen restaurants across the country will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals during Miracle Treat Day on Thursday, July 31. At least one dollar from every Blizzard…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comFM Pride Week returns to the Fargo-Moorhead metro August 3-10. A snapshot of events are listed below. Discover event descriptions and locations as well as volunteer opportunities online at…

Monday, August 11Fargo Theatre, 314 N. Broadway, Fargo “Saw The Musical” premiered Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2023, parodying the events of the first “Saw” film. It has been described as “a love story with fluidity (and…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…

By Ed Raymondfargogadly@gmail.comNotes about terror, tyranny, torture, freedom, laws, lies, and truthWhen Vice President Mike Pence needed an answer to a question about the 2020 presidential election that might end American…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Cinephiles and fans of classic midcentury Hollywood biography will find much to appreciate in Mariska Hargitay’s insightful documentary “My Mom Jayne.” As protagonist Olivia Benson on…

Press ReleaseTouchmark at Harwood Groves will host a special artist reception featuring renowned glass artist Jon Offutt on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. in the community’s auditorium. The event celebrates Offutt’s temporary…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comCaregivers for school-aged children and teenagers are encouraged to bring them to back-to-school immunization clinics scheduled for every Tuesday in August. Fargo Cass Public Health (FCPH)…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…