Category Archives: News

Bike Pic March 18, ice cream smiles Friday!

Here John Escritt, on his bike, makes a stop on a Hiawatha Bicycle Club (HBC) ride for one of his favorite afternoon treats, ice cream.

See more places to ride and enjoy ice cream in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic March 16, riding safely on city streets

Here Jeff Milbauer, with Valley Bike & Ski, in Apple Valley, MN and a League of American Bicyclist Instructor (LCI) with the Bike Alliance of Minnesota is giving this young cyclist a few pointers on riding safely on streets.

See all the MN LCI’s in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide, on page 72.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

A grassroots bike event to expand the Cuyuna Lakes trails

The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew (Crew) a chapter of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) recently announced their upcoming grassroots fundraiser #ForCuyuna to expand the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails. The goal of the #ForCuyuna event is to raise $132,000 in one evening. A hundred percent of these dollars will be immediately matched by the Hallett Trust matching grant and be earmarked, for the design and construction of a 10-mile backcountry adventure trail in the Cuyuna Hills — Crow Wing County’s designated recreation land adjacent to the City of Cuyuna.

©AaronWHautala_4917b

Riding the red dirt of the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trail, north of Crosby, MN. – photo by Aaron W. Hautala

Aaron Hautala, volunteer president of the Crew stated, “I continue to be amazed how the red dirt trails of Cuyuna have positively impacted so many individuals and businesses both near and far from the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. This is a wonderful opportunity for citizens and businesses to invest in the continued expansion of the mountain bike trails in collaboration with the State of Minnesota.”

#ForCuyuna ― The Event, announced by the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew.

The fundraising event was first conceived by Ben Thuringer, Vice President and General Manager of Madden’s Lodge at Madden’s Resort, Brainerd, MN. Thuringer approached Hautala well over a year ago with this simple statement: “Cuyuna is a big deal for our area. At Madden’s, with our summer business, we do not have the ability to assist in maintaining Cuyuna’s mountain bike trails. However, we would like to do what we do best, host an event for Cuyuna to raise a significant amount of money for the trails.” At that moment, #ForCuyuna was born. The event was originally planned for 2015 and was placed on hold temporarily when wind storms blew through Gull Lake last July, 2015.

Hautala remarked, “When we started the #ForCuyuna fundraiser, many said we’d never raise $50,000. The good news is to date we’ve already raised over $264,000 (including match) and now we are purposefully placing the ‘fun’ in ‘fundraiser’ with the objective of raising an additional $132,000 in one night ($264,000 with the match).”

©AaronWHautala_Cuyuna2637

A family riding the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trail, north of Crosby, MN. -photo by Aaron W. Hautala

These funds will complement the Legislative request for $4.2 million in bonding to complete the Master Vision. “It is meaningful to the Legislature to show this type of local support,” said Judy Erickson, Government Relations consultant to the Crew. “It is exciting to have this type of local enthusiasm for a project as we enter the legislative session.”

The #ForCuyuna event agenda will cover two days, starting on Friday, June 3rd. The event kicks off with a 7p Red Bull deck party featuring DJ Indy at Madden’s. Saturday, June 4th, the event focus shifts to the red dirt and paved trails of Cuyuna. Members of the Crew will host free-to-join group rides for all skill levels. To learn more about each mountain and paved trail group ride please visit www.ForCuyuna.com. To rent a mountain bike or paved trail bicycle in advance, please contact Cycle Path and Paddle, in Crosby at: 218-545-4545.

Saturday evening shifts back to Madden’s on Gull Lake. The evening’s festivities begin at 5 p.m. with the Minnesota Craft Beer (and Moonshine) Experience featuring tastings from Jack Pine Brewery (Baxter), Gull Dam Brewing, (Nisswa), Disgruntled Brewing (Perham) and American Born Moonshine. Also scheduled, is a one-of-a-kind silent auction, a “health-first-minded” dinner, program, and live auction. The live auction will provide guests a chance to bid on prize packages, including a vacation at Madden’s on Gull Lake, a Raleigh gravel grinder bike, Ruttger’s on Bay Lake vacation weekends, and one year of yoga lessons by Holy Yoga in Crosby. Following the live auction, Jillian Rae will provide a live concert to close out the night in “Rockin-the-Red” style.

“It’s our honor at Madden’s to be able to host this event for Cuyuna. As the mountain bike trails continue to expand, so does our entire region’s tourism economy, and more importantly, our area continues to grow as a destination for 21st-century entrepreneurs and employees. This is community economic development through trails. We are so excited to be a partner in this future,” remarked Thuringer in a news release.

Hautala closed saying, “This event marks a unique opportunity. During my 4-plus year term as volunteer president of the Crew, I’ve consistently heard how cyclists and business owners want to expand the trails. Here’s the best opportunity each of us has to take expansion into our own hands. Every dollar we raise doubles. It’s time to take action. It’s time to invest in Cuyuna.”

Tickets for the event may be purchased online; please visit www.ForCuyuna.com. The Friday Night Red Bull Deck Party with DJ Indy is $25 to attend with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the #ForCuyuna matching grant. Limited individual seats for Saturday’s #ForCuyuna – The Event are $60 per ticket; tables of 8 may also be reserved at $560. $30 from every individual ticket and $320 from every table reservation goes directly to the #ForCuyuna matching grant. Madden’s is also offering weekend ‘ride-cation’ packages where the Friday and Saturday events can be combined with overnight lodging.

Print

#ForCuyuna poster shows two days of activities starting a deck party Madden’s Resort. Then Saturday, June 4th, event rides the red dirt and paved trails of Cuyuna.

The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew is a group of local volunteers who gives back to the trails and community by hosting events, conducting trail maintenance, fundraising, and promoting trail advocacy. The Crew’s vision is to become an international, year-round, family cycling destination. To learn more about the Crew visit www.CuyunaLakesMTB.com.

Questions please contact Aaron W. Hautala, Volunteer President of the Cuyuna Lakes Trail Association at: [email protected] or 218-851-6749.

Bike Pic March 15, 3-day weekend Bluff Country tour

Here Gregg Hedman is riding his bike in the driftless area and we bet he will be getting ready to ride the Root River Bluff & Valley Ride this summer, July 8, 9 & 10th, starting in Whalan, MN.

See more places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

MN Ironman Bike Sunday offers a special lodging deal

Only 41-days until the 50th Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride and here is your chance to extend your time in the scenic St. Croix River Valley with a special lodging package. Discover Stillwater has just announced some special lodging opportunities for those participating in this years ride. While available, you can explore the area over the weekend and start your Sunday morning bike ride earlier and more relaxed. Stillwater’s historic district is a culinary escape with over 30 independently owned restaurants and pubs along with boutiques, specialty shops, art galleries, and vintage finds.

HFB_1199Make it a Ironman weekend by exploring Stillwater’s historic downtown district, the local breweries and the new Brown’s Creek Bike Trail, with a 20% discount at the lodging prooerties below, for April 23rd or 24th, 2016. To receive this discount, mention ‘Discover Stillwater Ironman Deal’ upon checkout. This special rate is only good at the following lodging properties while rooms are available and is not valid with any other offer:

Lexington Inn
Rivertown Inn
Excelsior Escape
Water Street Inn
Alesci on St. Croix

Discover Stillwater… the 1848 Birthplace of Minnesota is a place where paddle wheel riverboats and gondolas glide the waters. Historic Main Street shopping, dining, lodging and entertainment are yours inside this charming river town. Plus, you will find, year-round there are so many things to do in Stillwater, Minnesota!

HFB_1297Enjoy all four seasons in Stillwater: Spring flowers blooming in the parks and along the bike trail; Warm summer air welcoming outdoor art fairs, restaurant patios, festival events, boating, and historic sightseeing; The robust colors of the bluffs in the Fall and crisp flavors of winery and brewery harvests; and winter days showcasing holiday boutique shopping, romantic winter escapes or vintage/antique shop browsing. Yes, Welcome to beautiful Stillwater minutes from the Twin Cities Minneapolis and St. Paul and just over the Lift Bridge from Wisconsin. Their bed and breakfasts, historic inns and many Stillwater hotels await your visit – A place you’ll want to come back again and again, to the place where it all began.

Stillwater, Minnesota has been voted as: America’s Most Picturesque Small Towns; Best American Towns for Fall Colors; Best U.S. Towns for Antiquing; Best Twin Cities Day Trips; Best Minnesota Weekend Getaway; America’s Prettiest Painted Places, and the Most Romantic City.

HFB_1321Plan your perfect Midwest bike getaway, romantic escape, corporate retreat or vacation in beautiful Stillwater, Minnesota! Enjoy your time in one of America’s Most Picturesque Small Towns (USA Today Travel, 2015) and Minnesota’s Birthplace.

For more information on restaurants, things to do, events, and places to stay visit in the St Croix River Valley see: www.DiscoverStillwater.com

Not matter what style of a bike you ride or your riding ability, the 50th Anniversary of the Minnesota Ironman Bicycle Ride is a great way to begin the 2016 summer riding season. Register by April 1st (no fool’n) and save!

Since its beginning in ’67 the Minnesota Ironman has been run by Hostelling International USA. A non-profit charitable organization devoted to promoting healthy recreation, international travel and cultural exchange. You can find out more about this organization at their web site: www.hiusa.org.

 

Bike Pic March 14, back on the bicycle!

Back on the bike! This group of cyclists enjoyed the 70 degree weather, Saturday, on the Greenway trail in Minneapolis, MN.

See more places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic March 13, family memories on their bikes

Here in the photo above is a young family, on their bikes, discovering new and familiar places to ride together that will create memories lasting a lifetime.

See more places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic March 12, thinking spring, mountain biking in Cuyuna

Here Aaron Hautala, President of the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails Association, is touring San Diego at a tourism conference last October, thinking of spring in Minnesota!

See more places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic March 11, ice cream smiles Friday

Making a stop on her bike at the local Ice cream shop in Mankato, this young cyclist favors a color of a cool treat flavor that just about matches the color of her hair. Located in the scenic Minnesota River Valley the Mankato area offers many fun bike riding and hospitality opportunities in the area.  A year round bike destination check out the fun at the Mankato River Ramble, October 11, 2016.

See more places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic March 9, a greener summer vacation

Take your bike with and make your next vacation greener. Photo shows tourists as they arrive in Grand Rapids, MN, prepared to park their vehicle and ride the forested roads and trails of northern Minnesota – saving gas and air emissions.

According to EPA’s emissions and trends, the number of vehicle miles traveled by passenger cars and light-duty trucks increased 35% from 1990 to 2013. In 2013, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation accounted for about 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second largest contributor of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions after the Electricity sector. With the continued trend in current transportation growth by 2020 those emissions rate are predicted to double. 

Consider using you vehicle and bike in tandem on your next vacation. See more friendly places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB). 

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices. 

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!