Tag Archives: Brainerd Lakes Area

Bike Pic July 02, heat relief on ice cream smiles Friday!

This hot bike pic Friday, here is a family enjoying an ice cream treat, along the Paul Bunyan Trail near Nisswa, MN in the Brainerd Lakes Area. This trail stretches 120 miles from Brainer/Baxter up to Bemidji.

Get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking Destinations. An now, check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic  

Now rolling through our 16th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, our goal is to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where it was shot? Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 13th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends, and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day, with a safe, memorable 2021!

The Time of Your Life biking at Madden’s

Emily Stocker, HaveFunBiking.com

I remember watching Dirty Dancing when I was young and wondering if resorts similar to the one that Baby and Johnny fell in love at actually existed. Surprise! They do and Madden’s on Gull Lake  took me back to the first time I watched the movie. It’s the perfect place to go for your next family bike adventure.

Biking along the trail in front of Madden's Driving Range, near Brainerd, MN.

A family bike outing along the trail in front of Madden’s Driving Range, near Brainerd, MN. is always fun.

 

Located in the Brainerd Lakes Area, you will find many bike trails, north woods sights, and fun activities around the resort that the whole family will enjoy. So grab your bike and cue “The Time of My Life.”

 

Biking through Beauty

Located a few miles away from the Paul Bunyan Trail, I found Madden’s the perfect place to stay and experience a variety of biking activities and more. Around the Resort, or on the Paul Bunyan Trail, you and your bike will roll along the picturesque pine forests skirting around the pristine lakes along the way. Mountain bikers can ride the nearby Pillsbury State Forest trails or take a short drive over to the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area for some of Minnesota’s premier riding opportunities. The mountain bike trail in Cuyuna offer miles of fun for all levels of riders.

Riding the red dirt trails of the Cuyuna Trails, just East of Brainerd, MN.

Riding the red dirt trails of the Cuyuna Trails, just East of Brainerd, MN. turned out to be fun for a first-timer.

 

As a beginner, I hopped on a bike to experience the red dirt trail for myself.  While I have to admit mountain biking isn’t my favorite cup of tea, the scenery on the trail made the experience fun.

 

Other Activities at Madden’s

A little shuffle board challenge to end a perfect day of activities at Madden's.

A little shuffleboard, croquet, or horseshoe challenge is the perfect way to end the days activities at Madden’s Resort.

 

Then, back at Madden’s, stop at the spa for a massage after a long day of riding the bike trails. Or play a game of croquet on the only official course in the area. If you would like to take a day off of biking, then Madden’s is sure to keep you entertained. Make a tee time for Madden’s Classic or one of their other two 18 hole golf courses. Perhaps go with the Social Nine with the kids for the day. Also, with sandy beaches all around the resort, enjoy a swim in the lake or head to Marina. Here they will set you up with something sure to keep your adventure going. You can get a kayak, canoe, paddle boat, stand-up paddle board, or even a paddle bike to take on the lake. If you’re feeling adventurous, then water skiing lessons are available at Madden’s Ski School.

 

Madden’s Lodging Accommodations

 

There is a multitude of options everywhere you look at Madden’s, especially when it comes to deciding where to sleep. From the Madden Inn to the Golf Villas, each has their own facet of luxury. For early risers, enjoy a cup of coffee while soaking in the view from the Sunrise Villas. If you are more of a night owl, then have a glass of wine and take in the breathtaking sight in the Sunset Villas. I stayed in the new Voyageur Suites where each suite has a spacious bathroom and beautiful private patio. The patio was great to enjoy the sunset views of the lake. Sleeping on that King Size bed in the room had to have been one of the best nights of sleep I’ve ever had. Especially after a long day of exploring the trail and resort activities.

At Madden's you will always find a helpful smile, like when placing an order for a fresh-baked lunch or dinner at Parfecto Pizza at the resort.

At Madden’s you will always find a helpful smile, like when placing an order for a fresh Parfecto Pizza at the resort.

 

While I can’t promise that you’ll find love or get better at dancing, I can assure you that you’ll find something to love on and off the bike trails when staying here at Madden’s. It’s the perfect place for your Next Bike Adventure.

Bike Pic July 8, ice cream smiles Friday!

Enjoying an ice cream treat at Madden’s Resort on Gull Lake, after a bike ride on the trails around Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes Area. Madden’s is a full-service resort offering access to all the local bike trails, challenging golf courses, water sports, fine dining, and more.

Find many more bike 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 source, 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 cameras 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 June 30, fat tire adventure and a whole lot more!

 

A bike adventure in the Brainerd Lakes Area gets better, especially when you head to Madden’s Resort afterwards for more fun. Here Emily Stocker from HaveFunBiking.com is on her fatty touring the Area – ready to explore all the amenities at Madden’s on Gull Lake.

MN Bike Guide

Find many more bike 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 source, 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 cameras 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!