Tag Archives: Disc golf

Visiting Ham Lake with plenty of bike-friendly roads and trails to enjoy.

Summer Or Winter Ham Lake Is A Perfect Place To Visit

by Andrew Ellis

Ham Lake is one of my favorite places to stay when visiting and biking in the Twin Cities Gateway Area. Getting around from here it is easy on my bike for summer fun and winter fat biking. It’s almost like there is a bike-friendly road wherever you go with wide paved shoulders That makes it easy to connect to the Gateway’s vast network of trails. It’s a great place to stay when you want to get out of the confines of your hotel room and explore. Only a few miles from all the other area attraction in the Twin Cities Gateway, Ham Lake offer several opportunities to check out when not exploring the trails and roads here. 

Willow Tree Winery

Not only do Minnesotan’s brew their beer, but they also make their own wine. Here in Ham Lake, you can get a taste of the local wine at a small winery in the spacious farmland of Ham Lake. At Willow Tree Winery you’re free to roam almost anywhere you choose. You can walk among the small vineyard that you’ll be able to see from the road, and if the vines look a little bare that’s because all of the bottling is done in the early fall. There plenty of places to sit down and relax while you sip from the local creations. You can also step inside the small tasting room that has wine bottles stacked and lining the walls, a couple of tables, TVs, and a small counter where the owner usually sits. It’s not a bad place to enjoy before you start riding again.

More Fun Activities In Ham Lake

Bike a half hour south and you’ll find many options including nine holes of disc golf at Bunker Hills Regional Park. You can also ride a little over a half hour north for more disc golf at Blue Ribbon Pines Disc Golf Course in East Bethel. And if you’re looking to try and bowl a perfect game check out Ham Lakes Lanes & Lounge that also features an arcade and food.

A few minutes away from Ham Lake is the Blue Ribbon Pines Disc Golf Course.

A few minutes away from Ham Lake is the Blue Ribbon Pines Disc Golf Course.

T-Box Bar & Grill

At some point, you’ll need fuel and T-Box Bar & Grill has plenty to satisfy your appetite. It’ got everything from wings and salmon to pizza and spaghetti. They even have a great wine and beer section to choose from as well as scotch, whiskey, and bourbon.

Ham Lake Snow Bowl

If you’re around in February, make sure to come by for the annual Ham Lake Snow Bowl on February 10th. It includes a scavenger hunt, ice fishing, local crafts and food, a sliding hill, and more.

Bring your fat bike, or rent one and come to the Annual Ham Lake Snow Bowl on February 10, 2018

Bring your fat bike, or rent one and come to the Annual Ham Lake Snow Bowl

So come and discover the amenities in Ham Lake for your #nextbikeadventure in the Twin Cities Gateway.

Explore the town on Blaine, with the largest amateur sports complex with bicycle racing, hockey, soccer, curling and disc golf to find the Olympian in you.

Twin Cities Gateway: Vacation Like an Olympian in Blaine, MN

By Andrew Ellis and Hayley Spalding, HaveFunBiking.com

Blaine is a city in the Twin Cities Gateway known for its sports. It’s home to the National Sports Center, the largest amateur sports complex in the world. The city has a hockey rink and many soccer fields. Plus, miles of trails and bike-friendly roads to all the other wonders of this north Twin City Metro Area.

You can also find Minnesota’s own velodrome, which regularly hosts bicycle races on Thursday evenings. You can also test out your skills and speed at designated times.

Test your Olympian skills in Blaine on Minnesota's only Velodrome track.

Test your Olympian skills in Blaine on Minnesota’s only Velodrome track.

There’s even more for the Olympian in you to try. From curling to disc golf, to miles of bike trails and road routes, there is no better way to explore all Blaine has to offer than riding your bike when visiting.

Four Seasons Curling Club in Blaine

You can’t experience the city like an Olympian without paying a visit to Four Seasons Curling Club. Many have caught the sport on TV and may be wondering if this sport is for them. At Four Seasons Curling, there are scheduled events throughout the year where you can learn the game of curling. There’s instruction followed by practice and friendly games to put your newly developed skill to the test. It’s an official Olympic training center so you’ll have the chance to catch professional games and learn more. If you can’t make it to one of the scheduled learning days, you can always call ahead for another time. Once you’re done, there’s a restaurant that overlooks the ice to share your experience with friends.

Disc Golf in Blaine

Once you have tried curling, head on over to Lochness Park to play around on the new disc golf course. It’s known as the longest nine-hole (baskets) course in the area. All of the holes have at least two tees and six of the holes have three tees. The natural scenery built around the course is superb.

The different colored tees are for different levels of difficulty. Blue is for professionals, red is for intermediate, and green for the novice and beginner.

Carol’s Restaurant Brings The Home Town Atmosphere To Blaine

At some point, you’re going to need to eat and replenish your body for the rest of the day. Carol’s Restaurant is an independently owned, old-fashioned diner-style eatery. It’s got a nice small town vibe with homemade bread and pies perfect for any meal. They even have a quaint gift shop that you can browse as well.

Blaine Festival Is A Special Event Worth Considering

You wont want to miss the annual-toe tapping Blaine parade, fun for the entire family!

You won’t want to miss the annual-toe tapping Blaine Parade, fun for the entire family!

If you decide to explore Blaine in June, you’ll be in the midst of a celebration over the weekend of the 23rd, 24th & 25th. It’s the annual Blaine Festival. Aquatore Park (corner of highways 65 & 10), showcases a wide variety of entertainment with something for everyone. It’ll be a great time for the family as it includes a carnival full of rides the kids will beg to go on, live music to tap your feet to, and more.

Blaine’s Trails and Road Routes

In the Twin Cities Gateway Community of Blaine, you will find paved trails and many bike-friendly roads with ample shoulders. Thanks to its spacious layout, the roads offer plenty of room for pedaling around the many streets that have sidewalks run along with them. If you feel like going a little further, the Bunker Hills Regional Park and Rice Lake Trail systems are easy to connect to.

So check out all of Blaine’s Olympian opportunities available in the Twin Cities Gateway.