Tag Archives: Mississippi River Trail

The Art of Biking- all things Fridley

Emily Stocker, HaveFunBiking.com

The Mississippi River Trail (MRT) takes cyclists through the remarkable art communities that create the Twin Cities Gateway. One of these nine communities is the city of Fridley, MN just north of downtown Minneapolis. Here the community offers a one of a kind experience for art and bike lovers alike. From live theatre to a stunning gallery, everyone will feel inspired after taking a look at the creative scene in bike-friendly Fridley.

Banfill-Locke Center for Art

Enjoy the beautiful garden as you enter the the Banfill-Locke Center for the Art in Fridley.

Enjoy the beautiful garden as you enter the Banfill-Locke Center for the Art in Fridley.

Just off of the MRT the Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts makes a great rest stop on your bike ride. Stop in to cool off and admire the works in the gallery. Maybe pick up a gift for another art lover in their gift shop. If seeing all the collections inspires you, consider making the trip to Banfill-Locke regularly and sign up for a class. Find a class that would best fit your schedule, from a single lesson to an eight week workshop. The Banfill-Locke Center has classes in literary, visual, and self-discovery arts. The center also allows poetry enthusiasts to appreciate the art live by bringing in local poets.

The Banfill-Locke Center for the Art’s newest exhibit opens on July 30 with a reception open to the public. This new exhibition “Art of Darkness” features a variety of pieces all inspired by the paranormal. This exhibit will be open until August 27th.

Fridley Community Theatre

Come by bike or car the “Lady Pirates of Captain Bree” is a show you are sure, to not want to miss.

Along with wonderful art, Fridley also has a renowned community theatre. With three productions a year, the community theatre works hard to bring wonderful live theatre to its audience. For this year’s summer production the actors are grabbing their eye patches and are prepared for “The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree”. The show opened last weekend, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are three more shows this weekend. Watch the promo clip to get a taste of what to look forward to in the show on their website.

So bike on over to Fridley to get your fill of all things art.

A Fairytale Brunch Tied To Your Next Bike Ride

Emily Stocker, HaveFunBiking.com

Exploring Anoka on a recent bike ride, while lodging in Minnesota’s Twin Cities Gateway Area, I came upon a stately mansion with a fairytale brunch which peaked my childhood interest. Located along the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) this beautiful house, where the restaurant is located, caught my attention and imagination. Was this a dream? A reflection from my childhood reading of Alice in Wonderland?

I still remember a quote in the fairytale, “a dream is not reality, but who’s to say which is which.” – Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Dining Experience from a Fairytale

Pedaling my bike up the driveway of this historic mansion, this was a reality that I could experience. Tucked back along the river, The Mad Hatter is a restaurant that not only pleases your taste buds, but also your eyes. Occupying the historic and beautiful Woodbury House this is the perfect place for tea or brunch.

At any age, with superb entrees and desserts, guests will re-discover the child in them. photo- teapartays.blogspot.com

The dining room of the Woodbury house has a timeline of the previous owners hanging on the wall. Learn more about the history of the house while enjoying a cup of tea and perusing the brunch menu. With a variety of choices from french toast to burgers, you are sure to find something you’ll love here. While enjoying the delicious food and beverages, be sure to ask about tea parties. There is a few options to choose from including a children’s tea party at The Mad Hatter. Other party plans include the Queen of Hearts or Cheshire Tea Parties for a fun way to get together with friends and soak in the ambiance of this historic home.

After divulging in the desserts, such as Milk Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding, head up the stairs to browse through their gift shop. There you will find a selection of exquisite teapots and cups, some of which are even custom designed. Also you can find hats, jewelry, and (if you enjoyed the tea you had downstairs) they also have loose leaf tea available.

By bike or car, stop into The Mad Hatter when visiting the Twin Cities Gateway! They are open Tuesday through Sunday giving you a chance to make that childhood dream a reality.

Bike Pic July 1, ice cream smiles Friday!

After a hot day riding her bike the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota’s (BikeMN) Train & Trail Bike Ride last week, she had one last smile with an ice cream cone in hand. This annual ride meets along the river in Minneapolis, boards the North Star Commuter Rail to Big Lake, then rides the Mississippi River Trail back.

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!

A Mississippi River Trail bike loop in one of our National Parks

An experience you are sure to want share is biking along Ol’ Man River. Ol’ Man River is a National Park treasure you will discover while visiting the Twin Cities Gateway. If you are new to the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) system, this segment of the trail offers the perfect round-the-river bike loop with a 13 and 26-mile option. This is a great choice for nature lovers and families alike showcasing some of the best the river has to offer.

MRT Loop a part of the Mississippi River Recreation Area

In the middle of a bustling Minnesota urban setting is the scenic MRT. MRT is a part of the 72-mile Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service (NSP). The trail starts in the historic downtown area of Anoka (a Gateway City at the point where the Rum and Mississippi Rivers meet). Here, cyclists can consider a number of unique eating establishments, before or after their ride.

Touring this MRT Loop offers a chance to pedal through several parks, a national wildlife refuge, and along city streets. These streets are filled with stunning homes with beautiful landscapes. Beginning in historic downtown Anoka, the suggested route takes the East MRT Trail along the quiet city streets there. You will pass through the historic Christian Hill and McCauley’s Pond neighborhoods. Soon riders are cruising along a trail that parallels the local boulevard in the Gateway City of Coon Rapids. Then, along Mississippi Boulevard, a low traffic street that takes you to the Coon Rapids Dam, your first river crossing option.

Bike riding the Mississippi River Trail, in Twin Cities Gateway community of Coon Rapid, MN.

Coon Rapids Dam makes the perfect place for a picnic

Here, seven miles into the ride, you will find the perfect place to bring a picnic lunch or cross over the river, for the 14-mile loop. The dam, built in the early 1900’s, today offers some of the best bird watching in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The 446-acre park boasts an extensive trail system. This is great for bicyclists, roller-bladders, and hikers alike.

For those riding the 26-mile loop, continue along the MRT‘s East bank trail. You will be riding from one river community neighborhood to the next. Soon you are in the Gateway City of Fridley. This is the halfway point of your ride where you will head North after crossing the I-694/Mississippi River Bridge crossing. Now, on the West bank, the MRT takes you back up to the Coon Rapids Dam. Then, the trail continues up to Champlin, where the Loop crosses Hwy 169/Bridge into Anoka.

For more information on the MRT and the Twin Cities Gateway, click here.

Bike Pic May 28, visiting family and friends

Get out on your bike, this Memorial Day weekend and visit with your family and friends like these cyclists in Winona, MN.

See 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).

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!

Another chance to ride the Headwaters to Hills Bike Trip

Kerri Kolstad, Wahoo! Adventures

For the second year in a row, the Bicycl e Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN) will host the Headwaters to Hills Bike Ride, July 10-17, 2016. As the name suggests, the ride will start at the origin of America’s great river, the Mississippi River’s Headwaters, in Itasca State Park. As last year the tour follows the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) downstream, enjoying endless bluffs and greenery until reaching the Iowa border. Over the seven days you will have a chance to bike almost 500 miles on beautiful roadways, paths and trails, passing through several Minnesota cities large and small and some diverse state parks.

Headwaters to Hills Bike Riders posing with Paul Bunyan and Babe on the 2015 tour.

As part of Minnesota’s State Park’s 125th anniversary, the Headwaters to Hills Bicycle Tour takes you through six state parks, traverses two state bicycle trails and overnight at two state park campgrounds. All riders on the tour will also earn the 125th Anniversary Bike, Boot, and Boat Challenge badge.

The Headwaters to Hills bike ride full of fun Minnesota history,

In Hastings you’ll learn about a Civil War Veteran at the LeDuc Mansion. In Little Falls, we visit the birthplace of aviator Charles A. Lindbergh. And of course we can’t leave out Paul Bunyan and Babe his Blue Ox in Bemidji, or the home of Red Wing Pottery and Red Wing Shoes, or the always-stunning National Eagle Center in Wabasha. Of course there’s quirky history as well: the birthplace of waterskiing in Lake City or the Eelpout Capital of Walker, and even the fishing bobber water tower in Pequot Lakes!

Bike riders on the 2015 Headwaters to Hills Ride celebrate their accomplishments as they get close to the end, in Bluff Country.

Whether you are a Minnesota history buff, a cyclist fascinated by the Mississippi River and want to add some state parks to your “bucket list”, or just want to say you pedaled across Minnesota, the Headwaters to Hills ride has you covered.

Bike Pic May 3, gardens along the Mississippi River Trail

Riding your bike along the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) is always fun and tranquil, especially when making a stop at the Munsinger Clemens Gardens, in St Cloud, MN. Here enjoying the parks flora and fauna are, left, Collette Sulser, Rohanda and Jim Victorsen from the Hiawatha Bicycling Club making a stop at this special riverside park.

See 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 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!

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 April 28, a spring bike ride on the Mississippi River Trail

These two cyclists enjoy a spring bike ride in April along the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) in the Twin City Gateway Area of Minnesota.

See 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).

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 April 10, miles of smiles Sunday as the weather warms

Here Marcy Kelash, Sue Blum, Alan Wichman and Rita Wilczek, from the Hiawatha Bike Club, in the Twin Cities, enjoy riding together on the Mississippi River Trail as the spring winds gradually warm things up.

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).

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 8, riding the Mississippi River Trail

Bike riding the Mississippi River Trail, near Brainerd, MN, these ladies enjoyed the pine covered forests along the MRT route there.

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).

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!