Welcome. We're your premier source for fun places to explore by bicycle or on foot. Offering guides, maps and articles on road and trail riding for the novice to seasoned cyclist - helping you find your #NextBikeAdventure
It’s ice cream smiles Sunday around the world. We hope with the latest snowstorm here in the upper Midwest, you can get out for a sweet treat. In this bike pic, from last summer, this biker couple found Two Scoops Ice Cream Shop in Anoka. Maybe it is time to start planning that #NextBikeAdventure, as spring and 30 Days of Biking will soon be here.
So, adjust to the warmer temps and 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, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.
Thanks for viewing today’s bike pic
Now rolling through our 20th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can 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]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.
As we continue encouraging 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 in our 15th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.
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. With one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun, we may be around the corner. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.
Each time you ride your bike, stop for some ice cream and get rewarded by having your Minnesota Scoop punch card. Eating ice cream is so delicious, and enjoying well-crafted ice cream is its own reward, but the Minnesota Office of Tourism has sweetened the pot. If you are looking at adding some tasty fun to your next bike or outdoor adventure this summer and love ice cream this reward is for you.
On this bike pic Sunday we found this biker chick enjoying a tasty treat.
Once you’ve completed your Minnesota Scoop punch card, submit your entry below for a free Minnesota Scoop t-shirt. Plus, you can register for a chance to win grand prize travel packages all across the state. Prizes available include weekend hotel stays across the state, museum tickets, and restaurant gift cards. You could wrap up your summer enjoying a weekend away that’s uniquely Minnesota.
This Bike Pic, Ice Cream Smiles Sunday, enjoy a sweet treat with friends – before, during or after your #NextBike Adventure.
Participating Minnesota Scoop Shops
You’ll find some funky flavors from participating ice cream shops across the state. Nearly 100 shops in Minnesota are participating, each creating a special #OnlyinMN creation. Here are a few of the special treats we have discovered along the trail while exploring the maps in the Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide:
Blast Softserve on Rose St. in Owatonna, pairs Costas Candies, with a special blend of their ice cream to create a #OnlyinMN treat. The combination of Costas’ Maple Buttercreme and creamy vanilla soft serve is worth a visit here to Owatonna.
CannonBelles in Cannon Falls, also offers some of the exotic, like Big Muddy and Black Licorice.
It’s always fun when riding in the Twin Cities Gateway to stop for ice cream.
How to get a punch card to get rewarded
When you enter a participating ice cream shop, pick up a punch card and get it stamped. Once you’ve visited one of the 100 shops five times (and yes, you can repeat the same shop), upload an image of your completed punch card here.
When out riding, with friends, stopping for a sweet treat!
After completing the punch card, you’ll get a free Minnesota Scoop t-shirt (they’re truly pretty fashionable). The T-shirts are limited to the first 500 claimants, so start your adventure ASAP!
In addition, you’ll be entered into the sweepstakes to win a grand travel package and other weekly giveaways. For example, you could win a hotel stay in the Twins Cities or the Iron Range, museum tickets, or restaurant gift cards. The sweepstakes entry period ends August 1.
Remember to eat ice cream while enjoying your favorite Minnesota outdoor activity, and get rewarded!
On this bike pic Sunday, we found this biker chick enjoying a tasty treat with her daughter.
Also, check back to HaveFunBiking.com each week for our Ice Cream Smiles Sunday Pic of Day. You may notice a smiling face and we invite you to submit your photo’s to [email protected].
At the confluence of the Rum and Mississippi Rivers, discover Anoka, with fun at every turn along its scenic bike loop. With its river city charm and designated the ‘Halloween Capital of the World’ this bicycle-friendly community in Minnesota is a place to explore. Riding your bike on the scenic bike loop you will discover several river-front parks and historic neighborhoods. A part of the nine Twin Cities Gateway communities, in the north suburbs of the Twin Cities. You will find over 250-miles of connecting trails to enjoy. The perfect destination to visit with your bike.
The Anoka 10-mile bike loop is an adventure for all skill levels of riders.
The scenic Anoka bike loop
For this bike ride, we will start at the Gathering Place Bandshell along the river. It’s located on the east bank of the Rum River, a block west of Ticknor Hill Bed & Breakfastin Akin Riverside Park.
It’s fun riding parts of the Mississippi River Trail while in Anoka.
Traveling clockwise, the route begins by crossing over the river on the pedestrian bridge, then across Ferry Street. Now pedaling along Benton Street, you will find a picturesque lane in the Historic Whiskey Flats neighborhood, The street here is a part of the Mississippi River Trail (MRT). Soon you are on the actual trail pedaling into Mississippi River Community Park, at Kings Island.
Kings Island and park amenities
Signage along the trail as you enter Kings Island.
Arriving in the park you will find restroom facilities, a playground, and some extra trails and observation decks along the river to view nature’s settings here. On the east bank of Mighty Mississippi, the Kings Island section of the park incorporates the natural beauty of a wooded flood plain. Add to your fun by exploring the nature trails here. Along the walking paths that circles the island, view an occasional mix of wildflowers amongst riverside flora and fauna.
Up to River Bend Park on the Rum
Leaving the MRT, the Anoka 10-mile loop utilizes the trail along its northern route up through Anoka’s industrial area. After crossing Highway 10, notice the Regency Inn Hotel to your left. And those who prefer to shorten the loop to 6-mile should turn right and head east on Vista Way (see the printable Anoka Map for more details).
Back on the 10-mile loop pedaling north up to Bunker Lake Boulevard, and turn east. At the intersection of Saint Francis Boulevard (Hwy 47), you will find several rest stop options. Then, before crossing the Rum River check out River Bend Park. If you picked up a sandwich at the rest stop, this is a perfect place to stop and view the river while enjoying your lunch.
After crossing the bridge over the Rum River, another option is to stop at the Rum River Library or the Anoka Nature Preserve. Looking east, notice the trail that crosses Bunker Lake Boulevard? That trail will safely get you up in the area of the library and nature preserve.
The Anoka Nature Preserve is a 200-acre passive recreational area with low maintenance, hard-packed roads, perfect for 2-lane off-road cycling, and hiking. At the trailhead here, north of the library, you will find a playground and a restroom option. The trails in the Preserve are perfect for off-road family riding. At the riverbank to the Rum, several paths lead to wildlife observation decks.
Following the flow of the Rum River back to Anoka
Now heading south along the east bank of the Rum River, the trail offers wildlife viewing opportunities at every turn. As you get closer to the inner city of Anoka the trail merges over to the bike lane on 4th Avenue and through the historic Cutterville and Wet Flats neighborhoods. Here the 6-mile loop joins from the west and the trail route resumes along the river.
The Anoka 10-mile bike loop is fun for all ages!
The historic downtown district of Anoka
As you approach four metal grain bins along the trail you are entering the north side of the historic downtown area of Anoka. Here you will find several delicious dining establishments and many historic points of interest. Also known as the Halloween Capital of the World, the city of Anoka becomes alive with festivities each fall. Now, before taking the river trail, under Main Street and back to the band Shell, check out the observation deck at the Rum River Dam.
Downtown, don’t forget to stop at Two Scoops for ice cream.
Here a family, coming out of Two Scoops Ice Cream Shop in Historic Downtown Anoka, smiles enjoying a summer treat. Anoka is one of nine bike friendly communities in the Twin Cities Gateway area.
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.
