If you no longer want to receive e-mail from us, UNSUBSCRIBE from this mailing list.
 |
April 14, 2016
Hitting the trailsIn this part of the country, you can always find a great place to ride.
This is a bike-crazy part of the country. We like twisting singletrack, floating on fat tires and even gravel grinding — but we love our off-road touring trails. Luckily, we have more than anyone: Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin rank No. 1, 2 and 3 for miles of rails converted to trails, and Iowa and Illinois also are top-tier. Minnesota's trails are prized because they're paved, including the 121-mile Paul Bunyan State Trail. For more, see Bicycling in Minnesota. In Wisconsin, you can ride a trail most of the way between La Crosse and Milwaukee. For more, see Bicycling in Wisconsin. Michigan is quickly piling on new miles and building networks. For more, see Bicycling in western Michigan. In Iowa, 200 miles of trails surround Des Moines. For more, see Bicycling in Iowa. And Illinois has many touring trails, including the pioneering, 61-mile Illinois Prairie Path in Chicago's western suburbs. For the best by state, see 15 great trails to ride in spring. Best bets for the weekendGet outdoors to see cranes, cascades and parades.
Now that warmth has arrived, everything is busting a move — flora, fauna and fly fishermen. A week of free admission starts Saturday in national parks, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northwest Michigan, which celebrates with storm-spotting, yoga and a star party. In nearby Traverse City, pig out at Chocolate Festival. The area's famous cherry blossoms and morel mushrooms are just a couple of weeks away. The first wildflowers are everywhere, including the grounds of the International Crane Foundation, which opens for the season Friday and is organizing Saturday's Midwest Crane Count. The nature preserve near Wisconsin Dells is a stop on a spring Baraboo Hills road trip that also includes Aldo Leopold's shack and John Muir's childhood farm. Craft-beer aficionados will have a spring in their step as beer weeks start: in Milwaukee Saturday, followed by Madison April 29-May 8, Minnesota May 9-15 and Chicago May 19-29. In Chicago, the Greek Independence Day Parade is first of many neighborhood parades that also celebrate the independence of Ecuador, Pakistan and Mexico. With so many ethnic hubs, Chicago is a fun place to go globe-trotting or take a food tour any time. In northwest Illinois, Galena is celebrating U.S. Grant's birthday with appearances by the Civil War general and President Lincoln, too. Everybody loves Galena, and because everybody can be a lot of people, spring is a good time to enjoy it. Waterfalls are roaring on rivers up north, including along Minnesota's North Shore. But gushers also are found in Illinois' Starved Rock State Park, which is starting its spring Waterfall & Canyon Tours. If you're dying to get outdoors, sign up now for the May 19-21 Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival out of Ashland, Wis. It offers a great array of 112 programs and field trips by foot, bicycle, canoe, kayak and launch. Next weekendTake a scenic spring drive and visit artist studios, too. Bluff Country Studio Art Tour in southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. Visit artists in and around Winona, Lanesboro, Spring Grove and Harmony in Minnesota and Decorah in Iowa. April 22-24. Behind the Arts Studio Tour in Racine and Kenosha, Wis. Visit more than 75 artists at 45 studios, in Racine on Saturday and in Kenosha on Sunday. April 22-24. St. Paul Art Crawl in St. Paul.Tour the studios of more than 300 artists in 17 buildings in the Lowertown and downtown neighborhoods. April 22-24. Spring Outdoor Adventure Expo in Minneapolis. Get ideas for outdoor adventures at more than 120 presentations. There's also an auction of used canoes and kayaks. April 22-24. For more events, see our Events Calendar.
|
|
Home | Plan a trip | About Us | Privacy MidwestWeekends.com - A guide to travel in the Upper Midwest unsubscribe from this mailing list |