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June 29, 2016 This newsletter is brought to you by Pedal Minnesota. 10 great ways to celebrate the Fourth of JulyYou'll find parades, powwows, picnics, patriotic music and, always, fireworks.
Over the Fourth of July holiday, every town worth its salt holds a celebration. There are band concerts, parades with antique cars and cute kids dressed in red, white and blue: It's all good. Yet some celebrations are a little more special than others. And this is a special year if you love our neighbours to the north: Canada Day is on Friday and the Fourth of July is on Monday, so you can bookend your weekend with two sets of fireworks. Best bets for the weekendEscape the crowds on a tranquil peninsula.
It's the biggest weekend of summer, and if you don't have a reservation, it will be tough to get one. With one exception: Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Its west corner is farther from Detroit than Washington, D.C., and hordes from the east have to cross one of the world's longest suspension bridges. So it remains wonderfully peaceful, and it has lots of campgrounds, many of them first-come, first-served. We love the Keweenaw Peninsula, gateway to Isle Royale. The college town of Houghton was the sole Midwest choice on Smithsonian's 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2016, which called it "a four-season destination for tourists looking for an off-the-beaten-path outdoor escape." You'll travel the U.P. on both the Circle Tour of Lake Superior, notable for refreshingly cool breezes, and the Circle Tour of Lake Michigan, which has miles of gorgeous sand beaches. Another trick to getting a last-minute reservation: Try to get a room not on the lakeshore, but in ski resorts that are just inland and overlooked in summer. You can stay in your own house and still get away. Pick one of these great day trips from Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and the Twin Cities. And it's a big weekend for music festivals under other names. In Oshkosh, Sawdust Days features music on three stages, one of them the Sabor A Mexico. West of Chicago in Naperville, Ribfest features musicians on three stages, including Sheryl Crow, Lee Brice and 3 Doors Down. Next door in Lisle, Eyes to the Skies Festival is known for hot-air balloons but also has music on two stages. Next weekendBelly up to fests for sampling and competitive eating.
National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Mich. This Lake Michigan town features air shows, an arts fair, music, races, the big Cherry Royale Parade July 9 and many contests, including pie-eating and pit-spitting. July 2-9. Taste of Chicago. The free festival in Grant Park offers lots of food and music, including headliners the Decemberists, Billy Idol and the Isley Brothers. July 6-10. Winnipeg Folk Festival in Winnipeg. This easy-going, family-friendly festival features performers, food and hand-made art from around the world, plus a fun play area for children. July 7-10. Karl Oskar Days in Lindstrom, Minn. The festival in this Swedish town just north of the Twin Cities features Friday fireworks, a car show and a parade at 6 p.m. Saturday. July 6-10. For more events, see our Events Calendar. (A word from our sponsor) Pedaling Minnesota on a mountain bike
With its bluffs, forests and river valleys, Minnesota was built for mountain biking. Most people have a trail almost in their back yard, from Grand Marais to the Twin Cities and Winona. Duluth is one of only six International Mountain Biking Association Gold-level Ride Centers, with more than 60 miles of trails following glacial beach terraces above Lake Superior. In the central lakes area near Brainerd, mountain bikers "shred the red'' on the ore-tinted Cuyuna trails, which weave past old mine-pit lakes. Cuyuna is one of only three Silver-level Ride Centers. And in the Twin Cities, a Bronze-level Ride Center, there are more than 85 miles of trails, some of the best less than three miles from downtown Minneapolis. There are dozens of races, but mountain biking in Minnesota also is for families and beginners, who can learn the basics at I Can Mountain Bike! programs, offered all summer at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. Want to try mountain biking in Minnesota? Here are seven great trails.
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