Pedaling Paradise

It's been two weeks since we arrived to Baker Park Campground to begin our month of "camp hosting". We are enjoying our evenings of hanging around the campground when "on duty". But it is our "off duty" time during the day that has been really fun, as we discover where all the bike paths lead. For, as you see, we have arrived in "pedaling paradise."

Often referred to as "the best bicycling city in America", Minneapolis boasts of over 83 miles of off-street bike trails as well as the many miles of bike lanes and bike-friendly roads. The trail that runs in front of our campsite leads to a six mile loop around a Baker Park Reserve lake and forest area. A ride around the preserve is a great way to relax and also prepare for the longer rides to come.

One of our first long rides was a 38 mile loop around Lake Minnetonka. Leaving from our campground, we pedaled out of the park on the Lake Independence trail and connected with the Luce Line trail. Doug's directions sometimes involve some interesting maneuvers in order to get the bikes over the highways!

Wayzata, our first stop, is a cute town on the north shore of Lake Minnetonka that provided the perfect refueling treat!

Our tanks full, we pedaled on following Doug's GPS directions past huge mansions and under busy highways. We connected with the Lake Minnetonka LTR Regional Trail that brought us into Excelsior for lunch on the lake at the Bayside Grille.

Utilizing some "bike friendly lanes", we were able to finish our loop while taking in the views of the beautiful homes and parks that surround the lake.

How about this one, Doug? The driveway appears long enough for the Wildebeest!

With the success of being able to find our way around some beautiful Minneapolis areas, we became "fair weather bikers", taking advantage of the nice weather to explore more miles of scenic trails. Some favorite rides included:

A loop around Medicine Lake in Plymouth, Minnesota,

A stroll around Lakes Harriet and Calhoun in Minneapolis with friends,

And a bike ride with our sons to one of Minneapolis' more famous breweries, Surly.

Some days we took longer trips cutting across Minneapolis on the Midtown Greenway,

And other days we just meandered down the path from our campsite to Lake Independence to enjoy a sunset.

Whatever our destination, we are enjoying the beauty of the journey ....

and the treats along the way!

Until next time ... treat yourself to some fun ... and enjoy the adventures in your life!

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