Travel Ideas by Author : Explore Minnesota

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Where to Go Zip Lining in Minnesota

Soaring through the air on a Minnesota zip line is the ultimate blend of adrenaline, adventure and excitement. Experience the thrill of the zip as you glide among tree tops and take in aerial views from the safety of your harness!

Bike the Grand Rounds

The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway is a 51-mile urban loop within Minneapolis that showcases a chain of lakes, the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Creek, tree-lined neighborhoods, and downtown sites and sights.

Winter Fat Biking in Minnesota

Fat bikes are making their way around Minnesota! If you haven’t seen them yet, they are probably not far from your local parks, trails, or bike shops. These incredible bikes with over-sized tires are giving a whole new meaning to the term "winter biking," especially in Minnesota.

'But I Thought Minnesota Was Flat'

Well, sure, parts of Minnesota are flat. But that hasn't stopped our state from becoming one of the best mountain biking destinations in the world. Clip in and check out these epic trail systems.

8 Reasons You Need A Fat Bike Vacation This Winter

Because your Netflix account needs a vacation, too.

Get Pumped for Bike Month: 5 Unforgettable Minnesota Bike Trips

Ride somewhere you’ve never been this Bike Month.

Park Your Bike at These Twin Cities Attractions

For bike lovers visiting the Twin Cities, planning your vacation can hard - there's almost too much to see! This guide highlights businesses that prioritize bike parking and helps visitors find bike-friendly businesses of all kinds.

Ten Must-Visit Destinations On U.S. Bicycle Route 41

U.S. Bicycle Route 41 spans an epic 325 miles between St. Paul, Duluth, and the North Shore. For a truly great Minnesota bicycle tour vacation, visit these destinations along the way.

24 Hours of Bike Vacation Bliss in Rochester

Rochester is broadly known for the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, but you don’t need to be checked-in to check out this extraordinary Minnesota bike-vacation destination. The Med City has a robust network of bike trails, Minnesota’s newest bike-sharing system, and enough bike-friendly restaurants, breweries, museums and public plazas to satisfy all your vacation desires. Biking in Rochester reveals a city full of world-class urban amenities without the complications, long lines and high costs of a bigger city. So grab your helmet and follow us on a whirlwind 24 hour bike-vacation in Rochester!

Winter Road Biking in Minnesota

These winter biking tips are designed to keep your road bike where it belongs - on the road.

16 Essential Minnesota Winter Bike Events

Take winter by the handlebars with these essential Minnesota winter bike events.

Bike-Friendly Lodging in Minnesota Has You (and Your Bike) Covered

Your bike deserves a vacation too. Treat yourselves to a stay at a bike-friendly Minnesota lodging. By committing to bike-friendly policies and perks, these unique places to stay are sure to get any bike tourist pumped.

US Bike Routes in Minnesota: 1,000 Miles of Adventure

Stop dreaming and start riding. These two bicycle routes cover 1,000+ miles of roads and trails in Minnesota, connecting some of our state's finest natural wonders and cultural landmarks.

5 Incredible Bike Rides in Northeast Minnesota

Whether you're biking the paved lakefront trails in the bustling port city of Duluth, mountain biking in an abandoned iron mine or bikepacking the Superior National Forest, bicycling in northeast Minnesota is an experience unlike any other: a rare hodge-podge of beauty and grit, mines and mountains. Across the region, these five unique bicycling experiences are waiting for you.

Six Unforgettable Bicycling Experiences in Southern Minnesota

Spend any amount of time biking in Minnesota and you’re sure to hear stories about riding through the Mississippi River Bluffs, or suffering through the Almanzo 100 gravel race – two of southern Minnesota’s most unique biking experiences. But they’re far from the only must-ride experiences in the region. Thanks to its diverse landscape and unique bike trails, people biking in southern Minnesota enjoy unparalleled opportunities for adventure. From punchy gravel hills, to Great Plains farmland that stretches endlessly toward the horizon, to the driftless region’s rolling bluffs and valleys, bicycling in southern Minnesota is an experience unlike any other.

Four Unbelievable Bicycling Experiences Only Found in the Minnesota Heartland

Like the many smaller rivers and streams that run together to form the mighty Mississippi, the Minnesota Heartland is an impressive confluence of elements. It's where the hardwoods meet the prairie, home to many of our 10,000 lakes, and where the world-famous Mississippi River begins its long trip south. And linking it all together, scenic bike trails weave around crystal lakes and over wooded hills, providing many miles of paved and off-road adventures.

21 Essential Minnesota Summer Bike Events

From leisurely bike strolls to epic mountain bike adventures, there are enough summer bicycling events in Minnesota to cure even the strongest case of wanderlust. Push your legs to the limit on the grueling Lutsen 99er, or enjoy a family-friendly ride around Lake Bemidji during the Loop the Lake Festival – however you like to ride, there's always something happening in Minnesota. The only thing you won't find in Minnesota this summer is a dull moment.

5 Picture-Perfect Long Weekend Bike Trips

Planning the perfect long weekend bike trip is a delicate thing. If your destination is too far away, you’ll spend the whole trip just getting there; if it’s not far enough from home, it barely even feels like a vacation. To make planning your trip a little easier, we put together this list of fun, three- to four-day bike trips in Minnesota. They’re perfect for your next long holiday weekend (or even just your next “sick day”).

Bike Camping 101: The Sakatah Singing Hills Trail

For a beginner bike camping trip in Minnesota, it’s hard to beat this three-day itinerary of the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail. You’ll ride approximately 25-30 miles per day on the flat and shaded trail that extends from Mankato to Faribault. And when you’re not riding, there’s plenty of built-in downtime to explore the trail towns and Sakatah Lake State Park, where you’ll be camping.

Bikepacking in Minnesota: Getting Lost & Finding Adventure

It’s not hard to see why bikepacking—like minimalist backpacking, but on your bike—has exploded in popularity over the last couple of years. It’s overnight, self-supported bike camping, riding primarily on low-maintenance forest roads, logging trails, gravel and singletrack—everything you love about backpacking, plus the extra speed, distance and thrill of a bike trip.

Five Great Trails for Fall Biking

From the sound of leaves crunching under bike tires, to the fireworks of fall colors bursting from branches as you pedal, it’s easy to see (and hear) why fall biking in Minnesota is so popular.

Ride Your Bike to These Minnesota Apple Orchards

The only thing more Minnesotan than a fall trip to the apple orchard? Riding your bike there.

10 Minnesota Pumpkin Patches for a Family Adventure

Your family will love exploring these 10 unique Minnesota pumpkin patches.

Ice Climbing in Minnesota: More Chess Than Chest-Bumps

Although ice climbing may seem like an extreme sport, climbers describe the activity as meditative and deliberate. Begin your ascent by attending one of Minnesota's annual ice climbing festivals.

See the Northern Lights in Minnesota

Learn how to photograph the northern lights, discover #OnlyinMN stargazing spots and plan your next out-of-this-world vacation in Minnesota.

Minnesota's Tiniest Towns are Full of Big Surprises

If there’s one presiding truth about vacation, it’s this: The worse your cell phone service, the better your mood. As your signal fades into nothing more than a distant memory, you’re free to bask in the simple pleasures found in your destination of choice—in this case, Minnesota’s smallest towns.

Seek Out These Stellar Minnesota Museums

The 3-by-2 foot Smallest Museum in St. Paul may be Minnesota's most notably hidden-in-plain-sight exhibition, but it's in good company. Minnesota is full of hidden gem museums; you just need to know where to look.

Pedal from Capitol to Canada on the North Star Route

Passing through a cross-section of Minnesota geography and cultures, the 315-mile North Star Route (USBR 41) brings riders from metropolitan St. Paul to the bustling port city of Duluth, along the rocky North Shore of Lake Superior, and ends at Minnesota’s highest waterfall, High Falls of the Pigeon River, along the Canadian border.

The Ultimate Guide to Twin Cities Pride

With an estimated 400,000 annual attendees, Twin Cities Pride is the nation’s third-largest free Pride festival. The 2018 Twin Cities Pride Festival will take place June 23-24 in Minneapolis.

Fall Colors & Family Fun on Minnesota's North Shore

It’s always worth visiting the North Shore, but in September and October, the region transforms into a truly magical destination that practically insists on becoming your annual vacation spot.

From Smorgas to Larb: Minnesota Food Culture Has Diverse Origins

For those who truly want to understand a community, culture and cuisine, you can’t beat a cooking class. From classes on Sweden's ubiquitous open face sandwich, "smorgas," to the unofficial national dish of Laos, "larb," Minnesota's food origins are as diverse as they are delicious.

Winter Fat Biking in Cuyuna

The now-dormant iron ore mines at Cuyuna were once the region’s main economic engine, and in a roundabout way, they still are. Although the mines closed for good back in 1984, over the past 10 years something unexpected happened. Something magical. The mines were reborn as mountain bike trails and, once again, they beckoned people to Cuyuna.

Get Hooked on Minnesota Ice Fishing

Even though some anglers still enjoy dragging a bucket onto the ice to drop a line, the metal bucket nostalgia of your youth is hardly representative of the modern ice fishing experience. Today’s ice fishing trips tell an entirely different—and much warmer—story.

Explore Minnesota's Best of 2018

2018 was a huge year for Minnesota. We hosted Super Bowl 52, celebrated our state's 160th birthday and welcomed millions of travelers from every corner of the map—including one rambunctious raccoon who extended her vacation into a residency. So before moving on to new adventures in the new year, be sure to take a look back at Explore Minnesota's most-viewed content of 2018.

6 Must-Do Music and Art Festivals in Winona

Whether you’re a fan of bluegrass, indie rock, symphonies or Shakespeare, there’s never been a better time to visit Winona. So call some friends, pack your bags, and discover one of the Midwest’s most surprising art scenes.

Explore the Mountain Bike Trails at Cuyuna

Your Guide to Allianz Field, Home of Minnesota United FC

Your guide to the Minnesota United's new home in St. Paul, Allianz Field: how to get there, what's in the neighborhood and what to expect at the game.

The Perfect Fall Bike Ride Around Lake Minnetonka

Colors bursting from branches, cool air wafting off the lake, charming small town main streets—biking the 40-mile loop around Lake Minnetonka is everything good about fall in Minnesota wrapped up in a tidy, close-to-home bow.

Take a Fall Drive on the Lake Mille Lacs Scenic Byway

Driving around Lake Mille Lacs has long been a popular activity for Minnesota travelers, but its designation as a Scenic Byway cements its reputation as one of Minnesota’s top fall color drives.

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