’Tis the season and we’re all looking for great gift ideas for our outdoor-loving family and friends. If not for Christmas, keep these in mind for birthday gifts! These all start at or under $50 for an added bonus Living Squad Binoculars for Kids • $25.99 There’s so much to see in the outdoors. Binoculars …
If you follow Twin Cities Outdoors, you already love the outdoors. If you have kids, it’s natural for you to want them to love the outdoors, too. How do you raise them to do that? My husband and I have raised three children who are now in their 20s. We think they’re pretty great, and …
Stillwater/Washington County • Daily or annual park pass needed if you park in Pine Point The Gateway State Trail’s east end begins in Pine Point Regional Park, just north of Stillwater. This beautiful paved multi-use trail ends 18 miles away in downtown Saint Paul. Here’s the map for the section in Pine Point. The Gateway …
Read moreBiking in Pine Point Regional Park & Gateway State Trail
I personally saw my first electric bike a year ago, in Tel Aviv, Israel. I thought, “That’s not exercise, that’s cheating!” But after sitting down with Bjorn Selander, co-owner of Afton’s Velo du Nord, and receiving my short education on electric bikes—and especially after riding one—I’m now a believer! The Scoop on Electric Bikes Electric …
Airbnb, Vrbo and other short-term rental options are myriad. But when you’d rather be camping, great news—you can rent RVs too! A few creative folks developed Outdoorsy to match RV owners with potential RV users. The result is a nationwide network of potential camping trips. Genius! Maybe you own an RV that you only use …
Stillwater/Washington County • Daily or annual park pass needed Pine Point Regional Park has 5 miles of multi-use trails, most of which are dirt or mowed grass. This peaceful park is also home to the east end of the paved Gateway State Trail, which is open to foot traffic as well as bikes. Highlights of …
Saint Paul/Ramsey County • No fee Crosby Farm Regional Park—indeed an old farmstead—offers almost seven miles of wooded, prairie and waterside trails just minutes from 35E and downtown Saint Paul. First, What I Didn’t Like I’ll admit my first impression of the park wasn’t high when I visited the restroom first thing. It had standing …
New in 2019 is Velo du Nord—a small locally-owned Afton business with an interesting combination of cycling, massage, homemade waffles and coffee! Most of us don’t automatically match those four things up together. But for co-owners Bjorn Selander and Sarah Engen, the combination is perfectly natural. Their ideas came out of their personal history and …
Taylor’s Falls/Chisago County to Osceola Landing • Daily or annual state park pass needed if you park at Interstate State Park This stretch of the St. Croix River—Taylor’s Falls down to Osceola Landing—is one of the most beautiful rivers to kayak or canoe in Minnesota. About the St. Croix River The St. Croix, combined with …
Sandstone/Pine County • State park daily or annual pass needed Banning State Park is just under 100 miles from either downtown Minneapolis or downtown Saint Paul. This 6,200-acre park is bisected by the beautiful Kettle River and hosts 17 miles of forested hiking trails. We followed the Quarry Loop Trail along the river, then headed …