Mary Savage

My favorite "On-the-Cheap" things to do around Lake Country... (This list is subject to change) Note: While driving around really isn't cheap, I drive a Honda Civic so the cost of transportation still isn't too high.

Go Fishing. Grab a pole and some leeches - there are so many public places to fish you don't really need a boat (though that's the best way to see Lake Country). 50+ inch Muskies are caught by the Dairy Queen (from out of the Mississippi River) on Washington Streetin downtown Brainerd! The Bar Harbor dock in Lakeshore is one of my personal favorites.

Have a Picnic and a Walk around the Northland Arboretum in Brainerd. What a treasure-- and I can usually do it without being too late at lunch time! (If I don't spend too much time finding four-leaf clovers).

Bike the Paul Bunyan Trail. It's very cool riding along the old railroad tracks seeing Nature recover the road. No cars (except at the highway intersections) and during the week you can go for miles without seeing another person. Be careful of the deer and the rollerbladers, though, I swear they purposely jump out in front of bicycles!

Canoe at Crow Wing State Park - more Mississippi River. If you don't have a canoe or want to rent one, exploring the trails and area around there is really neat. It's a crossroads - and a crossrivers - where all kinds of people met, lived, traded, fought, partied... a place with incredible energy still today.

Ice Skate at Mill Park. The ball field is flooded for us casual skaters, with lights and a warm building with pop machines and bathrooms! The hockey rink is separate for the more rollicking crowd.

Cross Country Ski at French Rapids - The trails are groomed -- and the trails are wild! I practice up at the Northland Arboretum before venturing out here in the winter.. Bring on the Snow! PS. Don't try it at night!

Lum Park, Brainerd - Play on the toys, run in the open spaces or down the hill to Rice Lake (Mississippi River), or just sit under the tall, beautiful pines. You can't go wrong with this place - there's a pavilion to hide under if it rains on your picnic, frisbee golf, a beach, a fishing pier, a boat landing, and, again, bathrooms.

Pillsbury State Forest This was established in 1900 and is Minnesota's first state forest! It's beautiful here. Climb the hill behind Ski Gull to where the fire tower used to be for a really great view--also at the end of the road is some public land on Gull Lake and a secluded picnic spot.

Beaching It. I love beaches- sunshine, a good book, a bag of popcorn & a cold brew... ahh, heaven. Whipholt on the south shore of Leech Lake is my favorite public beach in the area. The north end of Mille Lacs Lake and Pelican Beach follow closely at second and third.

Dancing. I love live music. The Blue Ox, downtown Brainerd, gets pretty loud, but is sometimes good for rock & roll and is usually good for some cheap entertainment. Good music comes to the area quite often - another positive result of the Tourism culture we entertain here. Just this weekend there's Cajunfest in Walker, a Bluegrass festival in Pine River, and free concerts in Staples and Crosslake. Just make sure and be/get a sober driver for the night, though, or the saying I heard recently, "Breezy Point: come for vacation, leave on probation" may end up applying to you!

Cheers,

Mary