Romps

There's something about the holidays and trains that go hand-in-hand. You can clearly see the connection in the current issue (November/December 2011) of Lake Country Journal—

Deep Portage is a 6,300-acre outdoor (and indoor!) classroom available year-round to all who would like to visit. As stated on the website, "Located in Central Cass County, Deep Portage is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit residential environmental education/outdoor recreation center.

No matter what your taste in music, there seems to be something for everybody in Lake Country's upcoming slate of performances. Check out these concerts and you're sure to find something to enjoy.

Grassroots Concerts, held at the Live Well Nightclub and Coffee Bar at Journey Church in Nisswa, offer live performances in an intimate setting.

Just in time for Halloween, the Children's Theater presents "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," based on the book by Washington Irving, at the Duluth Playhouse, 506 W. Michigan Street.

This may be the most beautiful time of year in Lake Country, and one of the best ways to experience it is to take a tour of our area's many scenic byways.

Three Lake Country communities—Hackensack, Longville, and Walker—work together each fall to provide a variety of enjoyable experiences for their residents and guests. Foremost among their "Fall Has It All" activities are several arts-related events.

The 8th Annual Cuyuna Bicycle Ride is scheduled for September 10, 2011. The tour, which offers 30- and 60-mile rides, begins and ends at Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge, south of Deerwood on Highway 6. This recreational ride is for cyclists of all abilities. It is not a race.

During August, Brainerd's Tornstrom Auditorium will be filled with the strains of classical music. Performances of the Lakes Area Chamber Music Festival are scheduled throughout the month, from Aug. 7 to the 21.

Summer is the busiest time for Minnesota State Parks—all sixty-seven of them, as mentioned in "Minnesota's State Parks," page 13 of the July/August 2011 Lake Country Journal Magazine. We're glad that the state government is again open for business, but you may need to do some research before heading out on the road, since the interruption in government services probably created a backlog

July is a favorite time to run in Minnesota's Lake Country. Through the next few weeks, there are runs and walks scheduled in many of our most popular and scenic destinations.

The upcoming holiday weekend is full of opportunities to get out and stretch your legs. Here are a few examples:

• Nisswa Firecracker Run July 2 in Nisswa