The Nature Lover

Über Bike Tour:
Join the thousands biking and hiking the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis. Or head to the other side of the Mississippi to Hidden Falls Regional Park, off Magoffin Avenue near the Ford Motor Company, for plenty of trail options: Go east to Crosby Farm Regional Park. Distance: 6.7 miles. Highlights include Hidden Falls, flood plain forest, mixed oak woods along the bluffs, wetlands, a line of limestone and sandstone outcrops to the north, sandy Mississippi shoreline. Plus you can fish the big river or Lake Crosby. Or head north about two miles along Mississippi River Boulevard to the Ford Parkway Bridge and cross over to Minnehaha Regional Park and take in Minnehaha Falls, even a picnic. Another favorite: Midtown Greenway, running alongside a railroad corridor, connects the Mississippi River to the Chain of Lakes and finally to the Southwest Regional LRT Trail and another twenty-seven miles to Victoria.

Watch For These Birds:

Uncommon American Bittern (W) Northern Shoveler (L) American Woodcock (B) Forster’s Tern  (L) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (F) Cliff Swallow (C, U) Wood Thrush (F) Blue-winged Warbler (S) Northern Cardinal (F)

Common American Goldfinch (F, S) Great Blue Heron (W) Spotted Sandpiper (B) Great Horned Owl  (F) Ruby-throated Hummingbird (F, U ) Belted Kingfisher (F,C)

Habitat Key: W=wetlands  L=lakes, marshes  B=beaches
F=forests  U=urban areas  C=cliffs  S=shrubby areas

Must See/Do:
Grass is in this year, and there are 200 varieties at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (952-443-1400), plus 1,000 acres of gardens and nature areas, as well as 12.5 miles of paths and trails. Sign up for a tour. Thirty-plus raptors are both the subject and instructors at the Minnesota Raptor Center (1920 Fitch Ave., St. Paul, 612-624-4745 ).

Take a peek at the newest Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley, 952-431-9500) stars: four critically endangered Visayan warty pigs sporting punk-rock hairdos, endangered fishing cat triplets, and a rare Sichuan takin calf. Also, the newly renovated Minnesota Trail features gray wolves for the first time. At the Carl W. Kroening Interpretive Center (4900 Mississippi Ct., Mpls., 763-694-7693) find out everything you need to know about the Mighty Miss. At Gale Woods Farm (7210 Co. Rd. 110 W., Minnestrista), a working farm with farm animals and orchards on Whaletail Lake, spin wool, help harvest vegetables, and enjoy hayrides.
Photo by John Gregor, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Photo by Ryan Clausen, Minnesota Zoo

Natural Wonders: Mobsters don’t hide moonshine in the natural caves anymore, and most of the dragons have been scared away, but you can still tour the Wabasha Street Caves (215 S. Wabasha St., St. Paul) and stop afterward for a bite to eat at the caves’ famous café, Grumpy Steve’s. If life underground suits you, stick around for Swing Night every Thursday. Upriver in Minneapolis, from the vantage point of the Stone Arch Bridge, you’ll be standing near what was the epicenter of Twin Cities life for a hundred years—the flour mills, powered by St. Anthony Falls. At the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary, the nation’s oldest wildflower garden, find fifteen acres of flora, nearly a mile of trail, and lady's slippers in bloom for most of July. But if your tastes are a little earthier, visit the Quaking Bog, a five-acre acid bog hidden in a grove of 200 tamarack trees (Theodore Wirth Pkwy. & Glenwood Ave., Mpls., 612-370-4903).

Dining and Snackin':
Great fish tacos and grilled fish, plus wine and beer, are available at Sea Salt (4825 Minnehaha Ave., Minnehaha Falls Park, Mpls., 612-721-8990), near Minnehaha Falls. The Tin Fish (3000 E. Lake Calhoun Pkwy., Mpls., 612-823-5840), near Lake Calhoun, is another great on-the-go eatery. At the Lake Harriet Bandshell, you can get some of the best popcorn anywhere (how they do it is a mystery, but we’re not giving away the secret). Along the bike trail to Hopkins, stop at the Hopkins Train Depot Coffee House (9451 Excelsior Blvd., 952-938-2204) for coffee and treats. Across the river in St. Paul, stroll around Como Lake and stop at the Pavilion’s Black Bear Crossings Café (651-488-4927) for snacks, beverages, or a full-service meal. 
Photo: Fish Tacos, Sea Salt

Staying Hydrated:
A-round the lakes and along the parkways, you’ll occasionally see an old-fashioned water pump. The surprise is that they all work, so grab a handle and pump yourself some fresh spring-fed refreshment.

 

Where to Stay: They take camping seriously at Baker Park Reserve (2309 Co. Rd. 19, Maple Plain, 763-559-6700 for reservations), which boasts one of the best campsites in the area, with beautiful scenery and, for those who really want to rough it, a great golf course and flush toilets near camp.

Best Deals: Take the Como Pedicab Tour (651-646-3648) so you can tell your friends you've ridden in a pedal-powered rickshaw—in the United States. Want to relax, but aren’t ready to head inside? Stake out a patch of grass for Music and Movies in the Park at Loring Park (7 p.m., M, July 16–August 20 )

Transportation: To get around our Minneapolis lakes, stop at Calhoun Rental (1622 Lake St., 612-827-8231) and rent a bike, in-line skates, or just about any other self-propelled mode of transportation, including tandem bikes, mountain bikes, recumbent bikes, kids’ bikes, and child trailers.