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 Monday, October 22, 2007 1:00 PM CDT |
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Small Minnesota town Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts
LANESBORO, Minn. -- The Root River State Bike Trail is among the reasons visitors rank Lanesboro, Minn., among America's best places to live and play. A Mecca for cyclists and cross-country skiers, the asphalt pathway through the hilly forests of the bluff region of southeastern Minnesota led Sports Afield magazine to name Lanesboro one of the nation's "50 Best Outdoor Sports Towns." Outside Magazine named it one of the country's "20 Best Dream Towns." The 800 souls who live there refer to their village as "The Magical Hamlet." Fish swim in Root River that runs through Amish country just west of the Mississippi River. The combination of trail and water led a bait shop on Main Street to diversify. Visitors can buy worms and trout flies, or rent a two-wheeler. The Sons of Norway Hall and its many churches primed Lanesboro for a visit from Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion Radio Show Rhubarb Tour" earlier this year. Julie Kiehne, executive director of the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce, is a Lanesboro transplant, but her husband is a native. They moved back to his hometown from Sioux City, Iowa, several years ago when they decided to raise their two children in a rural setting where unlocked bikes are safe from thieves at night and everybody knows your name. "We wanted to enjoy outdoor recreation and have a small-town atmosphere," said Kiehne. "We both grew up in the country. We wanted that for our kids." No Holiday Inns or Motel 6s or Dairy Queens are allowed since city leaders passed an ordinance forbidding franchised businesses within town limits. The goal was to ensure lodging, restaurants and stores were locally-owned. "You have to travel all the way to Rochester (40 miles northwest) for a McDonalds," Kiehne said. The center of activity is the trail that runs along Root River. It draws kayakers, canoeists and trout anglers who look like models from the pages of a Cabela's catalog. The Root River State Bike Trail connects with the Harmony-Preston Valley Trail to create the Blufflands Trail System. Its 60 miles of paved trails for the most part follow the former Milwaukee Railroad right of way. Unfortunately, a torrent of rain dumped 18 inches of water on the area in less than two days in August. Flooding damaged the trail and a couple of scenic towns along the river banks. Lanesboro escaped the brunt of the damage. "We are completely open for business," Kiehne said. But officials from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources urge riders to trailer their bicycles around a 400-foot stretch of the trail between Lanesboro and Whalen that remains closed because of a washout. The spot is well-marked and barricaded. The closing leaves 29 miles to the west of Lanesboro and 26 miles east of Whalan open for use. The landscape is heavily forested. A canopy of green cools cyclists during spring and summer, even on hot days that are unusual in this part of the Upper Midwest. The MDNR, which manages the linear park, planted wildflowers that add yellows, reds, blues and purples when in season. The route becomes ablaze in color in autumn. The agency grooms portions of the trail for cross country skiers when snowfall is heavy enough. Whether road bikes, hybrids, tandems or recumbents, bikes rule during the warm months. No motorized traffic is allowed. Rural gravel roads cross the trail at times, but intersecting traffic is rare. Trail visitors are far more likely to see white-tail deer, red-tail hawks or blue herons than passing cars. Doug Oehler of Bloomington is a corporate retiree who works afternoons at Vitesse Cycle Shop in Normal. He serves as a member of the board of Friends of Constitution Trail through Bloomington-Normal. Over the years, he's visited many similar sites in the Midwest, including several trips to Root River, with his wife, Kay. They delight in introducing cycling friends to Lanesboro and the surrounding area. "It's the best trail I've ever seen," said Oehler, after riding about 150 miles along Root River on a recent three-day trip with a group that included former Bloomington Parks and Recreation director Keith Rich, another Root River fan. The trail has been an economic artery pumping financial health into the once-dying region, according to Kiehne. Towns along the waterway now boast numerous bed and breakfasts in historic homes. That picture is in marked contrast to a time when downtown areas featured boarded-up storefronts after the region's main industry was hard hit during the farm crisis of the 1970s. Then-state legislator Elton Redalen had a vision, and with help from then-DNR commissioner Joe Alexander, he convinced the state to buy the abandoned railroad right of way. The first section was paved by 1985. The trail grew mile by mile, year after year after that. "As each segment connected, more and more people came ... and the need for lodging, dining and things to do just kept growing," Kiehne said. Today, Root River State Bike Trail passes through a rejuvenated Lanesboro, where the downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The path stretches to Fountain on the west and Houston on the east, the latest portion to open. The Harmony/Preston Valley Trail connects about six miles outside Lanesboro and ends in Harmony, where road shoulders are wide enough to accommodate Amish horse-drawn buggies, or bikes. The trail leaves the former railroad bed at times to lead cyclists up steep, challenging hillsides. But the views down into the forested valleys are worth the burn. The river itself draws its own share of visitors. Ask a young boy spending a morning on a bridge dangling a hook in the water what he hopes to catch. "Rainbow trout!" he answers, his tone making it clear he thinks that bit of information is something everyone should know. A few miles further on, the sight of two fly fishermen in their hip waders and vests confirms that many do. Outfitters along the trail rent canoes, kayaks and inner tubes. Golfers enjoy a well-groomed nine-hole course. Lanesboro is proud of its culture. The Cornucopia Art Center features regional artists. The Lanesboro Art Council hosts more than a half dozen music concerts each year in the historic St. Mane Theatre. The Commonweal Theatre Company recently moved from its former location to a new theater. The professional acting troupe performs for more than 20,000 people each year. Over the Back Fence, a radio variety show, broadcasts live on Sunday nights in summer from the stage. Author John Villani once deemed Lanesboro one of "The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America." The holiday season also is special in Lanesboro, Kiehne said. Christmas lights are up when the annual rush of shoppers arrive to begin filling stockings the weekend before Thanksgiving. They return on the first Saturday in February to ski when snow permits, or walk when it doesn't along a candle-lit trail at dusk. But, Kiehne said, the dozen bed and breakfasts -- all owner-occupied by local decree -- and about two dozen other lodging establishments in the area, are all near capacity during the peak months for tourism, which are May through October. Income from sales taxes derived from trail-related tourism supports a non-consolidated school system from kindergarten through high school in Lanesboro, a rarity in the area. "It's been great for our community," Kiehne said. If you goThe Blufflands Trail System: The Root River State Trail and the Harmony/Preston Valley Trail comprise a rails-to-trails network that spans about 60 miles through Minnesota's southeastern bluff region. Activities: Recreation opportunities center on biking, in-line skating, hiking and cross country skiing (when snow permits). The Root River also offers fishing for several species, including trout, kayaking, canoeing, and floating in inner tubes. Peak times: May through October. Lodging: The area boasts bed & breakfasts and locally-owned motels. Each business updates information on the Web site operated by the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce at www.lanesboro.com. Simply insert the dates of interest to check availability. Flood damage: Lanesboro is completely open for business. But about 400 feet of the trail between Lanesboro and Whalen remains washed out and closed due to flooding Aug. 18-20 that dumped up to 18 inches of rain in southeastern Minnesota. It is well-marked and barricaded. DNR officials urge riders to trailer their bicycles around this area. More information: Visit www.lanesboro.com, call (800) 944-2670 or e-mail lacc@lanesboro.com. 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