Happily Ever Johnson: Root River Trail

We went on an adventure this weekend to bike the Root River Trail in southern Minnesota. If you live in Minnesota, and even if you don't, you have got to make a day or weekend trip to bike this trail. It is hailed as one of the most beautiful and person-friendly biking trails in the midwest, and now I know why.

The trail is 60 miles of fully-paved, double-wide trail that runs along the Root River, gorgeous 300 foot bluffs and several adorable, small southern Minnesota towns (Fountain, Harmony, Preston, Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, Rushford, and Houston). Fountain, the western-most city on the trail, is 35 minutes southeast of Rochester.

Since we are newbies at this whole biking thing, and we were hauling our two kiddos in our Chariot carrier, we only did 20 miles of the trail.

We skipped Fountain and started our journey at Isinours Forestry Park (which is about 1/3 of the way along the trail). From there we traveled east to Lanesboro and onto Whalan and then came back. Our first time through Lanesboro we stumbled on their weekly farmer's market, with lots of local farmers' veggies and plants and several Amish families selling homemade jellies, salsa, woven baskets, blankets, breads and farm fresh eggs. I was dying that I didn't have any room to bring anything back with us in the kids' carrier (too many blankies, snacks and toys for the journey :).

There was a beautiful playground and lake there where the kids played while I perused the market.

We made it to Whalan (purchased a pie at the "world famous Aroma's Pie Shop"), then headed back to Lanesboro, where we had lunch at the Lanesboro Pastry Shoppe. I wish I had a picture of the restaurant--it was a perfect european-style bakery/cafe with awesome chicken salad, sandwiches, soups and homemade pastries.

Then of course we had ice cream...