Cycling the St. Croix

No one looks forward to the spring bicycling season more than those of us who really know winter. Whether you’re a road racer, a mountain biker or a parent with bike trailers and co-pilots in tow, the St. Croix Valley has so many excellent options, it might just make your wheels spin. Read on for routes in Minnesota and Wisconsin, on paved surfaces (dedicated and road-sharing), as well as dirt and gravel, and for a few invaluable insider tips from some local experts.

Insider Tip: Read more about Cycling the St. Croix

Choreographing Change

Katie Owings decided to start her nonprofit after experiencing an “a-ha moment.” While on a mission trip to Haiti in 2014, the dance teacher and owner of Inspiration Performing Arts Center (IPAC) in Mahtomedi brought along a suitcase full of dance shoes for the kids to try out. As she watched them put the shoes on and perform, it all started to click. “I saw how empowered they were, and I remember there was a moment, like the dots connected,” Owings says. Read more about Choreographing Change

BELCH Gear Owner Tom Darrow Sells Quality Cycling Gear with Attitude

Bayport resident Tom Darrow knows the name of his company is ridiculous. But that is the point. The owner of Belch Gear, a cycling apparel and “athleisure-wear” business founded in 2013, sets out to offer quality clothing to cyclists who are more focused on having fun than having something to prove. “We wanted it to be impossible to take yourself too seriously when sporting our Belch threads,” Darrow says. “We preach getting out there, having a great time and just not caring so hard.” Read more about BELCH Gear Owner Tom Darrow Sells Quality Cycling Gear with Attitude

Stillwater native and photographer Debra Chial has an ever-growing passion for the St. Croix Valley

To say that Debra Chial is a fan of the St. Croix Valley is a dramatic understatement. That Valley childhood made a deep impression on her. “As a child, I grew up on a houseboat on the St. Croix River,” Chial says. “That’s where I really started being in on the elements of the Valley. That’s where my love of it came from. I grew up on the river, and I grew up on beaches. I can’t imagine not living on water.” Read more about Stillwater native and photographer Debra Chial has an ever-growing passion for the St. Croix Valley

Art on the Fly

As spring returns to the valley, so do the many bird species that migrated south for the winter. For the third year, the St. Croix Flyway Bird Migration Celebration welcomes them home with a multi-day festival that brings together art, education and family-friendly fun. Read more about Art on the Fly

Battling Blindness Abroad

James Standefer didn’t set out to be a globetrotting do-gooder. “My father was a family doctor in the country,” he says. “I always wanted to do that.”

So in 1973, Standefer founded Associated Eye in Stillwater. As his practice grew, he started volunteering through the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), initially traveling to the developing world to perform cataract surgery before switching his focus to glaucoma. Read more about Battling Blindness Abroad

Main Attraction

Don’t let the name fool you: Mainstream Boutique is not your typical clothing store. A little more than a year after acquiring the store and moving it from downtown Stillwater to its current location next to Kowalski’s Market, husband-and-wife owners Dan and Karen Fredrick have revamped the store’s offerings and doubled its business. Read more about Main Attraction

Let’s Go Fishing Helps Seniors Enjoy St. Croix River

There are few things better than spending an early summer afternoon on the water. For most of us, boating and fishing are essential summer activities. However, not everyone has access to a boat or fishing gear. Enter, Let’s Go Fishing (LGF).

In 2002, Joe Holm founded LGF in Willmar, Minn., with a simple mission: provide no-cost fishing and boating excursions to seniors, military veterans and people with special needs. Since its inception, LGF has grown to 27 chapters across several states. Read more about Let’s Go Fishing Helps Seniors Enjoy St. Croix River

24th Annual St Croix Valley Pottery Tour and Sale

The 24th Annual St Croix Valley Pottery Tour and Sale is Mother's Day Weekend, May 6 - 8, 2016. This nationally recognized event is held at the studios of 7 exceptional host potters, each a short drive from the other, and includes 49 invited guest potters.  Visitors will find an impressive array of the highest quality pots while enjoying warm hospitality and opportunites to meet the potters. This self-guided Tour between studios in the St. Croix Valley area of the Twin Cities Metro is free & open to everyone. Read more about 24th Annual St Croix Valley Pottery Tour and Sale

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