51 WINTER 2022 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 03
SNOWGOER . COM 52
This bridge crosses the Spruce Creek into a beautiful park with historical markers denoting the remains of the Spruce Hill community .
Snowmobiles can cover a lot of ground in a single day , and ambitious riders can easily rack up more than 200 miles in one shot . To plan such a full day , you can follow a big loop to get back to where you started , riding out to your destination and doubling back or , by far the most fun option , carry what you need on your back to stay overnight .
Living off your sled for a couple of days puts hair on your chest , thickens the blood and — depending on how rural you make it
— can make you feel like a modern day polar explorer .
We weren ’ t planning to make any crash landings or discover new continents , like the legendary Richard Byrd . Instead we charted a course connecting two of Minnesota ’ s most popular chain-of-lakes areas by way of rural farming country with such a timeless look and feel that it was like riding through a living , breathing Norman Rockwell painting .
Brainerd Lake Country
Two hours north of Minneapolis in north-central Minnesota , the city of Brainerd is a tourist area defined by hundreds of lakes in its vicinity , many of which are interconnected . This makes the area a vacationer ’ s dream during the summer .
When frozen and white , Brainerd and its surrounding waters are connected by a tremendous network of snowmobile trails that crisscross the lakes , connect the area ’ s resorts and make it possible to lose yourself in seemingly infinite riding .
In the summer , people trek up from the city for cabin time , a succession of festivals , races at Brainerd International Raceway , golfing , boating , the Paul Bunyan Land amusement park and legendary resorts like Cragun ’ s , Madden ’ s , Breezy Point and the Grand View Lodge — quintessential Minnesota at its woodsy best .
alexandria
bowerville Cushing brainerd