Help with Minnesota trip

[dynodon]

My son and I are working on a car convention for Minnesota this July. Host hotel is in St. Cloud, and we are looking for great driving roads and motor enthusiast attractions in the area. Restaurant suggestions are also wanted. We are renting Brainerd, so if you or others you know would be interested in a track day (sorry, cars only) contact me. We could use some help in getting enough cars to pay the bills.

 

any and all suggestions very much appreciated.

[oldgoat]

i lived in brainerd for many years. if your in that town. on saturdays just down the road is a stockcar race track theyt race every saturday. its called north central. also up hwy 371 north is a race track called brainerd international race track.

drag raceing there. big events go on there.

and dont forget nissawa up 371 north about 15 miles from brainerd. nice little town and they have a great little DQ on the corner. nice resturants in the brainerd area. all kinds of foods. im not sure but some times in july there is a car show in brainerd. my ex father -inlaw has a 1932 ford and a 1950 ford? that he loves to show off. enjoy your trip.

[99silver]

I don't know how to get there from your location but my wife and I stayed there on our way to the International Rally in Cody last summer and we were very impressed with White Cloud,MN, a very clean and well maintained city, unlike this dogpile near me.

Enjoy your trip!!!

[Bubber]

Contact the Minnesota Street Rod Association.

They are very big in to showing cars and having rallies.

 

Been a while since I was in Brainard but what I remember it was very green and full of lakes. Just like the reat of Minnesota.

 

Oh I think you ment St. Coud not White Cloud in your post.

 

Make time to stop and visit will ya?

 

Steve

aka Bubber

[oldryder]

put a post up on MN Sport Bike Riders forum (MNSBR). you'll get a bunch of suggestions; lots of die hard bikers there. Too bad you're not taking the bike to BIR, the track is great fun on a motorcycle!

 

re: St. Cloud; IMHO nothing particualrly fabulous for restaurants (and I live here!). West of town on Hiway 75 is a place called "Anton's" that I like. better restaurant options at the various resorts around brainerd.

 

for riding there is some real nice roads south of Mpls along the Miss. river. For real sport riding many people opt for the "alphabet" roads in WI. MNSBR has a lot of posts about that.

 

For more sedate riding there are a lot of pretty roads in the lake regions around brainerd. If you're not used to seeing another lake every mile or two it can make for some real nice riding.

[99silver]

My bad it was St Cloud....

[dynodon]

Bubber and Oldrider, thanks for the tips, I will follow up on them. I would love to put the Wing or VEnture on a track, but it is a car convention, and I have one of the cars (Ford Taurus SHO), so unless the car dies or something, that is probably what I will take. But if the weather is near perfect, I might defect, and take the bike, but I doubt the insurance we have for this event would let bikes and cars mix.

[bill in mn]

Well I think St Cloud is a great place to stay . I live between Minneapolis and St. Cloud and if we have a choice the family & I would rather go to St.Cloud.

Restaurants a plenty, our favorite is Granite City Brewery it's a micro brewery that is slowly branching out great beers and a fun menu. I'm working in St. Cloud right now and a iron worker who lives there told me about his favorite restaurant. RJ’s American Grill It was great. There are Mexican, road houses,sushi ,Mom & Pop, Buffets. And hundreds more. Give a call when your up and I'll steer you around .Bill & Crew

[cimmer]

Well getting up here from Washington, IL, you can always follow the Great River Road up on either side. Even with the SHO, you will find some fun roads to drive. The ABC county roads of Wisc are fun, can be narrow at times and have nice tight turns and lot of elevation changes when in the river bluffs. Check out this website. http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/scenic/maps.htm

 

Southeast Minn also have some nice drives in the Root River Valley and there is always Minn Hwy 60 heading west off of US hwy 61 near Wabasha, Minn. Take this to US hwy 52 and then you can always head north to the cities. Between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, the Great River Road on the west side of the river will give you more scenery then US Hwy 10 will but of course if time is an issue, the I-94 to St. Cloud.

 

Just some thoughts and have fun.

Rick F. (former Ill River Rat)