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Other stories in "Fall"

• This weekend
  See elves, artists and Irish dancers.
• Next weekend
  Elves, artists and Irish dancers are hard at work during holidays.
• Remember the wrecks
  On Lake Superior, gales of November bring haunting memories.
• Welcome, Southwest
  Finally, low-cost air fares to Chicago have returned.
• All quiet up north
  Like the leaves, room rates have dropped.
• Big birds
  Eagles are flocking to a stretch of river best known for tundra swans.
• Homes for the holidays
  On tours, see where the rich and famous celebrated Christmas.
• Culture in the bluffs
  Follow musicians to four unusual venues near the Mississippi.
• Ghouls ahoy
  On Great Lakes, two haunted ships are spoiling for a fright.
• Bash on a bike trail
  Kick up your wheels at small-town fall festivals.
• Scenery in the studios
  On autumn art tours, treasure hunters strike gold (and orange and red).
• Closing the deal
  Believe it or not, it's time to reserve hot dates for 2009.
• Ely's blue over hues
  Act now to keep town's future bright.
• Eyes on the skies
  On bluffs and ridges, it's time to watch the hawk migration.
• Price check/A northwoods weekend
  Two Minnesota B&Bs offer a Boundary Waters adventure — is it a deal?
• On the ropes in Lanesboro
  Try walking a high wire on Halloween.
• In Iowa, a singular inn reopens
  Through December, snag a $99 room at the Hotel Pattee.
• Hunters on the North Shore
  A special deer season this weekend may put guns close to hikers.
• Geocaching for beginners
  Try a fall treasure hunt.
• Hot tip/A different North Shore
  Didn't reserve for fall-color season? Thunder Bay has rooms.
• On the road/A fall drive along the St. Croix
  A stretch of river valley is packed with attractions.
• 10 great trails to ride in fall
  Here's where to get your fill of flora, fauna and fall colors.
• Go on a trail-clearing trip
  If you enjoy a hike, help make it possible for others.
• In river towns, favorites debut anew
  On the Red Cedar and in Red Wing, three inns and restaurants finally reopen.
• Home of horsepower
  In Wisconsin, see where race cars, snowmobiles, outboards and motorcycles were born.
• Go swan watching
  

Join the fun

With an outdoors club, make friends, see new places and save money.

Sometimes, when traveling, it's nice to let someone else run the show.

Someone who reserves those holiday-weekend rooms a year in advance. Someone who gets discounts on lift tickets, plans dinners and organizes transportation. Then, all you have to do is sign up and go.

And the costs can be irresistibly low.

If you'd like to do something fun this winter, now is the time to join an outdoors club.  In Minneapolis, the North Stars, North America's largest cross-country ski club (pictured, on the Gunflint Trail), holds its winter sign-up Nov. 11. It's offering weekend trips to the North Shore, Bayfield, Timm's Hill and nine other prime ski spots around the Upper Midwest, with total costs of $80-$295 per trip.

In St. Paul, the Minnesota Rovers Outdoors Club is offering ski trips to Giants Ridge and Itasca State Park in Minnesota and Heartwood Conference Center in western Wisconsin, $95-$150.

Milwaukee's Nordic Ski Club is offering ski trips to Ironwood, the Keweenaw Peninsula and Munising in Michigan and Minocqua and Cable in Wisconsin, $150-$195, motorcoach travel included.

From Madison, the Wisconsin Hoofer Outing Club is planning camping trips to the Porcupines and Pictured Rocks in Michigan this month plus a beginner-friendly ski trip to Cable in January and a trip to Iron Mountain, Mich., in February to watch the Continental Cup ski-jumping tournament.

Clubs are open to people around the region, and memberships, $25-$45, often include use of equipment. For details and more groups, see Join the club.

Last updated on November 5, 2008