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Other stories in "Winter"

• Next weekend
  Drink beer and hunt for prizes at a German Mardi Gras.
• Best bets for the weekend
  Build a snowman, toast a s'more.
• This weekend
  On snow, race beds and ride sleighs.
• Wacky winter festivals
  Some folks really know how to throw a party — and a lot of other things, too.
• A throng of tall ships
  In 2010, schooners from around the world will converge on Great Lakes ports.
• Go, dogs, go
  Watch an elite field of mushers and huskies in the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.
• Walking on ice
  To stay safe and have fun, buy a pair of crampons.
• Volunteering on Lake Superior
  Be keeper of the light or a watcher of wolves.
• Good deals
  Take a ski lesson and get a free lift ticket.
• Serious reservations
  Here's a guide to the lodgings, campsites and permits you should nail down now.
• Best bets in ski country
  Trails in the south bask in snow; a hostel reopens in state forest.
• Skiing in the city
  On the trails of Duluth, a cappuccino never is far away.
• Cheap winter retreats
  Spend a weekend mushing dogs or tracking wolves at bargain prices.
• Happy holidays from MidwestWeekends
  Here are our wishes (and gifts).
• How to make ice luminaries
  With homemade lanterns, make your front walk sparkle.
• A peek into an inn
  During holidays, B&Bs in four tourist towns open for tours.
• Holiday house calls
  On tours, see where the rich and famous celebrated Christmas.
• Magic under the moon
  In winter, plan a trip around a candlelight ski or snowshoe.
• A very merry city
  At Christmas, Chicago brims with good will.
• All eyes on eagles
  In winter, tourists and birds alike head for open water.
• Vacations for the brain
  Go to a summer folk school and you'll come home with a skill.

Sightseeing by bicycle

This summer's tours include an extra quota of scenery.

Most bicycle trails are covered with snow, but it’s still time to think about summer tours.

The Horribly Hilly Hundreds, which cover the part of southwest Wisconsin that would have been used for bicycling if Chicago had won the 2016 Summer Olympics, already is full — 1,300 riders are eager for the bragging rights that come with 10,700 feet of elevation gain.

Across the border in Illinois, GITAP, Grand Illinois Trail and Parks ride, is nearly full. Sponsored by the League of Illinois Bicyclists, the June 13-18 ride starts in Freeport this year and winds west, through three state parks, to Galena.

The routes of many of this year's longer tours are especially appealing. Most riders prefer northern routes with lakes to southern routes with cornfields, and this year they get them.

RAGBRAI, The Register's Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is July 25-31 and cuts across northern Iowa, with overnights that include Storm Lake and Clear Lake; this year's route is being touted as the third-easiest in the ride's 38 years.

MS TRAM, The Ride Across Minnesota, is July 25-30 and is traveling a loop through northern Minnesota lakes country, from Alexandria to Little Falls, Pequot Lakes, Wadena and Fergus Falls.

And the Michigander will use three bicycle trails on a northern loop July 17-23, returning along Lake Michigan from Harbor Springs to Mackinaw City.

Many tours limit riders and sell out. For 2010 weeklong bicycle tours, see Sightseeing on $20 a day. For 2010 day or weekend trips, see Tours on two wheels.

Last updated on February 4, 2010