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5 great/cheap trips

Have a blast without much cash.

You can spend big bucks for a weekend at a B&B or resort with all the frills, or you can spend hardly anything and get no frills but all the fun. Here are a few ideas for a cheap getaway.

$135: Bicycling southern Minnesota with the Parks & Trails Council, Aug. 29-Sept 1, including expert guide (Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge David Minge), many tours, meals and camping in Lake Louise State Park.

$74-$44: Sightseeing in Madison or Chicago, including two nights in a hostel, both very well-located.

$70: Lake weekend for four in a yurt on the shores of Clear Lake (pictured) in northern Iowa; recruit friends to rent the other yurt and you've got your own dock, shower house and corner of McIntosh Woods State Park. Or rent a yurt or camper cabin in parks in Minnesota, Michigan, South Dakota or Ontario.

$44: Tubing weekend on the Root River through Lanesboro, Minn., including two days of tube rental and two nights tent camping in Sylvan Park. Add $25 to see "Harvey'' or "Man of La Mancha'' at Commonweal Theatre, $15 to share a canoe instead of tube and $30 to use a camper instead of a tent.

$0: A fall trail-clearing trip to Ely, the Gunflint Trail or the North Shore, with the Twin Cities-based North Stars Ski Touring Club, including resort lodgings, food and gas. Add $25 for an annual membership.

Last updated on August 13, 2008