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Other stories in "Travel with kids"

• Living like a pioneer
  At day camps in forts, fur posts and frontier homesteads, kids go back in time.
• Little pageants on the prairie
  A scrappy pioneer family is brought to life each year in two towns that played a prominent role in the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
• Laura land
  "Little House" fans trace Pa's meandering path, looking for echoes from the past.
• Packer country
  Like Oz, Green Bay glows green and gold.
• Grand sand
  Along Lake Michigan, the Sleeping Bear Dunes are a giant playground for all ages.
• Water, water, everywhere
  The Dells were first, but now indoor water parks are popping up all over.
• Baraboo's gilt complex
  In Ringlingville, the golden age of the circus never ended.
• Duluth rocks!
  With a pizza train, a bike path and beaches lined with boulders, this is a kid’s kind of town.
• The first American Girl
  Before Laura, before Kit, there was Caddie Woodlawn on the Wisconsin frontier.
• Madison for all ages
  Famous for collegians, Wisconsin's capital also fascinates children.
• Lake Michigan with kids
  Following the sandy shores of this great lake, families find many playgrounds.
• In Caddie and Laura's back yard
  In western Wisconsin, a loop tour explores the homeland of two real-life heroines.
• Gooseberries on ice
  In winter, the beloved North Shore waterfalls turn into a big, frozen playground.
• Fast times in Nisswa
  Swift turtles mix with power shoppers in a Minnesota lake-country oasis.
• Chicago with kids
  For curious children, this inviting city overflows with treasures.
• 15 great places for kids in Minnesota
  There's a world of adventure waiting in the Land of Lakes.
• Making waves
  The ever-expanding indoor water parks in the Wisconsin Dells have so many rides and slides, it's hard to know which one to pick.
• Snow asylum
  In northeast Wisconsin, Afterglow Resort stays on top of the heap.
• Autumn on horseback
  For a treat, enjoy the fall scenery on a guided trail ride.
• A zeal for zip lines
  There's a boom in zooming over the tree tops.
• Escape to Eagle Bluff
  A center near Lanesboro welcomes families for weekends filled with nature and good food.
• Braking for jelly beans
  With the siren call of free samples, factories reel in visitors.
• Agate stampede
  Every year, Moose Lake introduces budding rockhounds to the thrill of the hunt.
• 15 great places for kids in Wisconsin
  From farm to city to beach, the state is one big playground.
• Farmers for a weekend
  At peaceful inns, guests relish the simple pleasures of country living.
• Renting a vacation house
  If you have pets, small children or teens to feed, try making someone else's home your castle.
• Traveling with a pet
  Got a dog? More and more places invite families to sit and stay.
• Scenes from the fur trade
  At re-created forts, meet the adventurers who shaped the Upper Midwest.
• Fun with kids
  Want to have a good time with your children? Then go back to basics.
• Whiskey and cherubs
  In downtown St. Paul, a cluster of family attractions make the city's origins a distant memory.
• The last Little House
  Laura Ingalls Wilder's home in rural Missouri was the final stop on a famously winding path.
• A week at the lake
  Other destinations beckon, but few can beat the classic summer vacation.
• Playtime in Milwaukee
  For children, this easygoing city is just the right size.
• Going abroad in Bemidji
  At Concordia Language Villages' family weekends, parents get to join the fun.
• Break on the lake
  A week at a full-service, family-run resort is a Minnesota tradition.

Critter races

In Minnesota resort towns, creatures great and small run for the money.

In June, racing season moves into full throttle in resort towns around Minnesota.

Speeding turtles begin their weekly sprints in Nisswa and Longville. In Perham, the "International'' Turtle Races — the town says they've attracted competitors and spectators from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East — begin the week after Memorial Day.

Pelican Rapids holds weekly minnow races. In Cuyuna, ticks race only once a season, but it's a serious event: Veterinarians check for steroid use before the competition.

Goats, dachshunds and boxelder bugs step up to the starting line in Jasper, Luverne and Minneota. In Wayzata, dachshunds run the hurdles, and they race at Oktoberfest celebrations around the region.

Prizes are awarded, but mostly, the four-legged hot rods win bragging rights for their owners. It's not NASCAR, but competition is fierce.

Wednesdays in summer, International Turtle Races in Perham, Minn. This west-central town is known for turkeys and, in summer, tourists from the many lake resorts in Otter Tail County.

Races begin downtown at 10:30 a.m.; visitors can borrow a turtle or bring their own. Turtle Fest is in June.

Wednesdays in summer, Turtle Races in Nisswa, Minn. Races in this village, the heart of the Brainerd Lakes, begin at 2 p.m. Cost to rent a turtle is $3 and prizes are awarded.

For more, see Fast times in Nisswa.

Wednesdays in summer, Turtle Races in Longville, Minn. In this town on the shore of Girl Lake, just south of big Leech Lake, games and contests start at 1 p.m., and the races at 1:45 p.m.

There's fair food, too. Turtle Town Art Fair is the last weekend in June.

Tuesdays in summer, Minnow Races in Pelican Rapids, Minn. This Otter Tail County town, not far from Perham, holds its free races in EL Peterson Park, starting at 10:30 a.m.

June, Tick Races in Cuyuna, Minn. They're at the Woodtick Inn, two miles north of Crosby on County Road 31, between Brainerd and Mille Lacs. The inn holds a jockey meeting at noon, and races begin at 1 p.m. 

Purchase your racing steed or bring your own. Veterinarians will check personal ticks for steroid use on site. 218-546-5313.

July, Wiener Dog Races during Hot Dog Night in Luverne, Minn. This town in the far southwestern corner of Minnesota holds its races on Main Street at 7 p.m.  The top dog gets a trophy.

July, Dachshund Derby at German Fest in Milwaukee. There's also a costume contest at this big weekend festival at Henry Maier Festival Park.

September, Boxelder Bug Races during Boxelder Bug Days in Minneota, Minn. In this southwestern Minnesota town, near Marshall, races are held during a festival that also features a pedal tractor pull, street dance, carnival and parade.

September, Dachshund Races during James J. Hill Days in Wayzata, Minn. In this western suburb of Minneapolis, dogs compete in the hurdles, sprints and sofa jump, followed by a costume contest and smart pet tricks. Races start at 1 p.m. at Wayzata West Middle School.

October, dachshund races at Oktoberfest celebrations. For details, see Toasting Oktoberfest.

Last updated on January 8, 2012