September biking....what a great time to live in the Chippewa Valley!  I think this is the best time of year for biking our trail system.  At our house, school has been on our minds for the past few days and we've been gathering supplies and getting back to real schedules.  Now is the time to cram in as many fun bike trips as possible before winter sets in!  Here are a few of the places I'm looking to explore:

An overnight trip over to Menomonie with my husband so that we can enjoy a meal at the Creamery and a gorgeous ride.  I am not up to riding there and back all in one day, so we are looking at our schedules to see if we can find time for a short getaway.  I think we'll ride to the Creamery along the Chippewa River Trail on one day, spend the night at the ecofriendly inn and see how the gardens are surviving our recent cold spell.  Then after coffee and treats from their cafe, we'll head to Durand...a shorter ride for our second day.  There is a new hotel there and I have yet to explore their little town...I've met many friendly people from there, so it seems like a good place to wander to.  I'm looking for suggestions on where we might have lunch or a late afternoon snack.  Then we'll head back to Eau Claire.  Our hope is to do this sometime next week, so watch the blog for updates. 

We are also planning a family ride up to Chippewa Falls.  Planning to leave early on a Saturday morning and ride leisurely up the Old Abe Trail.  If the weather holds we may consider camping at Lake Brunet Park and then coming back on Sunday.  Again, watch for updates.  In the meantime, send some thoughts on how to make the family trip enjoyable for a variety of ages....our kids are 10, 12 and 13 and are not terribly excited about this venture, so I'm looking for ideas.

And, last but not least, I'm planning a bike ride to The Autumn Harvest Winery.  The plan is to gather a few girlfriends and head out on a Friday afternoon and enjoy a little exercise, camaraderie and a little local wine. 

More soon...