Gandy Dancer rail-trail. St Croix Falls, Wisconsin. August 2004. The maintained portion of the Gandy Dancer runs between St Croix Falls and Danbury. We stayed in Osceola a few miles south of St Croix Falls at the River Valley Inn & Suites (there is lodging in St Croix Falls and also in nearby Taylor Falls, Mn).
We started our ride in St Croix Falls at the trail head by the KFC on I-35 (you can also start at the visitors center). My parents accompanied us on this trip and shuttled our truck to Danbury.
This was a 50 mile ride with a nice smooth crushed limestone surface and no more than 10 miles between towns which I believe all had food and shopping. It rained off and on the whole ride.
Our intent was to ride the full 100 miles of the trail over 2 days but the latter half of the trail isn't maintained and was muddy from the rain so we skipped it.
Gandy Dancer website.
Gandy Dancer Photos.

Paul Bunyan Trail - Brainerd/Baxter, Minnesota. August 2004. We hadn't planned on riding this trail on this trip but our ride on the Gandy Dancer was cut short and we were reminded of this trail in a book at a giftshop. The first 50 miles of the Paul Bunyan trail runs from Brainerd/Baxter to Hackensack. We stayed at the Super 8 in Baxter. We caught the trail on Excelsior street just a mile or so from the hotel. My parents shuttled the truck to Hackensac. This was a 50 mile ride on paved surface. No more than 10 miles between towns with food and shopping. After the ride we were told there is another 50 miles that is mostly paved. The book had said it was not maintained. It was unusually cold for August. At the start of the ride the temp was in the lower 40s.
Paul Bunyan Trail Photos.