Biking, Brews, and the Regatta Breeze

Jul 10, 2025Bike Trails, Biking, Events, Kayaking, Minnesota Miles Blog, Trails

A person wearing a pink helmet and colorful jacket rides a bicycle on a paved trail beside a lake, bordered by grass and a black metal fence, under a clear sky.

I’ve always believed that the best kind of travel stories start at the edge of something unexpected, like rolling into a small town on a sunny Friday with a pair of bikes, a travel trailer, and no firm plans except to say yes to whatever comes next. That’s how my wife, Jen, and I found ourselves pulling into Olson Park campground on the shores of Lake Okabena, ready for a weekend in Worthington, Minnesota.

A red wooden sign reading Olson Park Campground stands on a grassy lawn with trees, parked cars, and a curved path visible in the background on a sunny day.

Friday: Lakeside First Impressions and Small-Town Surprises

We arrived in the late afternoon; the kind of golden hour that makes everything look like it’s part of a travel brochure. Olson Park campground turned out to be far more spacious than I imagined, with rows of sites nestled beneath the wide arms of stately cottonwood trees. The grass was freshly mowed, the bathrooms and showers spotless, and we were surprised to discover just how close we were to the bike trail. Mere feet from our site was the Okabena Lake bike path that would become the spine of our entire weekend.

Four people and two dogs walk on a paved lakeside path bordered by a black fence, with grassy areas, trees, and calm water in the background under a cloudy sky.
Setting up camp was quick, and soon we were off, pedaling toward town along a wide, paved path that curved gently through parks and greenways. Within minutes, we were swept into the early bustle of the Worthington Windsurfing Regatta, an annual event that draws a lively crowd. As we reached the edge of Sailboard Beach, the smell of barbecue and wood smoke hung in the air like an invitation. Food trucks were prepping for Friday night’s kickoff, and we caught a glimpse of stage crews assembling the sound system for Saturday night’s headliner: Cooper Alan.
Five adults walk together on a sunny, tree-lined path near houses. A black fence runs along the path, and a bench is in the foreground.
A winding paved trail passes through a green, tree-filled park on a sunny day. A person rides a bike in the distance, and benches and a lamppost line the pathway.

Before giving in to the sensory overload of fair food, we made a cultural stop at the Nobles County Heritage Center, housed in the former armory building. Inside, we found Director Beth Rickers guiding a group of women through displays that sparked laughter and old stories. Clearly, these were locals visiting familiar ground. The space still had the bones of its earlier lives. Originally built for indoor military drills, it later hosted basketball games, blood drives, even a traveling circus and polio vaccine clinics. With its hardwood gym floor and mezzanine track above, the building felt like a time capsule with rotating exhibits that continue to tell Worthington’s evolving story.

A two-story brick building with large windows and an arched entrance labeled HISTORY CENTER, situated on a wet street corner under a cloudy sky.
A group of four people stand talking inside a spacious gymnasium with wooden floors and a high vaulted ceiling. Large decorative skeleton figures are displayed, and exhibit panels line the walls. Natural light streams through arched windows.
Dinner that night was at the Forbidden Barrel Brewing Company, located just a few blocks from the lake. The name itself is a nod to a story from ages ago, when the town’s founder, Professor Ransom Humiston, destroyed a keg of beer during a Fourth of July celebration in 1872. The space had a modern, open layout, with high ceilings and garage-door-style windows that opened to a bustling street view. We sat at a bar rail and watched the town come alive as the sun dipped behind the buildings.
We ordered pepperoni pizza from their wood-fired oven, and it arrived fast and blistering hot. Paired with two pints, it was a fitting kickoff to a weekend of exploration. Satisfied and a little sun-drunk, we coasted back to camp under a lavender sky and turned in early, with the low hum of weekend excitement in the air as more and more campers trickled into Olson Park.
A brick and metal building with large windows and a sign on top reading Forbidden Barrel Brewing. The building sits on a clean, wide sidewalk under a partly cloudy sky.
A spacious, modern restaurant interior with wooden tables and chairs, a central bar area, people dining, wall-mounted TVs, and exposed ceiling beams, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
People sit at tables inside a restaurant near a large open window, with a few diners visible. The restaurant has exposed ceilings, warm lighting, and brick details.
A glass of beer and a pepperoni pizza on a gray countertop in a restaurant setting, with wooden chairs in the background.

Saturday: Bikes, Breakfasts, and the Regatta in Full Swing

Saturday morning greeted us with a veil of fog. It softened the lake into frosted glass and muffled the campground chatter. We made it into town again, this time heading for Mav’s, a sports bar that opens bright and early for breakfast. The soundtrack was pure 1990s nostalgia, and the brunch menu didn’t disappoint. I went for the Spicy Chorizo Hash with mango salsa and a fan of avocado, while Jen dug into the Big Mav Hash, which came smothered in their tangy house-made Mav Sauce, a zippy mustard-based blend that she immediately wanted the recipe for.
Mav’s also had a “Brunchtails” menu, offering morning cocktails like maple-bacon Bloody Marys and pineapple mimosas. We skipped the booze but admired the creativity. As we left, the fog was lifting and revealing a town stretching its arms wide for a busy day ahead.

A gray and blue restaurant building with blue awnings stands in an empty parking lot. Several handicap parking spaces are near the entrance. The sign above the door reads THE MAV GRILL. The sky is overcast.
A modern sports bar with wooden tables, a central bar area, multiple TV screens displaying sports, and booth seating along the walls. The atmosphere is vibrant and welcoming.
A table with three breakfast dishes: a cheesy hash brown bowl with sauce, pancakes, and a veggie-topped egg bowl with toast and avocado. A cup of black coffee sits nearby.

Next, we visited Pioneer Village, a living museum run by the Nobles County Historical Society. It’s laid out like a small town frozen in time, with preserved buildings from all over Nobles County: a doctor’s office (complete with iron lung), dentist’s office, blacksmith shop, jailhouse, and even a mock cemetery. Walking through, you get that mix of reverence and amusement. It’s a quiet place to learn, but also full of strange little details that stay with you, like a 1961 book of wallpaper samples that are en vogue again today.

A woman with gray hair stands outdoors reading a historical sign for Worthington, MN, near an old-fashioned bank clock and a white building with a steeple on a grassy lawn.
A vintage classroom with wooden desks, chalkboards, and educational posters. Sunlight enters through tall windows, and portraits hang on the walls. The atmosphere feels historical and preserved.
A vintage room with animal heads mounted on the walls, wooden chairs and tables, and a glass display case filled with antique items and bird taxidermy. The room has a rustic, old-fashioned atmosphere.
Old-fashioned post office with a person behind a barred counter, surrounded by vintage mailboxes. American flags, a wall clock, and antique items decorate the space, giving it a nostalgic atmosphere.
A small room displays vintage medical equipment, including an iron lung, glass cabinet with tools, examination tables, and surgical lamps, under a large sign reading “OPERATING ROOM.” Sunlight enters through a glass window on the right.
A row of small white wooden buildings with gabled roofs lines a wooden walkway. A vintage streetlamp stands on green grass under a blue sky with scattered clouds. In the distance, there are red train cars.
Close-up of the rusty front of an old green John Deere tractor, with faded yellow lettering and chipped paint, set outdoors with blurred green foliage in the background.
A large, worn book labeled Deko Products Decorators Wall Paper Co. De Luxe Wallpapers 1961 sits open on a glass counter next to folded fabrics and papers in a vintage store.
A small jail cell with barred walls and a sign reading NO LOITERING OR TALKING TO PRISONERS. The white JAIL sign is above the cell. The room contains folded tables and chairs.
A woman sits on the porch of a small, weathered white building with green trim, next to two vintage red gas pumps; trees and another old white building are in the background.
A tall, pale building with a sign reading Pioneer Village Next Exit stands against a blue sky. A rusted water tower is visible in the background.
An old, weathered white gravestone stands in tall grass within a fenced cemetery. A woman in sunglasses walks nearby. In the background, there’s a white building with red doors and “FIRE DEPARTMENT” written on it.

Back at camp, we decided to loop around the lake in the opposite direction from Friday, taking the full circuit of the Okabena Lake Trail. The loop spans just over 5 miles, all paved and mostly flat, winding through neighborhoods and a chain of city parks. We passed Centennial Park with its beach, concession stand, and splash pad, where kids were already squealing under fountains of water. Eventually, we rolled into Sailboard Beach again,  which had now transformed into the full regatta experience.

A person wearing a pink helmet and orange top rides a bicycle on a lakeside path near a beach area with kayaks, a building, trees, and benches on a sunny day.
A person wearing a pink helmet and orange vest rides a bicycle on a road beside a large lake under a partly cloudy sky. Trees and a boat are visible in the background.

Crowds milled through food truck rows while the sound of live music drifted from the main stage. There was a bean bag tournament underway, the scent of ribs and corn dogs hung thick in the air, but so did more unexpected aromas, like pupusas from El Salvador, Galbi Korean short ribs sizzling on charcoal. It was global cuisine with a Minnesota lakeside vibe, and the mood was pure summer.

People line up at colorful food trucks in a grassy park during a sunny outdoor festival. There are banners, trees, and groups of people walking, eating, and socializing near the trucks.
Several people gather around a large outdoor grill cooking meat. One man flips meat with tongs while others stand nearby, wearing hats and sunglasses. Cars and a Thru Traffic sign are visible in the background.
A large crowd sits in lawn chairs facing an outdoor stage at a lakeside park, enjoying a live music performance. Trees and vendor tents surround the area, with water visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
A person in a striped dress stands holding a large rainbow umbrella at an outdoor event, with a stage and band equipment in the background and a crowd seated on the grass in the foreground.
People at an outdoor event play cornhole on the grass, with some seated on colorful chairs and benches under red umbrellas. Others stand and watch. Its a sunny day with tents and houses in the background.
Three women prepare food at an outdoor festival booth, cooking tortillas or pupusas on a griddle under a white tent. People and colorful tents are visible in the background on a sunny day.

Before we let our appetites carry us away again, we made a detour for lunch at The Thompson Mexican Restaurant, tucked into the old red-brick Thompson Hotel on 10th Street. It’s the kind of place that still feels like a hotel lobby but hints at its new identity with colorful carved booths and a framed painting of the Aztec legend of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. I went for a trio of tacos, carnitas, beef, and chorizo, washed down with a creamy horchata, while Jen ordered the Alambre Mexicano, a sizzling skillet of steak and cactus leaves that had a deliciously unique, almost creamy flavor.

A vibrant restaurant interior with ornate ceiling, chandelier, wooden tables, colorful booths, and people ordering at the counter; walls decorated with paintings and warm lighting throughout.
A colorful basket of tacos with chopped meat, onions, cilantro, and lime sits on a table, with a plate of rice, beans, tacos, and foil-wrapped food in the background.

Just next door, we found El Rinconcito Nevería y Dulcería, an ice cream and candy shop in bold neon colors. The inside looked like a party: shelves of sweets, colorful piñatas, and huge windows letting in afternoon light. Besides a mile-long dipping cabinet filled with exciting varieties of ice cream, they also make their own popsicles in every flavor imaginable. I had the pepino con chile, a cucumber cream pop dusted with chili powder. It was sweet, spicy, cold, and totally unforgettable. Jen’s blueberry bar disappeared almost instantly, so I think she felt the same.

A colorful, lively ice cream shop with bright yellow and pink walls, customers sitting at tables and the counter, and various candy displays and cartoon-themed wall decorations.
Two hands holding popsicles outdoors: one is yellow-green with a red chili circle, the other is pink with dark specks. The background shows brick buildings and a street scene.

The regatta continued to unfold with casual flair. From shore, the windsurfing competitions looked peaceful, like sails gliding over silver water, though I’m sure out there it was all intensity and skill. We chatted with one of the volunteers who explained the event’s long legacy, now in its 26th year, and how Worthington has become a surprising hub for windsurfing in the Midwest.

Two people windsurfing on a lake, each on a board with a brightly colored sail, with trees and buildings visible on the far shore under a clear sky.
A person windsurfing on a lake, wearing a blue shirt and black shorts. The sail is orange and white with USA 81 printed on it. There is a yellow buoy on the water and houses with trees along the shoreline.
Two people windsurf on a lake with bright orange sails, framed by green leaves. An American flag and another boat are visible on the left, and the shoreline with trees is in the background.
A woman takes a photo of two children posing with their faces in a painted cutout of windsurfers at the Regatta Music Festival, with a lake and grassy area in the background.
A person windsurfing near an orange buoy on a lake, with a boat displaying the American flag and several people onboard nearby. Houses, trees, and another sailboat are visible in the background.
Windsurfers with colorful sails (blue, green, and orange) race near a boat with people and an American flag on a lake; trees and houses are visible along the shoreline in the background.
Three people windsurf on a calm lake with blue and green sails, near an orange buoy. Trees, parked cars, and cabins are visible along the shoreline in the background under a clear sky.
Several colorful sailboats with tall sails line up near the shore of a lake, with trees and houses in the background under a clear sky. The water is calm and the scene appears peaceful and lively.

Dinner that evening was something special: Jebena, a new Ethiopian restaurant in a modern building on the edge of town. We biked there just before dusk. The space was bright and clean, with a loft overhead and a cozy, welcoming vibe. We shared a platter for two: a colorful spread of meats, lentils, potatoes, and collard greens all served atop soft, tangy injera bread made from teff flour. Every bite was rich with spices and textures. My favorite was the collard greens, perked up with a spoonful of mitmita, a fiery red blend of birdseye chili, cloves, and cardamom that made me blush despite the AC.

A white two-story building with a sign reading Jebena Ethiopian Cuisine stands next to a parking lot. The restaurant has a raised patio with black railings and a gray van parked nearby.
A cozy, modern café with wood flooring, a mezzanine seating area, black booths, and a counter where a barista prepares drinks. Decorative items and art add warmth to the inviting atmosphere.
A colorful platter of Ethiopian food featuring injera rolls, various stewed vegetables, lentils, greens, salad, and a spicy meat stew arranged on a decorative plate atop a marble surface.
A person in a green jacket and pink helmet rides a bicycle on a path beside a large lake, with distant trees and boats visible on the water under a cloudy sky.
We pedaled back to camp and found a little detour that took us over a skinny ribbon of road near the campground. The regatta crowd was still buzzing across the lake, but we heard none of it as we slipped into sleep beneath the trees, bellies full and legs tired.
A calm lake at sunset with the sun partially hidden by clouds, reflecting on the water. A red and white boat floats near the shore, and trees line the background.

Sunday: Truck Stop Breakfast and One Last Paddle

On our final morning, we went classic: breakfast at the Blue Line Cafe inside a local truck stop off I-90. It was bustling at 8 a.m., and our server was the picture of efficienc, refilling coffee cups, dropping off plates of bacon and eggs, and somehow managing to remember every order in the room without writing a thing down.
There’s something undeniably comforting about truck stop breakfasts. No pretension, no frills. Just honest food and coffee strong enough to launch you into your day.

Two plates of breakfast food on a table: one with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage; the other with eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast. Two cups of coffee, a coffee pot, and creamers are also on the table.
We packed up and headed east to Maka-Oicu Park, a little-known gem tucked into the farm fields near Kinbrae. We slipped our kayaks into West Graham Lake and paddled quietly along the shore. There were birds overhead, frogs plunking into the water, and not another soul in sight except two quiet anglers on the dock. That kind of silence is rare.
A person paddles a red kayak near a dock, where three people sit facing the lake. Trees line the far shore under a cloudy sky. The water is calm.
A person in an orange kayak paddles on a calm, tree-lined river under leafy green branches.
A person in a pink hat sits on a dock fishing beside a calm lake, with a tree to the left and a sandy shore in the foreground. Lush greenery lines the far shore under a cloudy sky.
Two people sit at a picnic table under a wooden shelter by a lake, surrounded by green grass and trees. Other empty picnic tables are under the shelter, and the sky is partly cloudy.
RVs and campers are parked among tall trees in a grassy, wooded campground. Picnic tables and outdoor equipment are visible, creating a peaceful, natural setting.
A small wooden cabin sits among tall trees in a grassy park, with a sidewalk leading to its door. A picnic table and fire pit are nearby, and a camper is visible in the background.

Dark clouds rolled in sooner than expected, and we reluctantly headed back to shore. At the picnic shelter, we steamed tamales we’d picked up at the El Mexicano grocery back in Worthington, setting up a makeshift camp kitchen and enjoying a final, simple meal. We toured the campground and peeked inside the rental cabin, which looked just rustic enough to feel like you’d earned a weekend away.
We lingered longer than necessary. That’s always the sign of a good trip. We weren’t quite ready to leave, but Monday waited just beyond the clouds.

Two plates of tamales are on a colorful striped tablecloth outdoors. Each plate has tamales partially unwrapped from their corn husks, revealing the filling inside. Picnic benches are in the background.

A Worthington Weekend Worth Repeating

Our weekend in southwestern Minnesota had everything: good food, unexpected cultural gems, diversity, live music, quiet parks, and scenic biking by the lake. But more than that, it had a rhythm and warmth that reminded me why these small-town escapes are so special. You don’t need flights or five-star hotels to have a memorable adventure. Sometimes all you need is a trail and a town ready to surprise you. We’ll be back. Maybe next summer, maybe sooner. But Worthington definitely earned a spot on the map.

Two people pose behind a colorful painted board, appearing as cartoon windsurfers at sunset. Music notes and “Regatta & Music Festival” are visible. Both have their faces through cutouts, smiling and having fun.
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A person wearing a yellow helmet, sunglasses, and warm winter clothing smiles while outside in a snowy Minnesota landscape. They are pointing at something, perhaps one of the scenic mountain bike trails nearby, as the sun shines brightly overhead.

I’m Jan, the publisher of Minnesota Trails Magazine. I’m looking for that one trail, the next ride, a new discovery and other reasons to never sit still in Minnesota.

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