The Lakeville Life

Just south of the Twin Cities, the city of Lakeville blends suburban convenience with an impressive outdoor scene built around trails, lakes, and parks. With a network of paved paths, growing mountain bike trails, lively local restaurants, and beaches that draw national attention, the area gives you plenty of reasons to slow down and explore. Looking for an early taste of summer, my wife, Jen, and I headed to the Lakeville area for a weekend of biking, food, and wandering from one surprise stop to the next.

The West Lake Marion Mountain Bike Trail in Lakeville is a fun trail system tucked into a narrow strip of woods between Lake Marion and I-35. At first glance it looks small, but once we rolled through the gates we realized how much riding had been packed into the space.

We started on the warm-up loop just past the entrance, cruising through berms, rollers, and moguls that let us loosen up before tackling the main trails. There were ramps to jump from, too, but we were happy to keep both wheels in the ground and watch others get airborne. From there, the singletrack twisted through the trees and around a soccer field with enough flow to keep us moving at a steady pace. Some sections were smooth and beginner-friendly, while others offered technical features like balance beams, bridges, and rock jumps that rewarded a little extra confidence and speed.

What we liked most was how varied the riding felt despite the system being only about five miles long. The woods had a secluded atmosphere, and after a while we almost forgot the interstate was only a few hundred yards away. It turned out to be the perfect way to kick off a weekend, with just enough challenge, flow, and scenery to make it interesting.

Lakeville Holiday Inn photos

We checked into the Lakeville Holiday Inn, just off I-35, a convenient location for all of our weekend plans. Our sparkling clean and spacious ground-floor room had all the amenities, and the hotel even featured an indoor water park. The most important equipment, however, was the comfy bed because our schedule had us outside most of the next couple of days. With so much on the docket, we figured we’d get back to the room late every night and collapse immediately.

After a rest and a costume change, we headed out for a special date night. Brianno’s Chart House occupies a sort of peninsula jutting into Kingsley Lake in the northwestern corner of Lakeville, and it was clearly the place to be on a Friday night. The generous patio was nearly filled, and the views of the undeveloped shoreline were wonderful, complimented by acoustic guitar classics performed by local favorite Denny McGovern. It was hard to believe we were less than a half mile from one of the busiest highways in the metro area. “They did the patio right,” Jen said when we took our seats.

The restaurant traces its maritime origins to the 1960s and features a replica sailboat as part of the structure. Today, it also serves as a wedding venue and even includes a deli. It was a perfect evening for outdoor dining and finally felt like summer was truly on its way. The lakeshore setting was peaceful, with a soothing soundtrack of guitar music, dinner conversation, and the soft clinking of silverware. Our dinner arrived unexpectedly fast, given the volume of diners.

Jen had a pork chop on grits with green apple and pineapple pico de gallo, which she really enjoyed. My flatbread, titled Forrest Gump’s Cajun Shrimpy Sausage, was delicious. Any restaurant with a mocktail menu gets our double thumbs up, and the Lavender Lemon Drop and Cashmere Sweater rounded out the experience. We lingered after dinner, watching two boys cast fishing lines into the setting sun.

When you visit Lakeville, you quickly notice that trails are everywhere. They wind through neighborhoods, stretch along I-35, weave through parks, and circle lakes and beaches. Dedicated bike and pedestrian paths link the town together, connecting residents to exercise, shopping, dining, schools, workplaces, and recreational spots. Altogether, there are more than 150 miles of trails packed into a city of about 38 square miles.

Of course, we took advantage of the network, and on a clear, calm Saturday morning we set out to explore the area by bike. We had a lot planned for the day and got an early start. Just a block from our hotel we hopped on a trail that carried us through Downtown Lakeville all the way to The Buckboard restaurant, where we stopped for breakfast. The Buckboard is one of those places that seems frozen in time and everybody has a story about. The restaurant had just celebrated its 50th anniversary, and with its wood-clad interior, vaulted beam ceiling, and rustic chandeliers, it felt like a solid slice of Americana.

It was too early for the morning rush and only a few souls had bellied up to the counter for an eye-opener, so we grabbed a booth. Owner Dinah Osman greeted us and dropped off menus. There was a separate skillet section that looked enticing and, in a true blast from the past, liver and onions. Monica, our server, took our order and struck up a conversation. After 50 years in the restaurant business, she didn’t miss a beat, clipping our ticket to the order wheel before moving on to the next table. Dinah worked the room, too.
“How are you, sunshine?” she said to a regular before stopping to admire photos of their grandkids. Our eggs Benedict and kielbasa omelet arrived soon after, and we had some work to do.

We continued down the trail for a bit, then diverted onto a gravel road. With Lakeville only about 20 miles south of the Twin Cities, it didn’t take long for the scenery to turn rural, and we pedaled past fields and farms on the way to our next stop.

The main attraction at Lavender Barnyard was not in bloom quite yet, but the farm was worth a stop anyway, and what the plants lacked in flowers, owner Marie Schuhwerck made up for in enthusiasm. That is exactly the attitude it took to experiment with a crop that typically doesn’t grow in Minnesota’s agricultural zones and be successful at it. Marie gave us a tour of the farm and the small field holding more than 500 plants and 13 varieties of lavendula. The plants were just beginning to wake up from a long winter, but brushing our hands across the stems released the familiar aroma.

“Each variety has a distinctly different smell,” she told us.
We tested that theory on two different plants and, sure enough, the scents varied ever so slightly. We eventually parted ways because Marie had to prepare for a wedding ceremony scheduled at the farm later that day. Once the plants bloom, she said, things pick up quickly. Yoga sessions in the lavender patch return, the bees arrive, and harvest season begins.

It was back onto the gravel road with Farmington as our next destination, where we visited a bakery that’s been around since 1933. The display cases at Sweet Kneads by Farmington Bakery were brimming with pastry delights in every shape imaginable, more than 100 varieties by a quick count. Baked, fried, sugared, frosted, sprinkled, stuffed, dipped, dusted, and chocolate-studded, they beckoned from behind the gleaming glass. 

Donuts, macaroons, revel bars, long johns, whoopie pies, and other confections competed for attention while the sweet aroma of donuts mingled with the scent of freshly baked bread. It was a combination so intoxicating it scrambled my thoughts for a moment.
We sat at sidewalk tables and enjoyed our fritters. Paired with coffee from Beans and Boots coffee shop around the corner, it made for a delicious rest stop.

Back in Lakeville after a short trail ride, we stopped at Downtown Bicycles and visited with owner Tom Bisel. I needed a quick adjustment of my bike seat and Tom was ready with the right tool. Downtown Bicycles has been a staple in Northfield for years, and the Lakeville location had only recently opened. With Lakeville’s growing trail network and eager biking population, expanding here seemed like a natural fit.

In downtown Lakeville, the intoxicating smell of international cuisine had drawn a crowd to a lot on Howland Avenue. Thirty-five vendors offered everything from the humble Pronto Pup, “A Banquet on a Stick,” to pupusas and wood-fired pizza. Music drifted from a tent across the street where crafters had set up shop. It was the place to be, and the crowd flowed around the parked trucks browsing menus.

Gaggles of teenage girls stood in line for smoothies, moms and dads hauled around kids plastered with cotton candy by the cartful, and frazzled food truck newbies tried to make sense of it all. The hum of generators mingled with the scent of candy apples, barbecue, and wood-fired pizza baked in a brick oven grafted onto the back of a retired school bus. We were ready for a culinary journey and traveled around the world with pupusas from El Salvador, Puerto Rican pincho chicken skewers, tropical Hawaiian shakes, and fried momo, Tibetan dumplings.

After that meal we needed some serious chilling, so we hopped back on the trail and rode to Antlers Park. USA Today had recently named the beach at Antlers Park the country’s best, and when we rolled in, we saw why. The shores of Lake Marion were beautiful and the sandy beach was spotless, but that was only part of the appeal. Modern bathroom facilities, rental spaces, an outdoor gas fireplace area with rocking chairs, and little shelters, hammock poles, and benches were spread throughout the expansive green park. The beach even had a wheelchair ramp and a dedicated spigot for rinsing sandy feet.

It also happened to be opening day for LBC on the Lake, a satellite outdoor bistro operated by Lakeville Brewing Company on the plaza by the main building. We claimed a spot on the covered patio and ordered a round of drinks. The day was made for the beach, sunny and warm, and it seemed like everyone who wasn’t at the Food Truck Fest was hanging out here. It was a fitting end to a week that, in true Minnesota fashion, had started with a frost warning.

The beach cast of characters had assembled and the people-watching was sublime. There was the obligatory sunburned girl, shirtless bros playing hacky sack, the large grilling family, and the boy who dropped his ice cream and stood there crying, holding an empty cone. We lingered until the sun nearly disappeared behind the lake and people gathered around the flickering flames of the gas fireplace.

The Jacksons’ “Blame It on the Boogie” was playing at The Better Half when we walked in Sunday morning. Downtown Lakeville was still sleeping, but inside the restaurant the brunch crowd was fully awake. The open, modern space centered around a bar where locals had gathered for one of the restaurant’s famous Bloody Marys, and we found a table in the back corner.

After a long and busy Saturday we settled in, ready to nurse our coffees while we waited for our Sunday brunch, but the food arrived so quickly we thought it belonged to someone else. The menu featured standard breakfast fare, but we were feeling fancy-free that morning and had ordered the lobster Benedict and a chorizo bowl instead. After a second cup of coffee, we moved on to our final act, a visit to the mountain bike trails at Buck Hill in nearby Burnsville.

There was, however, an emergency stop at Cream of the Cakes, a small bakery and dessert shop selling cupcakes, cakes, and other sweet treats. We zeroed in on the whoopie pies, available in chocolate and lemon, and they made the perfect fuel for a little off-roading.

Buck Hill, a natural glacial moraine, has attracted skiers since before it became the ski resort of the same name. From its humble beginnings in 1954, the resort has expanded to include 11 lifts that ferry skiers to the top, where they can choose from 15 downhill runs.

Mountain biking is a relatively new addition to the hill, trail manager Tim Larson told us when we met him in the parking lot. In an effort to put some of the idle property to use when the snow is gone, he and other volunteers have carved a fledgling mountain bike trail system into the wooded hills.

Our ride began with a zigzag climb up one of the grassy slopes until we were eye-level with the water tower that supplies Buck Hill’s snowmaking operations. We then dropped into the woods and followed the squiggly track through the northwestern corner of the property. Tim tagged along, pointing out features like the French drains that make sure water has somewhere to go so it doesn’t erode the hills. At one point, the three of us hit a pinch point where three trail undulations met, and we all passed each other, seemingly going different directions at once. We popped back out of the woods on top of the hill, where the view opened up. Tim had to go, but we rode the loop one more time just for kicks.

At Buck Hill’s restaurant, Buck 54, we shared the patio with a lively lunch crowd enjoying the sunny afternoon and the view of the grassy slopes. Lunch was in order, and a taco salad, BLT, and a couple of drinks hit the spot while we de-briefed about the last couple of days.

We found out first hand why so many people choose to live in Lakeville. The trail system connects nearly everything, making it easy to spend an entire day outside without loading the bikes onto a car rack. Add in places like Antlers Park and many other green spaces, thriving local restaurants, and easy access to both nature and the metro, and Lakeville emerges a destination in its own right.

For help planning your trip to Lakeville, go to the Visit Lakeville website.