2009 MONDAY RECREATIONAL SKATES
During the winter, we skate at the Rollerdome on Monday evenings. (If the dome is not open on a Monday, we skate the following Wednesday.) We meet near Gate D, just past the main entrance, at 7 PM. Feel free to arrive whenever you want and to skate before or after our meeting -- we just meet to get acquainted.

Date Place Time Notes

Mar 22 Rollerdome 7:00 PM Upper concourse only

Mar 29 Rollerdome 7:00 PM Upper concourse only

DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAILS

1. Minnehaha Creek Trail, Minneapolis
We will meet on the parking lot above the Highway 55 tunnel in Minnehaha Falls Park. To get there, take Highway 55 (Hiawatha Ave.) south from downtown or north from Highway 62 to the 46th Ave. intersection. Turn east on 46th Ave. and go two blocks to Minnehaha Ave. Turn south (right) on Minnehaha Ave. to the traffic circle. Take a right out of the traffic circle and head west past the Longfellow House. There is a free parking lot on the top of the hill. Additional free parking is available on Minnehaha Parkway south of the traffic circle. (Map and park info)

2. Cedar Lake Trail, Minneapolis
From Highway 100, take I-394 East to the Dunwoody Blvd. exit. Go to the first stop light (no street name is posted) and turn right. Go one block to the first parking lot on your right.
From I-694, take I-94 east to the Hennepin/Lyndale Ave. exit. Go almost 1 mile to Dunwoody Blvd. and turn right. Go to the first stoplight and turn left. Go one block to the first parking lot on your right.
From I-35W or I-35E, take I-94 west to the Lyndale/Hennepin Ave. exit. Stay to the right and turn right onto Lyndale Ave. N. Turn left onto Vineland Place and go 3/10 mile to the Parade Ice Garden building. Turn right and go to the northernmost lot on the left as the road curves to the right. (Map)

3.West River Parkway, Minneapolis
Park at Boom Island. Meet at the northwest corner of the lot. From I-94 just north of downtown: Exit at Broadway and turn right onto Washington Ave. Turn left on Plymouth Ave. Immediately after the bridge, turn right onto Sibley St. and turn into park. OR From the east side of the Mississippi: Follow University Ave. to 8th Ave. NE. Turn west on 8th Ave. NE (go 5 blocks). Turn left onto Sibley St. and into the park. Note that there is a $1 charge for parking in this lot. (Map)

4. Big Rivers Regional Trail, Mendota/Lilydale
Take 35W to crosstown 62. East on 62. south on Hwy 55 to Hwy 13 (Sibley Memorial Hwy.) North on Hwy 13 to Lilydale Road. Turn right onto Lilydale Rd. (Lilydale Rd. is about a half block past the 35E bridge) Follow Lilydale Rd. to the Yacht Club. Drive past the yacht club (do not park there, because the parking lot is private property) north another 3/4 mile into Lilydale Regional Park. Take the first left at a boat launch and park in the parking lot there. . OR Take 35E south to Hwy 13 (Sibley Memorial Highway) Take Hwy 13 east. Once on Hwy 13 there will be an exit (right turn) for Lilydale Rd almost immediately. Follow Lilydale Rd. around past the yacht club and continue another 3/4 mile north as described above.
Once again, DO NOT PARK IN THE LILYDALE YACHT CLUB parking lot. They will get upset and call the police, even if you park on the side of the lot. (Map)

5. Gateway Trail, Oakdale
Take Hwy 36 (east from Minn/St.Paul) to Hadley Ave (the stoplight near the Mills Farm and Fleet). Go South on Hadley (only 50-100 feet). Take the immediate left (east). The Gateway parking lot is down this lane a couple hundred feet on the right-it is visible, but secluded by trees. (Map)

6. Northern Corridor Trail
We meet at Oak Grove Park in Brooklyn Park, roughly about the midpoint of the trail.
To get there, take Highway 169 north to Highway 610. Go east about 1 1/2 miles to Zane Avenue (County Road 14) and turn north. Oak Grove Park is about a mile north and on the left hand side of the road, just past 101st Avenue North. (Map)

7. Lake Calhoun / Lake of the Isles
Parking Lot on the West Side of Lake Calhoun (parking lot is for the Lake Calhoun Executive Center 3033 Excelsior Blvd.) From I-394, go south on 100 ( 2miles) to Hwy 7 and 25 (7 goes west, 25 goes east). Go east on 25 (~1.4 miles) to Market Plaza (5th stoplight). Go right on Market Plaza 1 block and the parking lot is straight ahead. OR from 494, go north on Hwy 100 to Hwy 7 & 25. Follow 25 east to Market Plaza (5th stoplight). Go right on Market Plaza 1 block and the parking lot is straight ahead. OR from the east or downtown, get onto Lake St. and go west. After going around the north end of Lake Calhoun, Lake St. branches to the right and Excelsior Blvd. branches to the left. Bear left on Excelsior Blvd, go about 1/2 block and turn left into the parking lot. Note that we also use this parking lot for Lake of the Isles and the Friday Fitness Skate. (Map)

8. LRT Trail (Hopkins)
From Highway 169 between I-394 and I-494 exit on Excelsior Blvd. and go west about half a mile to 8th Ave. Turn left into the Park & Ride lot. The skate starts from the Park & Ride lot. (Map)

9. Rollerdome (Minneapolis)
For information, check out the Rollerdome web site. We meet at 7:00 PM at the bottom of the stairway just beyond Gate D. You're welcome to arrive any time you want and skate as late as you'd like (within their operating hours, of course). (Map)

10. Friday Fitness Skate: Greenway/Cedar Lake Trails
Park at the Lake Calhoun Executive Center as mentioned above in the Lake Calhoun directions. We will be skating the Midtown Greenway, Kenilworth, and Cedar Lake Trails. (Map)

11. South St. Paul Regional Trail
Take I-494 east into South St. Paul. Take the last exit, Hardman Ave., just before you cross the Mississippi River. Turn right (north) onto Hardman Ave., cross under 494, and take the next right by the sign saying "Public Water Access". Follow the road about half a mile to the parking lot. (Map)

12. North Mississippi Regional Park
Located near Lyndale and 53rd Ave. N. in Minneapolis. Take I-94 north of Minneapolis to the 49th & 53rd Ave exit. Follow the exit to N Mississippi Drive (between 49th and 53rd) N Mississippi Drive is the entrance to the park. (Map)

13. Snail Lake Park
Located in Shoreview near Rice Street and Highway 96. Take I-694 (east from I-35W or west from I-35E) to the Victoria Street exit. Turn north on Victoria and go north to County Road F (Snail Lake Blvd.), about 4/10 mile. Turn right (east) on County F and go past the parking lot to the stop sign. Continue straight at the stop sign and turn left at the next park entrance. Follow through the U shaped parking lot to the far end of the U. This is the trailhead for our skate. (Map)

14. Samuel Morgan Regional Trail
Located in downtown St. Paul along the Mississippi River on the north bank of the river. (Or the east bank, if you're a riverboat pilot.) From the west, take I-94 to the Kellogg Blvd. exit. Turn right (south) on Kellogg and follow it to the three-way intersection of Kellogg, West 7th Street, and Eagle Street. Turn right onto Eagle Street, then turn left on Shepard Road. Follow Shepard Road past the light at Jackson Street. The parking lot is on the right. (This was the staging area for the St. Paul Inline Marathon.)
From the east, take I-94 west to the 12th Street exit. Follow the exit to Jackson Street, then turn left and go south on Jackson Street until it ends. Turn left on Warner Road. The parking lot is on the right. (Map)

15. Elm Creek Regional Park
Located in Maple Grove (and Dayton and Champlin). Take Highway 169 north from 694 until it intersects with 81. Turn left on 81 and follow it through Osseo. A few miles west of Osseo, there is a sign for Elm Creek Park Reserve on the right. Turn right on Elm Creek Blvd., then turn right into the park entrance. Follow the road to the Chalet parking lot.

16. Midtown Greenway
Park at the Lake Calhoun Executive Center as mentioned above in the Lake Calhoun directions. We will be skating the Midtown Greenway trail east to the Mississippi River. (Map)

17. Purgatory Creek Recreation Area

From the interchange of Highway 5 and 494 in Eden Prairie, take Highway 5 west about 0.9 mile to Prairie Center Drive. Turn right (south) at the light onto Prairie Center Drive. The parking lot is on the right, just past Ruby Tuesday and Technology Drive. Park near the pavilion. (Map)

18. Victory Memorial Drive and Theodore Wirth Parkway

From I-94 north of downtown Minneapolis, exit at Dowling Ave. Take Dowling west two blocks to Lyndale. Turn right (north) on Lyndale and continue five blocks to Webber Parkway. Turn left (west) on Webber Parkway, and turn right into the first driveway in the park. (Map)

19. Lake Phalen

Take I-35E north out of downtown St. Paul, or south from Maplewood, and exit on Wheelock Parkway (same exit as Larpenteur). Turn east on Wheelock Parkway and continue east 1.9 mile to Phalen Drive. Turn north (left) on Phalen Drive. The parking lot is about 0.6 mile north on the right. Park on the north end of the lot by the pavilion. (Map)

20. Luce Line

Note that we have a new meeting place this year. From Highway 169 north or southbound, take Highway 55 west to West Medicine Lake Road. Turn right (north) on West Medicine Lake Road and continue 0.9 mile to a parking lot on the right. (Map)

21. REI Bloomington (board meeting location)
Board meetings are held at the REI store in Bloomington at 494 and Lyndale. From 35W, take 494 east to the next exit (Lyndale). Turn right at the end of the exit ramp. REI is on the right at the southwest corner of the intersection. We meet in the meeting room in the corner of the store, past footwear and the clearance section. (Directions and map at REI's site.)