Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (Bike MN) and Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) are hosting a bike camping trip from St. Paul, MN to LaCrosse, WI, returning via AmTrack train.

If you're interesting in going on this fantastic adventure down the Mississippi River trail, get on it!  Registration will be closed after 90 participants sign up, or until July 31, 2012.

From the Bike MN website:

August 28-30, 2012 : Saint Paul to LaCrosse

The Mississippi River Trail (MRT) is a world-class bicycle route that originates at the headwaters within Itasca State Park and continues through ten states to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. It is a 3,000-mile network of bicycle-friendly roads and multi-use paths that provides a cross-section of America.

Be one of the first adventurers to try the MRT this summer pedaling 150 miles of the route from Saint Paul to LaCrosse with an additional 50-mile option to touch the Iowa border. Appreciate the grandeur of the river bluffs that frame your journey as you follow river boats through the towns of Hastings, Red Wing, Lake City, Wabasha, Winona, La Crescent, and La Crosse, WI. We have selected two fun and scenic “on the river” campgrounds, including one with a beach on Lake Pepin, plus breakfasts, dinners, and a pizza party on the La Crosse Queen Paddleboat to celebrate our trip. Put your feet up Thursday night for a sunset return on the AMTRAK Empirebuilder and enjoy your panoramic view.

Your fee of $229 ($219 for BikeMN members) includes:

• Three days of enjoying the MRT along the Mississippi and the towns along the way.
• Spacious campground space in Lake City and Winona with bathrooms, showers, and indoor dining.
• Kickoff breakfast on the river, plus two breakfasts, two dinners, and the pizza party on the paddleboat.
• Optional scheduled stops at points of interest like Frontenac and Great River Bluffs State Parks, a lock an dam, and the National Eagle Center.
• Local entertainment each evening in our campsites.
• Support, maintenance, and baggage transfer along the route.
• “Base Camp” all day in LaCrescent with bike security until your 7:14pm train departure.
• Reserved, comfortable seat on the Amtrak Empire Builder for your 3 ½ hour ride back to St. Paul.
• Transportation for your bicycle back to Saint Paul.