Summer stock plays on stage and in nature

The Alexandria area boasts huge, fish-laden ponds such as Lake Darling and Lake Carlos. The level-graded Lake Wobegon/Central Lakes regional bike trail will take you 35 miles in either direction along water-dotted countryside: northwest to Fergus Falls or southeast to St. Joseph. And there's the venerable Theatre L'Homme Dieu, the half-century-old collaboration with St. Cloud State University that features summer stock through Aug. 9 for those who need a respite from sunburn and mosquito bites (www.tlhd.org). Did I leave out Christopherson's Big Fish Bait Shop and the Runestone Museum, proof enough for some that Norwegians are the most intrepid explorers?

Why go now?

Minnesota is dotted with burgeoning wineries of varying quality. However, it's the Alexandria area's particular good fortune to have Carlos Creek, which produces well-received wines made from grapes grown on the 200-acre spread (some blended with California grapes). This Friday, new owners Kim and Tami Bredeson will pour samples of their newest wines and serve Scandinavian treats for their Syttende Mai eve event. This fall, the vineyard's popular grape stomp, dubbed the Minnesota Food and Wine Festival, takes place Sept. 12, 13 and 14, with music on three stages, 200-plus craftsmen and food vendors, and a grape-stomping competition. The Carlos Creek grounds feature a California ranch-style wine bar, with indoor and outdoor seating, a wine cave and 800 apple trees.

The winery, featuring tours and complimentary tasting, is open year-round from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday (www.carloscreekwinery.com; 1-320-846-5443).

Fishing is still No. 1

Fishing is a year-round pursuit in the Alexandria lakes area. And this doesn't have to be a pricey escape into the outdoors if you've got a good tent. You don't even need a boat. Shoreline fishing abounds on several lakes.

Lake Carlos State Park, which encloses the northern end of Lake Carlos, is a beautiful spot in which to pitch a tent and put in your boat. The park's 1,305 acres lie within a transition area spanning woods to prairies on the southwest and the coniferous forest to the northeast. It is dotted with woodland ponds, marshes, meadows and lakes cradled among the hills. Visitors can hike or ski from a tamarack bog to open grassland to forested ridges, all within minutes.

Other outdoor activities

One third of Minnesota's 80 mammals and more than 150 species of birds inhabit Lake Carlos State Park, and you'll see at least some of them along the Central Lakes Trail that stretches from Osakis, a few miles south of Alexandria, to Fergus Falls on the north. It's about 55 mostly flat miles on what was once a Burlington Northern railroad line. Another 40 miles or so of bike trail, dubbed the Lake Wobegon Regional Trail, runs south from Osakis to St. Joseph (www.mntrails.com).

Rainy day stuff to do

At the classic Runestone Museum, merchandise at the gift store includes numerous books and testimonials to the Norwegian explorers who were said to have discovered America long before Columbus and traveled inland as far as Alexandria. For more information on the museum, go to www. runestonemuseum.org. Downtown Alexandria boasts bookstores, antique shops, general merchandisers and several home-grown restaurants.