Lake Wobegon® Trail

GRAND OPENING September 30, 1998 in Albany!

Representative Peterson, Representative Oberstar, and over 100 other people biked or roller bladed from Sauk Centre to Albany for the ribbon cutting on September 30th. Garrison Keillor biked from Avon to Albany for the ribbon cutting along with a large group of bikers. Garrison had this to say about the trail and his ride on it: Congratulations to all these people, the Jaycees, and members of the county board and mayors, and township officials all up and down the line who worked so hard to accomplish this beautiful trail. I have only seen about 6 1/2 miles of it, but I saw it on a bicycle that has no low gear, and a bicycle that has a flat tire, and riding into a northwesterly wind, so I feel I paid the price for the little bit of it I've seen". Mr. Keillor graciously signed autographs for the many fans and onlookers. The Jaycees presented Mr. Keillor with a plaque and named him a life time honorary member of the Albany Jaycees.

Refreshments for the opening were provided by the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Albany Jaycees, along with music by the Albany High School Brass Quintet. Many area businesses helped prepare the decorations, food, crowd control, and the setup and cleanup. Representative Oberstar had this to say about the crowd and the trail: "What a wonderful tribute to community sprit to see all these smiling, cheerful faces. It's more than a trail, it's a way of life."