We had a great time kayaking using the equipment from Floaters! They provide everything you needread more

From the owner: Enjoy the beauty of Big Lake from the water! Big Lake offers…read morebeautiful beaches, parks and recreation but not everyone has a way to get "out on the water" or throughout the parks to cover large areas of ground! FLOATERS gives everyone equal chance to get wet and soak up the sun with a leisurely paddle in a Kayak or on a Paddleboard, you can even hit the lake for a few hours of fishing from a tailor made fishing kayak. Not interested in watersports? We have tandem bikes that can get you around the paved paths and sidewalks in the parks or to some of our great Big Lake amenities like ice cream, burgers, beer or shopping. Rentals are by the hour but can be rented for 1/2 or full days- what better way to take in the scenery of what gave our town its name? Not available during our normal business hours? Call to make an appointment when we are typically closed! Just to note- Big Lake Beach has a $5 parking fee for a single vehicle- this fee helps keep our beach and parks beautiful!

Very close to my Bed & Breakfast. Guests love to rent bikes when they can't bring their own.read more

I returned to Wai Nani for their Excelsior location this time (previously enjoyed Wayzata). I had a…read morereservation for 4pm, but was late due to not being able to find the rental spot. The website lists the address as 135 Lake St, Excelsior, MN, but based on Apple Maps their location is more accurately described as West Lake Street or First Street, as there is a baseball diamond at 135 Lake Street. We called the company for help as we were lost and to let them know we were running late as a result, and they were unsympathetic but eventually got us to the right spot (albeit late for an only one hour reservation). The two students working said we still ONLY had the time remaining for our hour reservation (i.e. until 5pm) so we had lost the time we couldn't find the location and made no accommodation for us, although they also noted there were no reservations after ours. I completely understand needing to avoid a scheduling conflict, but I certainly wished for a little more understanding after not finding the location since they clarified we wouldn't create an issue by simply pushing our reservation back 20 minutes (if that would have been allowed).

In the dead of winter, the art shanties are a fun activity at Lake Harriet. Always new and…read moresurprising shanties that come from the creative minds of the artists. You can dance, dress up and sing, learn about what lives below the ice, be a cat, cast a spell with Taylor Swift lyrics, and help aliens understand humans. This event epitomizes how Minnesotans don't let freezing temps keep them from enjoying the lake and expressing their creativity.

Minnesotans really know how to throw events no matter rain, shine, or winter. Reflecting on this…read morepast winter reminded me of the surreal experience of standing on top of this frozen lake having moved from a two season state. If you've never been when it's frozen over I would highly recommend coming during their kite festival which also happens during the art shanty exhibits. If you show up to the kite festival on a whim, no worries, the park will have kites for sale. I would highly encourage coming with footwear that has good traction or added cat tracks to get secure grip on the ice.

Just tried out their new Paddleboard Yoga this weekend at Boom Island during the Stone Arch Bridge…read moreArt Festival. It was a blast. Austin guided me out into the Mississippi and we went through a couple basic yoga moves that are incredibly more challenging with the core-burning lateral instability of a paddleboard. As long as you're not afraid to fall into the water, (and in summer, how could you be?) this is the coolest way to practice yoga I've experienced yet. They're just getting started, so look for them in a waterway near you very soon!

From the owner: Eating, drinking, and paddleboarding…read more Paddle Pub Tours are an amazing way to experience the Mississippi River with the people you love most.

We rented kayaks for a two hour trip down the Mississippi. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Good…read moreequipment and directions. Would come again.

We just love this company! We utilized their shuttle services to take us and our kayaks North on…read morethe Mississippi so we could do a sweet 5 mile paddle back down yesterday. Super friendly and helpful staff! Lots of great kayaks and canoes for sale and rent in their shop, as well as cool gear (and more!) in their fun gift shop. We will definitely be back!

A local friend (Jan) recommended Riverwood while traveling through WI. Great recommendation. Had…read moreto call to make a change to my reservation, call promptly answered and accommodated. Crew were great, nice and friendly. We had a beautiful time kayaking down the river, it took us about 3 hours. Beautiful day, river was absolutely wonderful and very scenic. Highly recommend Riverwood.

The staff is very helpful with providing the shuttle and carrying the kayak and equipment to the…read morelaunch point and from the exit point

My brother in law has been going to Bay Rentals for years to rent jet skis and brought us to…read moreexperience a day on the lake. We had so much fun and the jet skis were fast and in good shape. The employees were friendly and Kent, the owner, is a great guy. We'll come back every year now.

Overall we got to have fun on the lake but I will say these machines are a bit beat up and seem to…read moreneed a tune up. As I would turn the machine would lose a lot of power and my partner ran out of gas with a hour left, so they didn't fill up both machines asine still had half a tank left. $600 deposit and make sure to take a good video of the machines. The process of receiving instruction was a little odd as a younger kid was giving us rules then a seemingly drunk older man in a truck kept talking over him who I assume is the owner? Kind of a weird dynamic going on here. The process of taking off and riding was good no issues there.

Duane was extremely friendly, helpful, and punctual. Excellent service and equipment. We definitely…read moreplan to come back and see him again. 10/10. If you enjoy supporting local businesses this is the way to go.

Duane, the owner, was super responsive and made our day so easy! We called at 10AM and we were on…read morethe water by 1:00. He met us at a boat ramp that worked well for us and the rental rate was really affordable. Great service at an affordable price, highly recommend.

Mike & Jamie were fantastic hosts. Had a memorable afternoon on the lake with 12 family members…read morefrom 9 to 50 yrs old with most of us were first time for surfing. Mike did a great job making sure everyone was a master before the end of the trip. We will be back again next year!!

An absolutely wonderful time! The yoga was definitely worth getting up early for. It was the best…read morestart to my day I've had in a long time. I wish I was from here because I would do it all the time! :D