My cousin and I hiked the trails along the Mississippi River on the Lilydale Regional Park trails this past Saturday morning. The air was crisp. The fresh early morning snowfall added to the beauty all around us. Several dozen eagles soared above us during our 8 mile hike. We started our walk at the Lilydale Trailhead parking lot and followed the river trail to Harriet Island and Raspberry Island in downtown St. Paul. I was surprised to see year-round houseboats and a bed and breakfast houseboat on the river by Harriet Island. I have now added staying the night on a houseboat to my bucket list. On the loop back to our cars we walked the trail next to Pickerel Lake. Several ice fishing tents resided on the opposite side of the lake. This is a beautiful trail to hike or bike and I cannot wait to revisit in the summer to get a different perspective.