La Crosse Wisconsin: October 15-16

Woodchuck in the park on the La Crosse riverfront

 La Crosse Wisconsin was the destination for our last 2014 Corvette overnight. Perfect midwestern fall weather graced our sunny ride along the Mississippi River.  After some debate, we chose the Minnesota side of the river for the outbound trip and returned home through Wisconsin.


View from Grandad Park, La Crosse

We went right to the river after arriving in La Crosse. People were walking along the shore, and a couple of little woodchucks foraged in the park. Our Holiday Inn hotel room wasn't ready when we checked in, so we had a drink at the bar where the bartender suggested we visit Grandad Park for a great view. Spectacular is more like it: the Mississippi River and vistas that include Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, though I -- geographically challenged -- wasn't sure which was which.

We weren't really hungry enough for our dinner at the Freight House: sirloin steak for Bob, prime rib for me; salad bar and baked potato for each of us. The evening was still warm when we left the restaurant.

After a swim the next morning, we waited a little for the heavy fog to lift and were surprised that the temperature was already about 60F. Bob took the roof off the Vette at Lake Pepin in front of the Pickle Factory, so we rode the rest of the way home in an "open" vehicle.

Sandhill crane: that's my story and I'm stickin' to it

My favorite stop was at Rieck's Park, where an observant birdwatcher claimed to have seen green winged teal, which I think I saw myself, though I couldn't be sure. I took few photos, including several of what may have been a sandhill crane in the marsh. Later, I learned sandhill cranes had been observed a few weeks earlier at Anderson Berry Farm in Isanti, 125 miles NW of Alma, so the speculation seemed reasonable.

By the time we walked in the door in late afternoon, it was summer on the deck and we opened the windows to let in the day's heat.

Perfect Fall Day

A little slice of Minnesota and Wisconsin

We stored the boat on Saturday. This is usually a quick "allez-retour" because we usually take the Corvette at the same time. However, the weather has been so lovely this fall that we decided to keep the little Vette for another week and do a little day trip after dropping off the boat.

Kanabec County farmland (I think)

Isanti is a kind of gateway to the north, so we had a few choices for the day's ride. We settled on St. Croix State Park, where we once spent many weekends in the long ago motorhome days of the nineties.

The drive to Hinckley on Highways 47 and 23 was unfamiliar to us, rolling in Kanabec county past colorful trees and farmland. Cattle grazed in apparent contentment as temperatures rose rapidly to the fifties. We reached St. Croix State Park before noon. The air was filled with the scent of pine, dried leaves and sensory memories of camping days.

St. Croix State Park landscape

We walked along the still familiar St. Croix River bluff trail and rode over to the old swimming beach, where I could still, in my mind's eye, see kids playing and a little fawn lying quietly beside the water on the other side. A couple of cyclists were resting on an empty bench.

We reluctantly left the park and crossed to the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix. By now we were getting hungry and happy to stop at the Pour House in Siren for a BLT lunch. Traffic was much heavier as we rode into the sun began its evening descent in the west.

I closed my eyes for a few minutes and enjoyed the delicious luxury of sleeping in the car as Bob drove toward home. The gloriously perfect fall day was total gift.

Michigan Junket: Beating Stormy Weather



Planter on the deck at Lac La Belle Lodge

Pics We congratulated ourselves this morning when the early fog burned off and the sun shone brightly on the lake. It was almost hot by the time we left the Marquette Hampton, but the sky was soon overcast and the wind began to blow. Didn't feel it at all in the Corvette, though. Soon rain was falling and I was happy that there wasn't too much traffic on the road.

I think I would have been happy to head home to Minnesota by the time we reached Houghton, but Bob was eager to show me Lac Labelle and Copper Harbor, where he snowmobiled for so many years. On we pressed. I wished that I hadn't forgotten my umbrella in my car the day we left.

Even in the rain, the drive was beautiful, with leaves changing color along the route, as fall began to impose its presence on the land. When we stopped for lunch in the Bear Belly Bar & Grill at Lac La Belle Lodge . I had a great bowl of chili and Bob enjoyed his BLT. We both ordered a glass of local beer, both delicious.



Brockway Mountain

By the time we finished lunch, the sky had cleared and we were soon riding in full sunshine. We drove into, but didn't visit, For Wilkins, where the ranger steered us toward Brockway Mountain. We made our way along Hwy 26, south to Eagle River, where we turned away from Lake Superior. Views of Lake Superior were spectacular. A lone kayaker paddled silently as the waves lapped lightly on the sandy beach.

By this time, I was fading fast but Bob's stamina has been increasing with each day, and I was afraid that he still had a couple of hundred miles in him. Fortunately, he was ready to stop in Houghton. We made a nostalgic stop at the Ramada Inn in Hancock, an old snowmobile stop across the Portage River from Houghton. We were assailed by the mildew and decades of cigarette smoke locked in well used furnishings, and my heart sank, thinking that the lovely bridge and river view would trump a less scenic hotel down the road.

I needn't have worried. After a few minutes waiting for a front desk service rep, the oppressive odors and seedy appearance of the place did their job, and Bob decided he couldn't stay there. We made our way to the new Country Inn and Suites, where our king room still has a new hotel smell. No view or ambience, but clean comfort counts for something.

Michigan Junket: Pat's Bar & Grill

Pat's Bar & Grill

Pics We were a little hungry Wednesday evening, but not hungry enough to have a big meal. I persuaded Bob to stop at Pat's Bar & Grill, which looked like too much of a dive for his taste but, not surprisingly, seemed like my kind of bar.

The bar runs the length of the place and the kitchen is off to the side. One young girl was running the whole show: the bar, the kitchen, the pool tables, video gambling. Bob ordered a scotch & soda, and I a gin & tonic. The soda and tonic were both flat, and the drinks were served in small bar glasses that looked as though they should have a Coca Cola logo on them. Drink prices were taped to each bottle.

We ordered burgers and one order of fries, made from fresh potatoes. Delicious. Hot. Loaded with calories. I had a second g & t, which tasted better than the first. We left the server a good tip and complimented her ability to manage the bar with no apparent effort or stress.

A satisfying evening.

Michigan Junket: Scenic Route to Marquette

Bob & Cath on Lake Superior

Pics We left a little later Wednesday morning and were treated to another glorious day. The ride along the shore was beautiful, and the heat of the day simply intensified our enjoyment of the day. We stopped in the early afternoon for lunch, and decided that we would prefer to eat in one of the parks near Munising. A few minutes later, we were having our Subway sandwiches in the municipal park just outside the city.



View from Hampton Inn balcony

Along the way, I managed to break the GPS connector so we are now without a GPS. Minor panic, but no matter, I wanted a more updated GPS anyway. We stopped at the tourist information center outside Marquette and were both impressed with the knowledge and enthusiasm of the two employees who truly love their area.

The Hampton Inn is new and beautiful and pricey, but the view, location and free breakfast are well worth the premium price. We had hoped to see divers from the cliffs north of town, but we managed to miss any divers who might have been performing. The shores of the lake are beautiful here, and very characteristic of Lake Superior in general.

Michigan Junket: Mackinac Island Memories

Mackinac Island's downtown, less bustling in September

Pics When Bob and I were married in 1983, we had little money but lots of energy and creativity. Our honeymoon hotel was an old Nimrod camper, difficult to set up and cramped inside, but we had beautiful weather in the week before the Fourth of July and I remember thinking how much I love being outdoors. One of our stops was Mackinac Island.


Iroquois Hotel, where we had lunch at the Carriage House

Bob photographed the Mackinac Bridge with his old Canon as we drove across, and I imagined myself careening over the edge into Lake Michigan.  I don't remember where we camped; Bob says he thinks there was a campground in St. Ignace at the time so perhaps it was there. My only previous experience on a ferry was rocking and heaving across the Bay of Fundy in the winter, so I was pleasantly surprised by the short crossing to the Island.

The main street was just as crowded and bustling then as it was today, but we rented bicycles to ride around the island. I was extremely apprehensive, since my only previous bike experience as an adult had exacerbated my chronic knee pain. Bob raised the bike seat and I discovered the joy of riding a bike without stress on the knees. I was amazed that I could ride 8 miles so quickly; I think we went around twice.



The Grand Hotel

Seven years ago, we returned to Mackinac Island, camping once again in our little Palomino tent trailer. This time we had our own bikes and we simply unloaded and began our ride right off the ferry. Same Main Street crowding on a very hot summer day, but the crowds dissipated once we began the ride. No photos of that ride, though: my first digital camera stopped working at our fist stop and the ensuing near panic attack did put something of a damper on my enjoyment. It was my first realization that I sometimes miss the moment as I record it for the future. By this time, I was an experienced rider and amazed that a quarter of a century had left its marks, so many of them good ones.



State park is an oasis of calm on the island

On this visit, the crowds were more manageable because September had arrived and lines for the ferry weren't long. The delicious lunch and horse carriage ride, described in another post, were lovely and I didn't have to stand in line to buy fudge, the first time I've ever given into the temptation to do so.

Mackinac Island's natural beauty is breathtaking. Shoppers might enjoy the bustle of Main Street but others will prefer the magnificent views only a short distance from downtown. I haven't yet visited the Grand Hotel, as I find the fee to visit the porch, dress code after six and other rules too cumbersome for my taste. Next time, perhaps in lilac season.

Michigan Junket: Afternoon on Mackinac Island

We waited for the ferry at the dock near our hotel

Pics We crossed from the mainland to Mackninac Island on a newer ferry, a jet boat with a large rooster tail. The last time we were here seven years ago, there were only a few jet boats, but they now seem to make up most, if not all, of the Star Line's Mackinac Island fleet.



We crossed to the island on a ferry like this one

We were hungry by the time we got to the island, as it was nearly 2:00 p.m., so we stopped immediately at the Carriage House. The food (whitefish sandwich for Bob, BLT for me) and Fat Tire beer was excellent, and so was the service. We dined in the garden and were so relaxed and happy there that we even had dessert, the restaurant's daily special, a superb Michigan peach sundae.

After lunch, Bob booked us on a carriage ride, something he's been wanting to do since way before our last visit to the island. My objections were predictable though unfounded: I was afraid the horses might be maltreated and I didn't want to be a party to animal abuse.

I was happy to be wrong in my assessment of the island's horses. In fact, the horses seem healthy and  beautifully cared for. I loved the ride around the island, especially after we transferred carriages at the top of the hill and took a tour through Mackinac Island State Park.



All the horses on the island are owned by the same person and live in the same stable

The only bad surprise: we were dumped close to Fort Mackinac and told to find our way back down the steep hill to the village below.  A second option involved a wait of 30 minutes plus an additional 45 minutes to ride down to the Main Street, which wasn't really an option at all as we had about 30 minutes to catch the 5:30 ferry to the mainland.
Bob's soon to be replaced right knee wasn't up to the challenge, so he held on to me for part of the perilous walk down the path. Fortunately we arrived without incident, despite a fit of the giggles about half way into the treacherous descent.

I enjoyed the carriage ride much more than I had ever expected, but Bob found it a little long, though not as long as he would have it we'd waited for another carriage to take us down the hill.

Michigan Junket: Escanaba to Mackinaw City

Mackinac Bridge

Pics The sun was shining when we checked out of our Best western room on Tuesday morning, so we were looking forward to our drive to Mackinaw City.

Hamilton Hotel from the ferry dock.

The road was busier than we had anticipated, and Bob passed dozens of cars along the way, between the designated passing zones. We stopped a couple of times before the Mackinac Bridge to enjoy the lakeshore and admire the beautiful suspension bridge from a distance.

We decided to check into our hotel early, so that we wouldn't be scrambling for a room at the end of the day. Bob had picked  the Hamilton Hotel for its location directly on the beach, beside the ferry dock. Our beautiful, brand new room was inexpensive ($109), partly because of a $30 AAA coupon. We both thought it was the greatest beachfront room we had ever stayed in, surpassing even another favorite, the Monterey Beach Resort.

Michigan Junket: Crossing Wisconsin

Pics We got off to a fairly early start on Labor Day. The air was so full of moisture from the previous night's rain that I felt wet before we even loaded the car. I swept puddles off the deck and we finished our packing. Off at 8:28 and into Wisconsin before 9:00.

The day was overcast and ominous clouds filled the sky in the east. Sure enough, we did hit a few sprinkles from time to time but also saw a little sun. We took Hwy 51 north from Wausau but headed east earlier than usual, on Hwy 64. The two-way road was a little congested for part of the route, until Labor Day travelers branched off for Green Bay. Our only delays were due to route confusion around Eau Claire on Hwy 29 and a Hwy 64 detour that temporarily took us a little south of the main road.

Our decision to take Hwy 35 rather Hwy 41 up the coast from Menonomie, MI, was a little disappointing. We picked it for the "scenic route" along Lake Michigan, the most of the scenery was blocked by private properties along on the lake. By the time we entered the eastern time zone north of Fox, we were a little frazzled and ready to stop for the night.

Confusion ensued. I somehow figured that a Best Western in the AAA book was the same Escanaba motel as one we have stayed in seven years ago, on the Lake Michigan shore. By then it was pouring rain and we drove around, somewhat aimlessly, as I tried to follow the GPS and Bob was convinced that it was leading us away from the lake, which it was. We saw a couple of real dumps north of Escanaba and I imagined myself on a mildewed mattress watching the rain fall.

 By now, tensions were somewhat high. We followed GPS instructions back downtown, rejected the Comfort Suites (no restaurant) and ended up at Best Western, mostly because of the onsite restaurant, which was, in fact, closed for Labor Day. Damn.

Moods lightened with a little scotch & soda and a swim in the large, empty pool. No view, but a king bed with nice bedding was very comfortable.