Visit bluffs, hiking, camping, fishing, scenic river drives, canoeing, wildlife, limestone bluffs and rocky uplands, and traditional “unprettified” small towns.
Although maybe not for everyone, a trip of the Great River Road (GRR) offers much compared to the average interstate. It changes route frequently, crossing the Mississippi River when it can, and dallying in towns all other roads have forgotten. Driving the GRR, road trippers can escape creeping RVs, semi trucks, and endless billboards usually found on other routes. Other rewards include wildlife and local color.
The Great River Road was created in 1938 from a network of state, federal, and local roads. The drive (also famous as the River Road) forms a single route along the Mississippi. Showing off the 10 states
bordering the Mississippi, the GRRs alter from two- and four-lane freeways to unpaved track. The 100-mile drive from Prescott, where it crosses the St. Croix River, to La Crosse, is the part that extends across southwestern Wisconsin. Heading south on Route 35, the GRR crosses a portion of the scenic glacial plain. The fertile soil here is a result of “drift,” a pulverized soil left by the ice sheets. Farther south, the road enters a place known as the “Driftless Region,” a pocket of rocky uplands and limestone bluffs, beginning around a town called Maiden Rock. Along this 100-mile stretch, one gets a close-up view of the great Mississippi for longer periods than anywhere on the route.
Small towns, some with a total population under 100, all contend for the “Main Street USA” claim to fame. For some of these towns, the GRR is their lone street. Not prettied-up for tourists, these small towns along the margin are original. Most have at least a roadhouse with a neon beer sign in the window and one gas station. In addition to the riverside scenery, Stockholm has a duplicate of the “Little House on the Prairie” log cabin and Amish crafts. Alma offers an observation platform over Dam No. 4 and Lock. In Trempealeau, you can have dinner and book for the night at the Historic Trempealeau Hotel, Restaurant and Saloon, the only survivor of a downtown fire in 1888. If you can sneak past the plethora of modern America such as gas, fast food, and lodging establishments into downtown La Crosse, you will find century-old structures still standing. Two miles east of Main Street lies Grandad Bluff, offering a majestic view of the city and the Mississippi from 590 feet up.
Stops Along the Way:
Beginning around the second weekend in May, Trempealeau’s annual outdoor music series features established name bands throughout the summer months. Rent bikes or canoes and navigate either the 100-mile network of paved trails, or canoe the Long Lake Canoe Trail.
Starting Point:
Prescott, WI
Distance of Drive:
131 miles
Must Eat:
Bodega Brew Pub
244 4th Street, La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: 608-782-0677
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Good Stop For: 400 bottled beers, 10 microbrews
This is a stop for when the day’s driving is over
Best Time of Year for Drive:
Autumn and summer are both beautiful seasons for this 100-mile drive from Prescott to La Crosse. The leaves in Fall are spectacular, and you’re likely to hit one or more Oktoberfests.
Points of Interest on Drive:
Scenic river drives, bluffs, trees, camping, hiking, and fishing, abound on the Great River Road. La Crosse, by far the largest town along the 100-mile route, has much to see and do, including the Heileman Brewery (608/782-BEER), right on the GRR at 1111 S. 3rd Street, Museum of Modern Technology (608/785-2340), and La Crosse Doll Museum (608/785-0020), among others.
Resorts:
Historic Trempealeau Hotel, Restaurant and Saloon, Trempealeau, WI (608/534-6898)
Tagged with: best time:summer and fall • camping • fishing • hiking • Wisconsin
Filed under: Best Road Trips