Roadfood in Southwest Wisconsin

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Exploring Wisconsin's Driftless Region 

In my opinion the Midwest is at it's best during the summer months when you can really take full advantage of the Great Lakes and such. But fall is wonderful too when the colors start to change and cider donuts start to pop up at roadside stands and the likes. These are the best times to jump in the car and take a ride around a region typically considered a flyover zone. I did so recently with a weekend trip up to the Driftless region of Wisconsin which is a great place to visit in summer and fall. 

Pics from Wisconsin's Driftless Region

The area is a topographical and cultural region consisting of southwest Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois. It was never covered by ice during the ice age so it lacks the glacial deposits known as drift. It’s more like New England than the typical flatland of the Midwest. Our homebase was Cashton which is in the heart of Driftless Wisconsin located about 40 minutes east of La Crosse. The area is home to Wildcat Mountain State Park as well as the Kickapoo Valley Reserve plus a handful of cheese factories and Wisconsin's largest Amish community. It was pretty cool getting to stay at an Airbnb on a corn farm in the middle of it all. The towns of Viroqua and Westby were 5 and 10 minutes away and each of them are cute places worth staying in if you can find the right spot. Popular activities in the area include some super scenic drives through the rolling hills and canoeing, trout fishing, hunting and some snowmobiling during the winter. It’s also a great replace to sit back and relax. There was something very soothing about sitting on the porch of the airbnb and listening to the sounds of the Amish horse buggies riding by. Oh and the summer sunsets are absolutely spectacular in these parts.

Sunset in Cashton

Food wise this is a pretty desolate area and with that your options are a bit limited. But La Crosse (Pop. 52,000) is close and each little town has a handful of places plus there’s some great butchers and grocery stores carrying locally grown produce. We cooked a meal or two at our place each day after stopping in at Prem Meats in Spring Green and Mr. B’s Smokehouse in Hillsboro on the way up. We got some high quality stuff including steaks, brats, ground beef, bacon. The Viroqua Food Co+op grocery store was a pleasant surprise for local produce and quality products. Plus local farmers sell their stuff at roadside stands and such. You can also stock up on cheese at handfuls of creameries each of them producing something that's won awards somewhere. I should make note of the curds from Old Country Cheese in Cashton which are the squeakiest I’ve ever had. The key to these is staying away from the curds they keep in the fridge and buying the packages on the table up front. The squeak is at it's peak when the curds are at their freshest so you want ones that are still warm.

Pics from the Driftless 

Activities wise we got rain on a couple days but managed to check out most of the popular outdoor spots the highlight of which was a cruise down the Mississippi River from La Crosse into Prairie du Chien. I’ve always been fascinated with river towns especially those on the Mighty Mississippi and we had perfect weather that day. There’s plenty of state parks and places to sit on the river as well as some cool bars and restaurants found up and down both sides of Minnesota and Iowa and Wisconsin.

Pics from the Great River Road 
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Ring's Bar (Plain, WI)

First up was a return to Ring’s in Plain, WI. One hour northwest of Madison on the outskirts of the Driftless Region. It's one of a handful of candidates for my best burger in the state, and the country by extension. What makes these great is the old school broiler device used to make them. That and the fact the beef comes from directly across the street from Straka Meats. Also of note is the locally baked bun that’s soft but stable enough to hold all the liquid that seeps into it. These are thick and juicy and come with a hearty slice of Wisconsin cheddar plus house pickles, onion, brown mustard. Since 1951.

Cheeseburger at Ring's Bar
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Footjoy Farm (Cashton, WI)

It was a Friday Fish Fry when we drove up but the Driftless Region is home to a handful of pizza farms which are popular on weekends in the warmer months. So the truth is the best fish fry's are closer to the Great Lakes and not all the way over here near the Mississippi where most spots serve cod and a few do catfish but there’s no signs of lake perch and few when it comes to walleye. So I decided to check out a Pizza Farm which are popular in these parts. They’re exactly as they sound. This one is also a brewery and the beer is very good but the pizza is why I visited. It’s a base of sourdough made with Ingmar Red and Edison White Wheat sustainably grown on their local farm. Most of the toppings are also locally sourced while the pizza options range from traditional to chef driven. I’m a purist with pizza but will venture out of my comfort zone at places like this so I landed somewhere in the middle as far as the style goes. A supreme is served up with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives, red onions, and mozzarella cheese and I mean no shade when I say that it reminded me of what Digiorno Pizza wants to be. Don’t get me wrong I’d eat this again without qualm but I haven’t had a frozen pizza in a decade and it’s been longer since I ate a Digiorno but that’s what I thought of with this. Maybe it was the supreme toppings or bc this pizza was one of the sturdier versions I've come across in the same way a frozen well done pizza comes out. 

Supreme Pizza at Footjoy Farm
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Neuie's Vogue (La Crosse, WI)

La Crosse is a river town and a brewing town which means there's a ton of bars. I can't confirm this but someone there told me they have the most bars per capita but lots of spots lay claim to that fact. What I can confirm is that at one time La Crosse held the record for most bars on one street in the Guinness Book of World Records. Before riding down the Mississippi we got some breakfast at one of the towns many watering holes. Neuie's Vogue had a nice setup paired with a typical menu that included at least one item you wont find elsewhere, their famous Flash Burger. It's a hamburger steak smothered with mushrooms, onions, green peppers, jalapenos, bacon and cheesy hash browns. Pic'd below is the medium sized offering (the entire length of a full size dinner plate). You could tell this was cooked with care. I ate half of it and was stuffed. Wisconsin bar food is in a weight class all it's own. 

The Flash Burger at Neuie's Vogue
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Pete's Hamburger Stand (Prairie du Chien, WI)

One of the main reasons for my visit to the Driftless was so that I could revisit Pete’s Hamburgers in the Mississippi River town of Prairie du Chien (seriously). Where do we begin with this one? For starters it’s what I believe to be the 2nd oldest hamburger stand in the country dating back to 1909. They make the burgers the same way today that they did back then as the stand and it's old time cooking method is grandfathered in with the town. Fresh balls of beef are cooked on a steaming hot flattop in a puddle of water and onions unlike anywhere else. The end result is a flavor bomb of grilled onions and beef that can’t be beat. No cheese here as cheeseburgers weren’t a thing when they opened 113 years ago. You can add ketchup, mustard, or horseradish mustard but they’re best enjoyed in an unadulterated manner. It was twelve years between visits but they were exactly as I remember them to be - the best hamburgers. I don’t care if the price has almost doubled ($3.25 in 2010) I would pay double today’s price as there’s nothing else like these limited edition burgers available weekends only while the weather is warm.

Hamburger from Pete's Hamburgers 
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Borgen's Cafe (Westby, WI)

The word Westby is Norwegian for "Western City" and Westby Wisconsin is a town where many Norwegians first settled going all the way back to 1848. The town of just 2300 celebrates it's Norwegian roots with statues, gift stores and restaurants like Borgen's Cafe. I decided to try their homemade meatballs in gravy served with lefse on what felt like the first day of Fall. Lefse is a Norwegian style flatbread that can include riced potatoes as well as butter, milk, and lard. This was pretty good comfort food but not anything worth going out of the way for. The lefse was pretty plain. 

Meatballs with Lefse at Borgen's Cafe
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Rockton Bar (La Farge, WI)

Our final stop was another spot I was very much looking forward to checking out. Sunday Charcoal Chicken in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve is a thing and that's bc at the end of every week this bar in the middle of the Driftless Region grills up anywhere from 100 to 200 lbs of chicken attracting bikers, canoers, campers and locals alike. I was a bit disappointed that there was no chicken on the grill when I arrived but the smell of it was was obvious as was the taste which was full of smoke in a way that can only be achieved with live fire being used. The chicken itself was a really good quality but I wanted some jerk sauce or nam jim jaew to go with it. Charcoal chicken dinners have become popular in these parts and I’m pretty sure Rockton Bar is the reason why. It was rather dead on my visit around noon on a Sunday and I soon realized that was because the Packers were playing at 3:15p. 

Pics from Rockton Bar's Sunday Charcoal Chicken Dinner
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Note: Click HERE for a Google Maps Guide to all the spots featured in this post.

See ya next time @chibbqking 

Four More Wisconsin Burgers

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Wisconsin

We're ending July where we ended June. In the great burger state of Wisconsin. Here's a quartet from a trip up the lake last summer. Those paying heavy attention to the style of burger found up and down Lake Michigan (starting in Sheboygan and extending to the WI/MI border) will recognize that style within these next four stops. All of them using fresh patty's of locally butchered beef and char grilling their product before placing it on well buttered hard roll. I'm not sure this regional style has a name so I guess we will call them Sheboygan style burgers. Here's four more in order, from Chicago.

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Manitowoc, WI

Our first stop was a place long on my list. I know Late's has been mentioned as being as good as if not better than Bud Willman's (also in Manitowoc). So this had me interested. I cant find an exact date on Late's but I did find mentions going back to the 60's. As you can see it's pretty dilapidated and the inside is no different. Aside from the burgers the curds are also known to be wonderful. Good? Sure.  Most fresh fried cheese curds are.

Cheese Curds from Late's

The burger however was pretty uninspiring for this style. It was smaller than most and because of that it's basically a requirement to get a double in order to balance the meat to bun ratio. I feel like Late's has seen better days.

Cheeseburger from Late's 

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Moving North the next stop was the best stop of those featured in this post.Here we have a classic Wisconsin tavern that's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Doesn't matter where you are in Wisconsin there's always a bar nearby. And also good burgers.

Denmark, WI

Basil's II has been established since 1984 however the bar burned down in 1993 so they had to do a full rebuild. The original owners sold the business to their sons. The sons last name is Kroll so you have to believe that there's some connection to Kroll's in Green Bay. Especially when you see how they do the burgers which is over a live grill just like Kroll's.

Cheeseburger from Basil's II

I didn't get a chance to ask where Basil's gets their buns from but these were as crunchy as the Cuban bread down in Miami. They worked perfectly on this double which was full of fresh juicy char grilled beef and oozing with cheese. Most other buns would've succumbed to the sloppiness.

The insides

Basil's also does a brat burger and they do so in the traditional Sheboygan way. These are made with a brat patty instead of a split sausage link. So it looks like a burger but taste like a brat. Another fine example of this regional style. Standard toppings include mustard, onion, pickles, butter, and ketchup should you need it. No thanks for me.

Brat Burger from Basil's II

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The next stop takes us outside of Green Bay for a popular place for Packers fans to talk about last weeks game. It's also popular with outdoors men in the area for hunting, fishing, snowmobiling etc.

De Pere, WI

As you can see from the sign the chili is popular at Drift Inn. It's been served the same way since 1978 though the bar itself goes back to the 50's. Of course I had to try a bowl and unless you want to expose yourself as not local you need to order it with everything which means spaghetti on the bottom. Even though I wouldn't serve it like this at home I for one am not offended by spaghetti in chili and can happily enjoy a Midwest blend now and then. I liked this bowl.

House Chili from Drift Inn

Aside from the house chili it's also the burgers that keep customers coming back. Fresh patty's of locally butchered beef are delivered fresh daily. They go over a charcoal grill and if you order the namesake burger you get both a beef patty and a brat patty. A Wisconsin style combo so to say.

The Drift Inn Burger

These too are popular in and around this area as there's been previous places mentioned that also serve them. I like these bad boys but prefer one or the other or better yet one of each served separately. Good food and a fun atmosphere make this a place I'd get back to next time I'm around.

The insides

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Final stop of this round-up takes us to a gas station in Green Bay.

Green Bay, WI

Hill Top Cafe is a pretty nonchalant type place sitting to the side in a BP. I was surprised by how many locals were dining in. Must be a popular place with them. Easy to understand why when your burger comes out. Nothing about this was a standout but everything in it from fresh beef to the locally made bun was above average. In terms of size it was one of the bigger ones as far as circumference goes. Much better than most gas station options when it comes to burgers. Pretty much what you'd expect from a place in a great burger state.

Cheeseburger from Hill Top Cafe

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Late's
1924 S 9th St
Manitowoc, WI 54220
(920) 682-1539

Basil's II
5595 S County Highway P
Denmark, WI 54208
(920) 863-8454

Drift Inn
1535 South Ashland Ave
De Pere, WI 54115
(920) 336-5929

Hilltop Cafe
2278 Bay Settlement Rd
Green Bay, WI 54311
(920) 884-0858

Graze

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Wisconsin

With the Badgers in the Elite 8 and warm weather on the way, we're bringing back the 'Burgers of Wisconsin'. Best area with a high concentration of excellent burger options in-state? Madison. There's been countless and quite frankly pointless lists of the best places to eat burgers in America and one reason I'd call them pointless is the fact I've never seen Mad-Town included in any. If you haven't been keeping up, go ahead and check this round-up on why some of the best burgers in the state are located here. The reason it's as good of a place as anywhere for one is they have all sorts of excellent reps. Both the blue collar barn to bar style and the fancier farm to table varieties. There's a ton of good options. Today we try Graze.

Madison, WI

This place is the casual sibling restaurant of the highly acclaimed L'Etoile. It sits right next door in a large office building with a really nice setup inside including a sky-high ceiling amongst plenty of seating with lots of light. They're slogan so to say is "from local pastures" and everything used on their menu they show where they source it from. Lots of ingredients come from farms within 90 miles. It's one of my favorite places to eat at in a great eating town. I especially like it for brunch and their critically acclaimed burger.

Pub Burger from Graze

First up. Yup, those Sassy Cow fried cheese curds are every bit as good as they look. Instead of the more common choice of beer they take a different approach using a vodka batter and serve them with made in house ranch. Splurge and spend the $3 up-charge to replace the fries. As you can see the burger is a thing of beauty as well. From the house made English Muffin and pickles to locally sourced beef, cheese, and bacon this was well worth it. The founder of Serious Eats, Ed Levine, said it was the best burger he had all year a few years back and it was also one of my favorites from 2013. Many more in-state options to come.

Centerfold Material

Graze
1 S Pinckney St #107
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 251-2700
Website

Oktoberfest & Other Fun in WI

Touring the Tavern's
& Drinking Joint's of America
-La Crosse, Wisconsin (Labor day '09-with food too)

Its my second favorite month of the year and that means October is here. In fact I've been waiting for October since this past Labor Day. Oh and in case you were wondering, July is the best month in the year and also my favorite. However October is a close second in my book and part of it has to do with the weather and beautiful scenery and change in colors but most of it is because of the beer. Since I am a big beer connoisseur and have no desire to drink Bud Light, Bud Wheat or any of that garbage, I enjoy October and the festivals that come with it. So with October also comes the peak season for beer drinkers like myself. As you already know Oktoberfest is a 16 day festival held in late September into early October every year in Munich with other parties being held throughout the globe. So with this also comes Oktoberfestbier from 100's and 1000's of international breweries. I was reminded why I love Oktoberfest beer so much on a recent trip to La Crosse, Wisconsin over Labor Day weekend.

G. Heileman Brewing Company (La Crosse, WI)

Anybody from the Midwest especially Chicago has heard The "G. Heileman Brewing Company, La Crosse, Wisconsin" guy before. After every Old Style commercial from every Bears and Cubs game back in the day it is and always will be etched into my memory. The city of La Crosse has about 100,000 plus when you include the entire county and over 50,000 within city limits. Its also the home to UW-La Crosse which has over 9,000 students. The area is in the beautiful Mississippi River valley nestled between the River and a ridge of majestic bluffs. When we arrived in La Crosse from Chicago we hopped onto the Great River Road Byway for a scenic drive through the area we were staying in and we were immediately greeted by a wonderful smell and then BOOM! outta nowhere it appeared. It was as magical a feeling as I remember. The same type of ecstatic chills raced through my body like when the first time I saw Mt. Rushmore as a kid on a road trip through the Dakota's.

The World's largest Six Pack

"Motorists driving past the Heileman's facility in LaCrosse were greeted by a billboard reading, "Shhh...slow down...Heileman's aging here." For many years, the large storage tanks on the street side of the brewery were painted in the can design of "Old Style," the flagship brand of the brewery. With the rebirth of the brewery as The City Brewery (a tip of the hat to the original name used by Heileman's), banners were wrapped over the tanks in the style of La Crosse Lager beer." From Wikipedia.


WOW!


La Crosse lager...How I wish it was still Old Style

The G. Heileman Brewing company was an independent brew firm that existed in La Crosse from 1858 to 1996 which was the year it was bought out by Stroh's Brewery. How the whole thing plays out is really interesting and quite complicated. As of today G. Heileman's Brewery names and intellectual properties are owned by Pabst Brewing Company. However the brewery where Old Style was once brewed is now owned by City Brewing Company. It was founded in 1999 and they brew La Crosse lager which is brewed to the exact specifications as the original recipe for Old Style lager. Now get this, City Brewery company agreed to purchase Latrobe Brewery in Latrobe, PA and later signed a deal with Boston Beer Company to produce Sam Adam's. So Old Style and its name and trademarks are still around however the real recipe for it which includes Fully Kraeusening, whatever that is, is no longer used by Old Style. But if you want to drink the original recipe for what was Old Style then you need to try La Crosse lager. I told you it was interesting.


The Old tanks have made a return (Pic from Roadsideamerica.com)

"Old Style was first brewed in 1902 by the G. Heileman Brewing Company in La Crosse Wisconsin under the name Old Style Lager; it was popular in Wisconsin, the Chicago metro area, Minnesota, eastern Iowa, Lincoln, Nebraska, and southwestern Michigan. The original Heileman's Old Style brewery in La Crosse is now owned by the City Brewing Company. It brews La Crosse Lager, which is based upon the original Old Style recipe and is krausened for 30 days. This beer may also be the basis for the brewery's nationally-distributed DB Hobbs brand. Old Style also is a long-time sponsor of the Chicago Cubs." From Wikipedia.


The Original building where Old Style was brewed

The City Brewery and whoever its current owners are have done a very nice job in keeping everything intact and its a fun place to visit for 15 minutes or so if your ever in the area. Its worth a trip to this area during the summer for all the great state parks and scenic drives and outdoor activities it has to offer. The fall would also be a great time to make the trip out there and see the change in colors and explore all the river towns of Wisconsin. Here are a few pictures which you can enlarge by clicking on that tell the brewery's story and take you back to when it was a power in the beer game.


Little history lesson for ya (click pic to enlarge)


The original mansion built by the Heileman family


Little history lesson for ya (click pic to enlarge)


The original brewhouse is a beautiful building


Little history lesson for ya (click pic to enlarge)


The King of Beers statue


I don't what that means but it sounds good to me and it better to you too

Bodega Brewpub (La Crosse, WI)


That's enough to get me in anytime, anyday

When we arrived in La Crosse it was just about happy hour time and the people I was traveling with were getting cranky and needed some food and to get out of the vehicle. So we did a little drive around downtown and came across the Bodega Beer Bar and it was an immediate no brainer as to where our 1st stop of the day would be at. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon when we walked in but there was still a nice crowd of people enjoying the many, many selections of beer. I took a seat at the bar and took a look at one hell of a menu. This thing was categorized from ABC order to country of origin to style of beer. I was very impressed to say the least. So I decided to start off with one of my favorite Oktoberfest brews the "Staghorn Octoberfest" from New Glarus Brewing company (available exclusively in WI) which they also happened to have on tap.


The beer selection reminded me October was around the corner

The bar was very chill and all of the dudes with me agreed that it was a really dope bar that we would frequent often if we lived in the area. Its a large space and I guess they've been around since June of '96 and they do a really good job with creating a top notch beer bar atmosphere with a great selection of beers in house. Its a chill spot with drink specials along with lots of seats and plenty of games for you too play with your friends. A real nice bar for some daytime drinking.


I was told by the bartender that different brews arrive almost daily


Check out the selection of 'toberfest beers and this was just over Labor Day wkd

I wanted to try as many beers as possible that I hadn't tried before and also ones that I might not be able to find around Chicago. I also made sure to keep it to independent American Craft Breweries since we were in a hotbed area for great beer from our country. I asked about the Minnesota breweries I saw on the menu and the very helpful bartender suggested I try a Summit which iss brewed in Minnesota which is just across the Mississippi river from Wisconsin in this part of the state. As soon as I saw the bottle and the label I knew I had tried many of beers from Summit and didn't remember not liking them so I was happy to try their Oktoberfest. I thought it was pretty damn good just like every other beer of that style.


Summit Brew's (St. Paul, MN) Oktoberfest from Bodega Brew Pub


We all know a few of them...eh a! I'm talking to you Blondebeard! argh!

Although I don't know what you would want to waste stomach space for on food when your at this beer bar, they do have it. I decided to stick to beer for my lunch but my buddy ordered a turkey sandwich from the sandwich bar in the back. It seemed like a nice little spot with a variation of many different sandwiches for you to eat alongside your beer. Since I didn't try it I cant tell you how they are but my friend who ordered it said that it was pretty good and he didn't have any complaints.


Turkey Paninni with soup


Check out the Bodega if your ever in La Crosse, WI

Aside from drinking and eating, and yes in that order, our plan for the weekend trip was to check out Perrot State Park. Located about 30 minutes up the river from La Crosse in Trempealeau, Wisconsin I had read that it along with Devil's Lake are two of Wisconsin's better state parks. Since I know how great Devil's Lake is having hung out there when I was in Madison for five years in school, I knew that Perrot would be pretty panoramic and a great place to spend a summers day exploring, grilling and enjoying some brews. So after a nice lunch and a relaxing hour or two at the Bodega we took off and headed up river to check out the scene and see what we would be doing the next day.


I've always loved the scenic drives Wisconsin has to offer


The Great River Road byway along the Misssissippi River is one of the best

I plan on doing the whole thing next summer. It was really cool going through all the little towns and seeing what they have to offer all while the mighty Mississippi is always at your side. On top of all this its one hell of a scenic area with a great state park and quite a few things to do on the 250 mile drive along the Wisconsin west border.


Many little towns to stop in and get a change of pace from the city hustle


An impressive sunset in Onalaska, Wisconsin

Beedle's Bar & Restaurant (Centerville, WI)

Just as you would expect I found a great little food/drink stop in between La Crosse and the Perrot state park. It was in Centerville, Wisconsin that I spotted a cool looking authentic Wisconsin tavern. In the land of the taverns it looked like a must visit in my book and so we pulled into the parking lot and decided to do dinner at Beedle's Bar & Restaurant.


a good stop along the River Road byway (Centerville, WI)


I love the houses turned bars through the state


Don't drink and drive

The outside of the tavern made for a good feeling that it would be a nice place to stop in and eat and drink before the sunset and we headed back to the hotel. It was immediately upon entry that I also got the feeling it was authentic. It felt like a classic Northwoods tavern and we grabbed a table from our waitress who also happened to be a beautiful Sconnie. Beedle's is a family owned and operated joint who's hosts and owners, Anne and Brad, have only a few goals-to make amazing food and drinks that will keep you coming back again and again.


Old School Wisconsin tavern

Even though the Bears and Packers have played each other more than any other two teams the hatred is also there between the Packers and Vikings. So as we already know the hatred is at an all time high with #4 going from green and yellow to purple and white. Considering that Minnesota is right across the river you can imagine the heat runs deep around these parts. This little painting below was right next to our table where we ordered some drinks and checked out the menu to see what kind of food they had to offer.


Round 1 goes to Favre and the Vikings...haha, now that's funny


When in Rome...KingT takes a City Light for the 1st round

I checked over the menu and I at first considered getting the Prime Rib but didn't want that much food and also wanted to try a few of their specialty's which were labeled so on the menu. I also knew prime rib was one of those specialty's. I decided to skip on the classic Wisconsin supper club style salad bar followed by prime rib but my buddies on the trip with me all went for it and loaded their plates with a little bit of everything.


Salad Bar Plate

I knew that I would be starting with a Coulee Combo. It consisted of a half order of each of their cheese curds, onion rings and mushrooms. The menu bragged the fried curds were "better than the state fair" and that everything was hand dipped the old fashioned way. It didn't take much for me to know that I would be starting with a coulee combo and I decided on a Reuben sandwich with housemade corned beef as my entree. The sandwich was good and a fine example of what a Reuben should be, but oh those curds. Let me tell you something. I spent five years living in Madison during my college days and I traveled the state and tried so many cheese curds from so many places that I've had more than some Sconnies. Well these were the best cheese curds I have ever had the pleasure of consuming and I would drive back tomorrow for more if I could.


Beedle's Reuben Sandwich


The Coulee Combo (fresh dipped cheese curds, mushrooms & onion rings)


Fried Heaven Perfection: Curd (L) Shroom (M) Ring (R)

After the very satisfying meal we headed back into town and spent the night out and about around La Crosse hanging with the University kids and enjoying some drinks and talking to the blondes. Pretty much every girl I talked too had said that Perrot state park was beautiful and a great place to spend the day. So the next day we got up early and headed to to the park for a day of summer before it was over.

Perrot State Park (Trempealeau, Wisconsin)

"Native American tribes have lived here for centuries: Archaic, Early Woodland, Hopewellian, and Effigy Mound cultures were some of the earliest residents. Burial mounds can be seen throughout the park and displays in the Nature Center present information about these early cultures." From the Parks website.


Where two rivers meet

"Perrot State Park, where the Trempealeau River meets the Mississippi River, has 1,270 acres of diverse ecosystems. The river bank and surrounding wetlands provide wonderful habitat for the many migratory birds that travel through this area twice a year. Hardwood forests with mature black walnut, oak, and hickory are home to many animals, birds, and woodland wildflowers. Unique to southwestern Wisconsin and Perrot are the goat prairies perched high on the bluffs." From the Parks website.


View along one of the easy hiking trails

I was very impressed with the parks beauty and was disappointed we only had one day to spend there. I thought it was a spectacular place to camp for a weekend or spend a day if your driving through the area. Along with camping there is also hiking, kayaking, fishing, cross country skiing and snow mobiling and all sorts of other outdoor activities to do there. I already plan on returning next summer for a longer period of time so I can see everything the park has to offer.


Cave along the trails


View from the grill we set up shop at

City Brewery Tour Center
1111 3rd St
La Crosse, WI 54601-4412
(608) 785-4283
Website

Bodega Brew Pub
122 4th Street
LaCrosse, WI 54601
(608) 782-0677
Website



Beedle's Bar & Restaurant
W24966 State Rd 54/93
Galesville, WI 54630-8242
(608) 539-2251
Website



Perrot State Park
W26247 Sullivan Rd Off Rte 1
Trempealeau, WI 54661
(608) 534-6409‎
Website