Inn at Lonesome Hollow » Winter in Wisconsin

Bald Eagle Appreciation Day

knapik — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:09:48 +0000

Looking for a very interesting winter activity in Wisconsin? Head to Prairie du Chien in the southwest corner of the state. The upper Mississippi River is home to hundreds of bald eagles, and the eagles are most viewable in winter. During the warmer months of the year these eagles are more dispersed. If you drive along the big river or hike one of the many area parks that have trails along the bluffs, you can often see a few eagles. However, in the winter, especially when much of the Mississippi River is frozen, you can sometimes see 10 or more eagles in a single location.

I was driving on Hwy 35 near the Lynxville dam a few days ago and in a 30 second drive by I counted five eagles. One day in December 2010 I crossed the Hwy 18 bridge travelling from Prairie du Chien to Marquette, Iowa. On that drive across the Mississippi and its backwaters I saw more than 10 eagles. These winter eagles congregate around any open water to fish and enjoy lunch or dinner, maybe even breakfast. Eagles can be seen diving into the water and snatching a fish, or standing on the ice enjoying a meal, or circling overhead looking for a fish, or perched in a nearby tree just waiting their turn.

On Saturday, Feb 25, 2012, the Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Effigy Mounds National Monument (located in Iowa a few miles north of the Hwy 18 bridge) will sponser Bald Eagle Appreciation Day. Activities will run from 9 am until 4:30 pm and will include a live raptor program, nature film, eagle photography, and a life size eagle nest replica. Outdoor viewing with spotting scopes will be offered. Prairie du Chien offers great dining and lodging, so come and make a day of it. Couple this with a trip to Cabelas Outdoor Store in Prairie du Chien, a long drive on Hwy 35 along the beautiful Mississippi River, or a drive eastward to the Kickapoo River Valley and the quaint villages of Crawford and Vernon Counties. Nice winter time in Wisconsin.

Westby Wisconsin Nordic Ski Jump

knapik — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:50:42 +0000

Westby Wisconsin, located in the soutwest corner of the state only a half hour from LaCrosse, is home to an annual nordic ski jumping tournament. On February 4 and 5, 2011, the Snowflake Ski Club will host its annual “big hill” event. US and international jumpers will compete on a 118 meter hill. The jumpers approach 50 mph as they soar off the jump and down the hill. Many olympic jumpers use the Westby event as training for major worlwide jumping competition.

Snowflake Ski Club was founded in 1922 and it is one of only two remaining all-volunteer large hill ski jumping clubs in the Western Hemisphere. This is a tribute to the city of Westby (population 2000) and to the dedicated local volunteers. On Friday, February 4 there will be open training at night, under the lights. Following the jumping there will be live music and fireworks. The main competition will be held on Saturday, February 5 starting at noon. Live music will go throughout the day on Saturday. Snowflake Ski Club offers free admission to US military members.

Westby is located in Wisconsin’s famed Driftless Area and is a three hour drive from Minneapolis, about four hours from the Chicago western suburbs. Excellent lodging and restauarants can be found nearby.

La Crosse Rotary Lights

knapik — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:48:07 +0000

On a chilly December afternoon we decided to make a half-day visit to La Crosse, WI. We wanted to enjoy dinner at one of the great restaurants there, but our biggest reason for going was to enjoy the Rotary Lights at La Crosse’s Riverfront Park. So we left Lonesome Hollow by 2 pm; arrived in La Crosse by 3 pm; did some shopping that just isn’t possible in Soldiers Grove; and went for a glass or two of wine to the Three Rivers Lodge restaurant located in the Radisson hotel. The Radisson sits right next to Riverfront Park and we sipped our wine while gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the park and the mighty Mississippi River that lay on the other side of the park.

We decided to stay at Three Rivers Lodge for dinner. We sat next to the wall of windows and as the sun set and darkness crept over the landscape we once again were amazed as the Rotary Lights came to life. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day almost three million lights adorn the trees and the Christmas themed displays. Some hot coffee and dessert fortified us for the walk outside and into the park.

A Light Castle offered a variety of live entertainment. Hay rides and horse drawn carriage rides were available. A live nativity scene, caroling, and of course Santa’s reindeer added to the joyous feeling. The river reflected the lights and added to the feeling of Christmas fantasy. We ended our tour of the Rotary Lights by offering a donation to the Rotary Club food fund that supports many local food pantries in the La Crosse area.

We drove home having enjoyed a great meal and a splendid Christmas event. We vowed to do the same next year.

Pete & Nora

Winter Eagles in Southwest Wisconsin

knapik — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:21:27 +0000

During the winter months eagles congregate along the unfrozen portions of the Upper Mississippi River. The stretch of river from La Crosse, WI south to Priarie du Chien, WI always has a high concentration of these majestic birds. After hitting a population low in early 1970′s the eagle population is once again healthy, and the eagle was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2007. Wisconsin now has more than 1000 pairs of nesting eagles, and more than 200 of those nest in the Upper Mississippi Valley.

Eagle soars over the Mississippi

Many winter guests at our rural bed and breakfast, the Inn at Lonesome Hollow, take the short drive to the big river to view the symbol of our nation. The most spectacular viewing occurs when most of the Mississippi is frozen, and only small areas (often downstream of dams) remain open. The eagles gather in these spots because they can enjoy fine winter fishing. Often one can view eagles soaring, eagles perched in trees, eagles sitting on nearby ice dining on their catch, even eagles swooping down on the water to grab lunch - all in one spot of the river.

There are a couple of local events that provide the opportunity to view the eagles along with programs, exhibits, and even winter hiking. In Prairie du Chien their Bald Eagle Appreciation Day is scheduled for February 27, 2010 and will be held at the regional tourism center at the Hwy 18 bridge entrance. Bird experts will be there to help inform the public about eagle behavior. Another eagle event, Cassville’s Bald Eagle Days will be held on Januray 30/31, 2010. Cassville is located about 30 miles south of Prairie Du Chien on the Mississippi River.

Pete and Nora

A Wisconsin Winter Hike

knapik — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:40:31 +0000

It was 7 am, December 29, 2009. The temperature was minus four degrees (Fahrenheit, just in case someone outside the US is reading this). Early glimmers of daylight were just appearing to the east as we left our bed and breakfast, the Inn at Lonesome Hollow, near Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. We quickly made our way to Hwy 131, then headed north. As the sky lightened a bit more we weaved our way past a wonderous white landscape, progressing north through the quiet villages of Soldiers Grove, Readstown, Viola, and LaFarge. About four miles north of La Farge we turned left onto Cty Hwy P. Just a mile after turning onto Cty P we pulled off the road into a small parking area at one of the many trailheads in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

Slight glint of the morning dawn on the frozen river

The Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) is a jewel. It is more than 8000 acres of roughly sculpted hills, bluffs, and valley that are owned by the people of Wisconsin. It is located near the center of the famed Driftless Area, a large island or peninsula of land that was spared by the Wisconsin Glacier of ten thousand years ago. The Kickapoo River has therefore been slowly wearing away the limestone bedrock of the valley for more than one hundred thousand years. In places this erosion is gentle in appearance, with graceful valleys that gradually meld into the hills. In other places this erosion is dramatic and limestone bluffs rise almost one hundred feet vertically out of the river bed. The Kickapoo Valley is twenty-five times older than the pyramids of Egypt. It is about 500 times older than the United State of America. It is evidence of the persistence, the patience, and the power of nature.

Kickapoo River from Bridge 15

Our walk was exceptional. We saw no other person. The trail wandered through pristine forest and valley bottom, often right alongside the ever wandering Kickapoo River. Our lungs sucked in the frigid air. We walked quickly to accelerate our heart rates and make our family doctor happy! Dr Dave would approve of our start to this day.

Bridge 15

It is too easy for midwesterners to stay inside during the cold winter months. We can always find diversions that keep us in the warmth and protection of our homes. But if you can muster the energy to venture out into the cold, the rewards can be amazing and beautiful. And blessed.

Happy winter!

Pete and Nora, Inn at Lonesome Hollow