Inn at Lonesome Hollow » kickapoo valley reserve

Romantic Winter Weekend

knapik — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:04:37 +0000

We recently spent a wonderful romantic weekend in Chicago – on Michigan Ave. The Christmas lights were brilliant and food was what you’d expect from a high end destination like the Magnificent Mile. This was an exception for us. Usually we prefer a quiet getaway; a rural area with great natural scenery; a place where nature can wrap you up and lock you in a world of your own.

Only four hours northwest of Chicago lies a rural landscape full of scenic beauty. There lies the Driftless Area, a ruggedly sculpted land that is home to an increasing number of organic farms, artists, and nature enthusiasts. The Kickapoo River Valley lies at the heart of the Driftless Area. The Kickapoo River winds its way for almost 120 miles as it flows southward into the Wisconsin River. These two rivers are fed by hundreds of cold water trout streams that flow alongside pastoral fields, rugged limestone bluffs, and sleepy villages having fewer than 1000 residents.

For us, this is where we want to spend most of our “alone” time. This is where nature surpasses man. This is where we can take stock of ourselves, or goals, our life plans.

Snowshoe or cross-country ski in Wildcat Mountain State Park or at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. After your invigorating time outdoors, soak in a whirlpool and sip some locally made wine at your rural B&B. Dine at the Optimo Cafe a great new bistro in Viroqua, or at Eddie’s Irish Pub in Prairie du Chien. After dinner make a cup of hot choicolate and walk a few of the B&B’s paths. Enjoy a star show more brilliant and clear than you will ever find in a city, a star show just for you. Simple, quiet, beautiful time alone.

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

Wisconsin Winter Outdoor Fest

knapik — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:54:54 +0000

The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is located in the heart of southwest Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. The Reserve offers more than 8000 acres of rugged landscape, a succession of ridges and valleys that predate the last ice age. If you are anywhere near LaCrosse, Wisconsin on January 9, 2010 take the time to drive the 30-40 minutes southeast into the Kickapoo Reserve. The 2010 Kickapoo Reserve Winter Festival includes chain saw scuplture demonstrations, guided ice cave tours, a birds of prey demonstration, horse-drawn wagon and bobsled rides, chili and bread contests, and a candlelight hike & ski.

The Kickapoo Reserve encompasses about a 20 mile section of Wisconsin’s “crookedest” river, the Kickapoo River. You will find the Reserve’s landscapes to be natural, dramatic, and near pristine. More than 20 miles of hiking and cross country ski trails are offered. The Reserve has a wonderful Visitor’s Center that relates much of the history of the Kickapoo Valley, including the failed La Farge dam project.

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow, www.lonesomehollow.com, offers super lodging options (whirlpools, fireplaces, hearty breakfasts) just 30 minutes south of the Reserve. Lonesome Hollow itself offers four miles of private trails through 160 mostly wooded acres. The Reserve and Lonesome Hollow currently both enjoy a solid snow cover (10-14 inches) and more snow along with cold temps are predicted for the week of December 21.

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow

Why be a couch potato in winter when you have great recreation at your doorstep!

Hiking In Southwest Wisconsin

knapik — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:49:55 +0000

Here are a couple of great places for hiking in Southwest Wisconsin. They are only a half hour’s drive north of our B&B, the Inn at Lonesome Hollow, www.lonesomehollow.com, which is located near Soldiers Grove, WI.

Riding in Wildcat

Just south of Ontario, WI is Wildcat Mountain State Park. If you are looking for undeveloped, natural hiking then you’ll like Wildcat. The park has 3600 acres of very hilly Driftless Area terrain, 25 miles of hiking trails, 15 miles of horse trails, and a neat 1.3 mile interpretive trail. Much of the park is forested, including areas of large pine and hemlock trees. There are ferns throughout Wildcat Mountain’s forest, including walking and maidenhair ferns. Mount Pisgah State Natural Area is included in the park. The website offers much information - http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/wildcat/.

Adjoining Wildcat Mountain State Park to the south is a real jewel – the 8600 acre Kickapoo Valley Reserve, http://kvr.state.wi.us.

Canoeing in the Reserve

This public space has a newer visitor area that is definitely worth at least a half hour to learn about local history, a failed attempt at creating an impounded lake by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the geology of the Driftless Area. There are more than 20 miles of paved roads for hiking and biking, 37 miles of horse trails, and 14 miles of mountain bike trails. The Reserve also offers interesting learning programs for both kids and adults. In the winter you can watch sled dogs mush, ice carvers create, and gourmet cooks create chili masterpieces. Or come to the Dam Challenge and use a giant slingshot to propel rotten fruit against the remnants of the failed dam project. Another great sport at the Reserve is canoeing on the Kickapoo Reserve. Canoes can be rented in Rockton, WI, on the north end of the Reserve and more than 14 miles of the Kickapoo then extend south through the Reserve. Too much fun!