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.
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Posts Tagged ‘kickapoo valley’
Bald Eagle Appreciation Day
January 25th, 2012 by knapik
2012 Wisconsin Trout Fishing
January 12th, 2012 by knapik
The 2012 Wisconsin catch-and-release inland trout season is scheduled to open at 5 am on Saturday, March 3 and it will run through Sunday, April 29.
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Wisconsin September Events
August 19th, 2011 by knapik
A couple of great events are scheduled for the scenic Southwest Wisconsin Driftless Area in September. Enjoy horses, classic carriages, and great art.
On Sept 10/11 travel to Prairie du Chien and the Villa Louis to enjoy the annual Carriage Classic. The Villa Louis is one of Wisconsin’s state historic sites. It is a beautifully restored Victorian house that was home to Wisconsin’s first millionaire family, the Dousmans. The Villa has a long history of horse breeding and elegance and the Carriage Classic will bring more than 100 beautifully restored carriages to the grounds for demonstrations of horsemanship and carriage driving.
Carraige Classic at Villa Louis
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Soldiers Grove: The B&B Capitol of Wisconsin
July 5th, 2011 by knapik
In Wisconsin there is one Bed and Breakfast for every 12,500 residents. However, in the little Western Wisconsin village of Soldiers Grove, located about one hour south of La Crosse, there is one B&B for each 200 residents.
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Outdoor Wisconsin Weddings
January 29th, 2011 by knapik
Outdoor wedding ceremonies and receptions seem to be growing in popularity. For many wedding couples the appeal of a beautiful, natural setting outweighs the concern of weather related inconveniences. Proper planning and careful site selection can minimize weather problems. The perfect site should have plenty of parking for guests, privacy, a quiet and natural backdrop, and space and utilities that can be used for the amenities that many wedding couples desire at the reception.
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Fall Colors in Southwest Wisconsin
September 3rd, 2010 by knapik
One of the very best times of the year is approaching – Fall Color Season. The warm (and this year very wet) days of summer are coming to an end. Refreshing cooler temperatures make us excited to head back outdoors. The fragrant smell of decaying leaves fills the air.
For several reasons the fall colors are especially good in the Driftless Region of Southwest Wisconsin. The Driftless Area is very rugged and much of the land is heavily forested. Maple trees constitute about 50% of the Driftless Area trees and over time this percentage will increase (this bodes well for future maple syrup production as well). Also the terrain itself, a constant expanse of ridges and valleys, creates an environment in which there are wooded hillsides that face in every direction. This extends the time over which fall colors can be enjoyed. The south and west facing hillside will turn color first, followed by the east and north facing hillsides. Likewise the trees along many streams and along the Mississippi River will hold their leaves longer and produce fall colors after many other trees have disrobed themselves for winter.
Fall at Lonesome Hollow B&B
Southwest Wisconsin Events
June 14th, 2010 by knapik
The weekend of June 18-20 will be a busy one in Southwest Wisconsin. Four great events are scheduled.
Wisconsin Hiking
April 20th, 2010 by knapik
Dutchman's Britches
Nora and I are fortunate to live in the Driftless Area of Southwest Wisconsin, a rugged area of bluffs and valleys, relatively few people, and incredible scenery. Not only do we get to live in this wonderful place, but we also can greet and host hundreds of guests each year at our Bed and Breakfast, the Inn at Lonesome Hollow. Our B&B offers 160 acres of mostly wooded hill and valley, many gardens, a large pond, and a completely undeveloped ridgetop woods/prairie.
Spring Beauty
On Sunday afternoon the temperature was in the mid 60s, the sun was shining brilliantly, and we found ourselves in the midst of the earliest spring either of us can remember. Temperatures have been above average ever since the beginning of March. Trees are leafing out at least two weeks ahead of schedule. Maple syrup season has come and gone and the morels will undoubtedly be here early this spring. We decided it was time to seriously check out the wildflowers in the woods on our ridge. We left the coziness of our valley and headed upward 300 ft in elevation to our ridgetop 80 acres. We are not expert at plant identification, but with the help of a Wisconsin Wildflower Guide we noted purple and yellow violets, bellwort, spring beauty, wood anemone, dutchmens’ britches, bloodroot, pussytoes, and Greek valerian. Read the rest of this page »
2010 Wisconsin Canoeing
April 16th, 2010 by knapik
Kickapoo River Canoeing
The 2010 canoeing season is now open on the Kickapoo River in Southwest Wisconsin. A leisurely paddle down the Kickapoo starting in either Ontario, Wisconsin or Rockton, Wisconsin will take you through some beautiful Driftless Area terrain complete with large limestone and sandstone rock outcroppings and some good trout fishing opportunities as well.
The Kickapoo River is a class 2 trout stream from Wilton to Gays Mills. Good spots to fish are the junctions where small streams flow into the Kickapoo. Right now all trout fishing is catch and release, and there is a week that is closed to trout fishing in early May as angling transitions into the regular season. From mid-May through the end of September trout season is fully open and you can catch your own dinner.
Don’t attempt to canoe the Kickapoo following heavy rain. Too much water is funneled quickly by the surrounding hills into this otherwise lazy river. But most of the time you can just relax, paddle slowly, and enjoy great scenery. If you float south from Ontario, you will pass through a corner of Wildcat Mountain State Park and past impressive limestone outcroppings. If you float out of Rockton, you will float through a long stretch of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, an 8600 acre parcel of public land (very much undeveloped) with great hiking and biking opportunities.
Spend two to six hours on the Kickapoo. Have a great local steak dinner. Lodge at one of the areas neat B&Bs, such as Inn at Lonesome Hollow. You’ll have a wonderful time.
Wisconsin Apple Harvest
September 25th, 2009 by knapik
A very good apple harvest is underway in the famed apple growing area surrounding Gays Mills, Wisconsin. Last week the orchards brought in the highly desired Honeycrisp apples, so a good supply of these sweet, crisp apples is readily available right now. Other late maturing apples will continue to be harvested for a while. Several of the orchards have very neat gift shops associated with their businesses and it’s a blast to browse the shelves for eclectic soup mixes, locally made maple syrup and honey, pumpkins, and of course for specialty Wisconsin cheeses.
Romance in the Country
Bald Eagle Appreciation Day
2012 Wisconsin Trout Fishing
