Inn at Lonesome Hollow

Valentine’s Day is the time for romance, but it should also include great food and good fun as well. We have a special place , a B&B in rural Southwest Wisconsin where romance, food, and fun come together in a very relaxed, low key fashion. To properly celebrate Valentine’s Day, we like to go away for a couple of nights so that it really feels like we have escaped from our everyday chores and obligations. A two night stay also makes it easier for us to drive a bit further than we would for just one night away.

Fun: let’s face it, in Wisconsin Feb 14 falls in winter. There is no hint of spring in the air. It’s cold and almost always snowy. We have some favorite winter fun activities that make Southwest Wisconsin the perfect destination. We bring our snowshoes and will spend a couple of hours per day out on a snow blanketed forest trail. The landscape is white and the sounds are muted. The sight of a few cardinals or blue jays in a winter setting is striking. While we’re out getting healthy we will take in some wonderful scenic views. Snowshoeing at Effigy Mounds National Monument (IA) or at Wyalusing State Park (WI) will offer views from 400 ft high ridgetops that overlook the frozen Mississippi River. Winter is a great time for viewing bald eagles, and the Upper Mississippi always holds a large number of these majestic birds. Finally we’ll try to squeeze in a visit to the Amish community near Cashton (WI). Seeing old world craftsmen in action and children sledding on the hills certainly has a romantic, nostalgic feel.

Food: this is not a place of fancy restaurants, but it is a place for great food. Some of our favorite dinner places include the Old Town Inn in Westby (WI), Optimo Cafe in Viroqua (WI), and Old Man River in McGregor (IA). Couple a great dinner with a wonderful B&B breakfast and you will find yourself skipping lunch. Or ask the innkeepers for a couple of scones and an apple to eat on the snowshoe trails.

Romance: you’ve had your exercise and a great dinner. Now you can return to your B&B, turn on the fireplace, and soak in a roomy whirlpool tub. Put on a comfy robe and enjoy an evening glass of wine and perhaps some chocolate. Sorry, but we must stop here because this is a family blog.

Hope this gives you a Valentine getaway inspiration.