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.

Winter at Lonesome Hollow

It looks like the 2009/2010 winter will be another snowy one in Wisconsin. In SW Wisconsin, about 60 miles south of La Crosse, we are right now watching a big storm go through. There is already a foot of snow on the ground from this storm and 3-5 inches additional is forecast for later today. So, lets make lemonade from the lemons!

For those who are adventurous enough to go out into the snowy landscape, the rewards are many. There is nothing more quiet and more peaceful than a snow-filled forest. The normal quiet of a rural forest is rendered even quieter by the sound absorbing blanket of snow. Everything is fresh, and white, and invigorating. Animal lovers have access to the tracks of every critter that has recently passed before you on the trail. Signs of deer, rabbit, fox, turkey, coyote, and even an occasional bobcat will be there on the ground. Look also for signs of a hawk swooping down to the ground to grab an unsuspecting field mouse.

Snowshoeing at Lonesome Hollow

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow is a rural bed and breakfast located half way between Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. Accommodations include B&B rooms, suites, and a cabin. All units have a gas fireplace to warm up over after a few hours in the woods. Four of our units have whirlpool tubs for you to soak away any residual chill. Enjoy a hot breakfast guaranteed to fill you up; dine at a great pub only four miles away; or order a take out meal from the pub’s menu and we will pick up your dinner for you.

The Inn offers complimentary use of snowshoes for use on the four miles of trails at Lonesome Hollow or at one of five nearby state parks.  Visit www.lonesomehollow.com to see hundreds of photos of our 160 acre property. We off special internet winter rates to make your stay economical as well as enjoyable.

Pete and Nora

First Snowfall of 2008

Last year we had the most winter snow of any winter in recent memory. Showshoeing opportunities were obviously better than ever at Lonesome Hollow and a good number of our guests took advantage of our offer for free use of snowshoes and ventured onto our valley and ridge fields and trails to experience the beautiful winter snowscapes of the Driftless Area and the Kickapoo Valley. We have modern, Cabelas’ aluminum frame snowshoes and traditional rawhide web snowshoes that guests may use.

Our first winter snow of ’08-’09 came on November 30. This snow was followed by abnormally cold weather, setting a good amount of frost into the ground. Several smaller snows followed that initial snow, and then on December 8/9 a major storm dumped about 10 inches of new snow on us. Here we are in the first half of December and we already have ideal snowshoeing conditions.

Guests are welcome to explore four miles of our own private trails at Lonesome Hollow. Almost 100 of our 160 acres are wooded. We maintain these trails throughout the warmer months to keep briar and tree branches from encroaching on the trails. There are 20-30 acre fields both in our valley and on our ridge that offer more open snowshoeing with great panoramas of our Driftless Area hills.

On a Trail at Lonesome Hollow

Take advantage of our special holiday and winter pricing, and come to Lonesome Hollow for snowshoe fun and exercise. Guests are also encouraged to use our snowshoes at any of the five state parks that are within a 45 minute drive. You can finish a day of winter trail exercise with a thermos of hot chocolate sipped at a warm winter bonfire, or soaking in one of our two person whirlpools!

Pete & Nora