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.
Posts Tagged ‘winter’
Winter Eagles in Southwest Wisconsin
January 13th, 2010 by knapik
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
A Wisconsin Winter Hike
December 29th, 2009 by knapik
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. Read the rest of this page »
Wisconsin Winter Getaway
December 9th, 2009 by knapik
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
Winter Events
January 7th, 2009 by knapik
Check out some exciting local winter events here in the Kickapoo Valley in the heart of the Driftless Area.
The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is hosting its annual Winter Festival on Saturday, January 10th. There are many interesting activities planned, including a chain saw sculpture demonstration, a natural ice cave guided hike, horse drawn bobsled rides, tri-state Malamute Club Sled Dog Race, three presentations by the Ho-Chunk Nation about their prehistoric life and traditional stories, skating, sledding, and skiing. It is a very enjoyable day, ending with a candlelight hike/ski and winter astronomy at Wildcat Mountain State Park.
On February 7th and 8th, the Snowflake Ski Club in Westby is hosting its annual ski jump competition. The ski jump complex at Snowflake consists of 5 jumps all located in the same area of beautiful Timber Coulee. The largest is a 118 meter Olympic sized hill used for United States and International Competitions. Some of the best International and US jumpers compete on the large hill, often traveling down the jump with speeds in excess of 50 Miles per Hour flying for hundreds of feet!!! Ski jumping truly is the original extreme sport.
Snowshoeing At Our Bed and Breakfast
December 11th, 2008 by knapik
The winter of ’08-’09 is off to a wicked start at Lonesome Hollow. This is good news for outdoor enthusiasts who look for outside activities even in Wisconsin’s coldest months.
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.
A Day in Wisconsin's Amish Country
Prairie du Chien Attractions
A Great Day of Wisconsin Trout Fishing
