We traveled the Great River Road from Clarks Bluff Campground in Montpelier, Iowa to Black Hawk Camp Ground in De Soto, WI. The trip was a fairly easy drive with no surprises, with the exception of the topography of the area. In our minds, Iowa was flat with corn fields everywhere. We were correct in the fact that they grow plenty of corn here, but we had several descents of 6%- 7% grade. Neither of us knew that Iowa was so hilly. When we crossed the Mississippi River into Lansing, Iowa, it was a little dicey. The bridge was an old-style steel decked bridge that had a large rise prior to flattening out with a rapid descent into Wisconsin. We did arrive safely at the campground. Honestly, we were both a little relieved to make it to the other side of the bridge.
This is our third Corp of Engineers campground we have stayed at in a row. These facilities are fantastic. They are spacious, well laid out, with power at the sites. Did I mention that these COE campgrounds cost a mere fraction of a private campground? We purchased an “America the Beautiful” pass that gives us 50% off the already very affordable fees. While the COE parks may lack some of the amenities, such as a pool and kid’s activities, they more than make up for it with open spaces, plenty of trees and fantastic views. The only downfall is that they are power only, not full hookups. Water and sewer stations are located at the entrances typically. Thankfully Ethel can provide water and hold waste for 3-4 days. As an added bonus, our site was right on the bank of the river with an amazing view.
Views of Iowa from Ethel
We love that massive windshield and the views from it. It is like our own private IMAX screen.
We made plans to tour La Crosse, WI, a medium size city north of us on the Mississippi. Our first stop in La Crosse was the Grandad Bluff Park. This was an area years ago that was being mined for the limestone in the bluff. In the early 1900’s, a family took ownership of the area. They wanted to preserve the bluffs rather than allowing mining to destroy the area. The bluff was held in trust prior to be given to the City of La Crosse to be used as a city park. From the Bluff, there is a wonderful view of the Mississippi and the Bluffs on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi.
We loved the green, lush vastness of the area view from the overlook on Grandads Bluff..
Overlooking La Cross, WI, we could see for miles. The weather was a perfect, breezy, balmy day with clear blue skies. The temps were a little more conducive to hiking than it was a few days ago. We realized packing a cooler would be smart. Since we didn’t bring a cooler, we decided to try a treat of frozen custard at Culver’s. Of course, we each chose very different frozen treats and shared.
We tried to visit St Rose Convent, The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration Motherhouse. Unfortunately, tours were not offered on the day we were there.
This area is a college town, full of quaintness with a mixture of trendy, hipster places. It made for a nice walk on a pretty day.
We were able to walk around on the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The walk from the parking lot to the shrine is probably about ½ mile all up hill. We saw a few shrines prior to getting to the main shrine. They were in the midst of a Mass when we got there. We were able to step inside and see the gorgeous church. There was a memorial dedicated to the unborn, including the markers for many dead infants. There was a candle chapel with many layers of 700 towering candles lit weekly.
The construction of the church is beautiful. Pictures were not allowed to be taken inside.
One of the common billboards in the area is featured below. We found humor in the sign.
We decided not to be those couch potatoes and try to explore the area by biking and hiking. We did get out on our bike on this stop. We took a ride on an old railroad bed that led from Onalaska to La Crosse. It was a nice ride of about 19 miles round trip. We are really loving our electric bikes with the throttle assist. We are able to travel much further than we ever could on a standard bike. The trails were well laid out and easy to ride without fear of car traffic. It was perfect weather for our long bike ride.
The La Crosse River before it reaches the Mississippi
The trestle bridge was built when this was a railroad path.
Lisa enjoyed the view on one of the many bridges our trip took us across.
This Veterans Memorial was for the vets from La Crosse County.
This area does pay tribute to the local veterans at most of their parks. We really appreciate this.
No comments:
Post a Comment