Day 1
Thursday, 8/12/2021
Today was thankfully another light day on the road. I was only going as far as Sparta, Wisconsin, fifty-three miles east. But, there was plenty to see and do in between. The first stop was right across the Mississippi River and a few miles south, Perrot State Park. The hiking guidebook had suggested a four mile loop trail that offered a wide variety. It seemed perfect.
Not something I like seeing at a trailhead.
Seen along the first climb up to the bluff...
The first of many train spottings of the day...
The trail heads downwards and back into the woods by the visitor center. The park ranger had warned me about trail damage from washouts. There were a few bad spots, but nothing too bad.
Eventually, I came to the trail juncture. There were a few more options than listen in the guidebook. So, I guessed and took the one that seemed to be going in the right direction.
The guidebook referenced a trail off to the left that would take me to Perrot's Ridge. I didn't know what I thought was a trail was actually a washout. It got a little steep and messy, but eventually, I did find myself in the right place.
There have been plenty few times where I've encountered an unexpected split in a trail that's not on any map or listed in the hiking guide. Occasionally, such as today, there just happens to be someone there with the answers. There was a random guy walking his dog .
Heading down to my right is the new trail from the visitor center to replace the partially washed out one. It had just opened two weeks prior and hadn't been included in the park maps yet. Heading straight would be the more scenic route back down to the road. While a pleasant walk relatively close to ridgeline, it was far too overgrown to see much.
At the bottom of the hill and across the park road is where I picked up the River View Trail back to the car.
A seemingly rare gap in the trees with a view of the Mississippi River. Train spotting number two.
As I walked, the low rumble of an idling freight engine got more and more prominent, punctuated by the occasional sound of compressed air being vented. This was a long train and a one lane bridge up ahead. Just waiting.
I kept walking and the sound faded behind me. There was a short side trail up ahead and a couple of guys with fishing polls were headed down. I followed out of curiosity. It didn't take very long until I heard that familiar rumble again. It was very faint, but getting louder. Never gets old!
With the train passed, I simply started walking back to the car. Within minutes, I heard it yet again...
Yup. never gets old.
Just a short drive south brings you to the city of La Crosse. Lt. Zebulon Pike was on a survey mission in 1805 when he passed through here searching the headwaters of the Mississippi River. He observed a local tribe playing a game that resembled Lacrosse. So, he named the area Prairie Las Crosse. Pike would do quite a few of these surveys for the government, eventually having a certain Colorado peak named for him.
I didn't linger very long in town, but there were a couple of spots I couldn't pass up. The first was the production facility for City Brewery, though I never went inside. The G. Heilmen Brewery opened in the facility in 1969. Out front, there were six fifty-four foot storage tanks. The tanks were painted to resemble a six pack of their Old Style Lager. Pictures of the "World's Biggest Six Pack" started popping up on postcards and advertisements.
When the brewery was sold, the tanks were painted white. It took three years for the new owners to realize the simple advertising gold they had. The tanks were repainted to resemble their own La Crosse Lager.
Across the street from the six pack, there stands a tribute to a man by the name of Jan Primus, also known as Gambrinus. In the thirteenth century, he was an honorary member of the Brussels Brewery Guild and generally considered the inventer of beer.
The statue was created in 1890 and moved here in 1939 from a brewery in New Orleans that hadn't survived prohibition.
Since I was only a few blocks away, I drove over to city hall to check out a curios sculpture by German artist Wolfgang Auer. He named the nine foot sculpture "Hatched Baby" and claims it represents his own fears of fatherhood.
The last stop was supposed to include a drive up to Granddad Bluff. But alas, the road up was closed.
A few exits east along I-90 was a place whose name alone intrigued me. With a name like the Coulee State Experimental Forrest, I knew I had to stop in. The are hiking trails, as well as cross country skiing trails. What's being experimented upon, no indication.
After walking around for a bit, I drove out and headed towards the town of Sparta. My home for the night was a place called Best Nights Inn. For the cost of the room, I double checked review sites to make sure everything was okay. It seemed safe. I even had a nice conversation with the owner later in the day. The room was kinda small, but clean. I wound up having a really good night's rest here. All for $41.
After ditching my stuff in the room, I was off to check out all the things that brought me to Sparta in the first place, and there were many. Just up the street is Ben Bikin' Park. In the park you'll find what the city claims to be the World's Biggest Cyclist.
Sparta bills itself as the Cycling Capital of the World. In 1965, a section of track owned by the Chicago and Northwestern Railway was sitting abandoned. Sparta and neighboring Elroy turned it into the nation's first Rail Trail. The Elroy-Sparta State Trail now covers thirty-two miles. With another day, I definitely would have rented a bike and checked it out.
On the other side of town is where you'll find a company named Fast Fiberglass. They specialize in larger items and have their molds stored outside. Jim Shauf, the owner, welcomes people to wander the Mold Yard. So, I did.
Paul and Matilda Wegner own a home on the outskirts of town. In 1929, A trip to visit the Dickeyville Grotto inspired them. They were both retired and decided to create one of their own. After there deaths, the family kept up the grotto. In 1986, the Kohler Foundation bought it and still maintain the property.
Just up the road from Sparta is the town of Leon. It's claim to fame is being the birthplace of Deke Slayton, one of the original seven Mercury Astronauts. Though he was selected for the program, he never flew. A heart murmur kept him grounded. It wasn't until the summer of 1975 that he made it into space, as part of the Apollo Soyuz Project, where an American and Russian spacecraft linked up in orbit.
In a building that used to house a Masonic Temple, now sits the Deke Slaton Memorial Space and Bicycle Museum. With another day in Sparta, I definitely would have gone inside. I was long gone before the 10A opening the next morning.
With the day waning, it was time to take a stroll down the street by the motel for sunset. Not a bad way to end the day.
One last thing. Two doors down from the motel is a place called Slice of Chicago. While you can in fact get deep dish pizza here, that's clearly a slice of New York style. Either way, it certainly smelled good from the street.
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