Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 2011
- sped372
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Waunakee, WI
- Status: Offline
Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 2011
We live just a couple miles from Lake Wisconsin, a man-made widening of the Wisconsin River. Highway 60 follows the Wisconsin to its end - it dumps into the Mississippi near Prairie du Chien. We puttered down 60, turned North and followed Highway 35, the "Great River Road" along the western border of the state for the next few days. We eventually reached our Northernmost point along the St. Croix river in Polk County before heading back for home through the Driftless region of Wisoconsin.
We stopped for lunch on Friday at the Trempealeau Hotel... good food and nice scenery.
The first night was spent at Merrick State Park near Fountain City. With the high water levels the southern part of the park was closed (flooded) and the biting flies were pretty bad. We ended up hanging out inside the bus for most of the evening. Luckily we had accidentally reserved an electric site... we were able to run a small fan to keep cool despite being trapped "indoors" all night.
We left early in the morning since the bugs were still bad and headed further North. We stopped at Kinnickinnic State park and made breakfast at a picnic area. No bugs! We checked out the overlook and interrupted a couple that was Squirrel Fishing...? Apparently you try to get them to grab onto a peanut on the end of your line...? I had to snap a shot of their "tackle" as they left it behind for a stroll through the woods.
After breakfast we drove over to Willow River State Park. This was easily our favorite campground of the (long) weekend. If you visit be sure to get a site in the 300 loop - the oldest and densest-wooded section. The falls were pretty and we saw some wildlife.
On Sunday we drove further North to Interstate Park... Wisconsin's first and a joint venture between "us" and Minnesota. The scenery was beatiful but the campground wasn't quite as nice as we have come to expect... things were a bit run-down and there was lots of noise from heavy truck traffic on Highway 8, just a few hundred yards away. There were a few yet-to-be identified creatures lurking about, as well. After this post I'm off to try and look this guy up, yuck!
It was worth it, though, to see the Dalles of the St. Croix.
The crazy thing was that along the tops of these bluffs on our hikes were "potholes" - large circular holes that were literally drilled into the rock during the glacial melt of the last ice age. Rocks were picked up by whirpools and scoured these holes, many of them feet across and tens of feet deep. Definitely unique.
We drove home earlier today, no issues other than being HOT! It was over 90 degrees out by 9:30am and it's 95 here now. Feels good to be home with another successful trip in the books - about 650 miles round trip. Washing the sheets since we'll be camping again Friday!
We stopped for lunch on Friday at the Trempealeau Hotel... good food and nice scenery.
The first night was spent at Merrick State Park near Fountain City. With the high water levels the southern part of the park was closed (flooded) and the biting flies were pretty bad. We ended up hanging out inside the bus for most of the evening. Luckily we had accidentally reserved an electric site... we were able to run a small fan to keep cool despite being trapped "indoors" all night.
We left early in the morning since the bugs were still bad and headed further North. We stopped at Kinnickinnic State park and made breakfast at a picnic area. No bugs! We checked out the overlook and interrupted a couple that was Squirrel Fishing...? Apparently you try to get them to grab onto a peanut on the end of your line...? I had to snap a shot of their "tackle" as they left it behind for a stroll through the woods.
After breakfast we drove over to Willow River State Park. This was easily our favorite campground of the (long) weekend. If you visit be sure to get a site in the 300 loop - the oldest and densest-wooded section. The falls were pretty and we saw some wildlife.
On Sunday we drove further North to Interstate Park... Wisconsin's first and a joint venture between "us" and Minnesota. The scenery was beatiful but the campground wasn't quite as nice as we have come to expect... things were a bit run-down and there was lots of noise from heavy truck traffic on Highway 8, just a few hundred yards away. There were a few yet-to-be identified creatures lurking about, as well. After this post I'm off to try and look this guy up, yuck!
It was worth it, though, to see the Dalles of the St. Croix.
The crazy thing was that along the tops of these bluffs on our hikes were "potholes" - large circular holes that were literally drilled into the rock during the glacial melt of the last ice age. Rocks were picked up by whirpools and scoured these holes, many of them feet across and tens of feet deep. Definitely unique.
We drove home earlier today, no issues other than being HOT! It was over 90 degrees out by 9:30am and it's 95 here now. Feels good to be home with another successful trip in the books - about 650 miles round trip. Washing the sheets since we'll be camping again Friday!
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
- poptop tom
- Old School!
- Location: La Porte, IN
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Great pictures! Thanks for sharing! Looks like a fun trip!
Squirrel fishing? Never heard of it. Sounds like a Kentucky thing!
Squirrel fishing? Never heard of it. Sounds like a Kentucky thing!
Mr. Blotto wrote, "Boy - thanks for the offer, but a month in poptop tom's world means 5 years"
- BellePlaine
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Minnesota
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Wow, great write-up Sped. Squirrel fishing? I can't imagine what someone would do with successful catch!
1975 Riviera we call "Spider-Man"
- sped372
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Waunakee, WI
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Ok, so the mystery creatures are Hellgrammites. They're the immature stage of a Dobson Fly that live in fast-moving well-aerated water. I guess the St. Croix fits the bill. I still think they're creepy.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
- Ryno
- IAC Contributor
- Location: Lake Geneva, WI
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Great pics and writeup Sped!!
Ryan
1985 Westfalia
1985 Westfalia
- sped372
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Waunakee, WI
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Forgot to mention, we tried our first and second attempts at dutch-ovening on this trip. The cherry pie got too hot, but learning that, the meatloaf was just about perfect. Seems like a handy piece of camp-ware.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
- poptop tom
- Old School!
- Location: La Porte, IN
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
I had always thought that a Dutch Oven was something else........
How wide are the holes in the rock? Something you could fall into? Get swallowed up by?
How wide are the holes in the rock? Something you could fall into? Get swallowed up by?
Mr. Blotto wrote, "Boy - thanks for the offer, but a month in poptop tom's world means 5 years"
- sped372
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Waunakee, WI
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
All different sizes, many were quite large.
Check this out: http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/Interstate2006/potholes.htm
Check this out: http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/Interstate2006/potholes.htm
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
- poptop tom
- Old School!
- Location: La Porte, IN
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Cool stuff! Thanks for the link!
Mr. Blotto wrote, "Boy - thanks for the offer, but a month in poptop tom's world means 5 years"
-
- IAC Addict!
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Looked like fun. Those hellgramites make awesome bait.
- Sluggo
- Wishin' I was Fishin'
- Location: Portland, Or.
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Beautiful Pics!
1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
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- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Very nice.
What the hell happened to all the Natives in the Midwest? Slowly assimilated? Melting pot...
What the hell happened to all the Natives in the Midwest? Slowly assimilated? Melting pot...
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- sped372
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Waunakee, WI
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Whatcha mean?
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
The whole state is full of Native names, but it seems mostly white America. Same everywhere I guess.
Out West, there are huge reservations, off limits as a separate nation.
And then there are the Chinook Clackamas, killed off mostly by disease in the 1830s, leaving only mysterious traces behind.
Out West, there are huge reservations, off limits as a separate nation.
And then there are the Chinook Clackamas, killed off mostly by disease in the 1830s, leaving only mysterious traces behind.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- Sylvester
- Bad Old Puddy Tat.
- Location: Sylvester, Georgia
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- Status: Offline
Re: Wisconsin, Mississippi, Willow, and St. Croix - June 201
Silly me, I saw Mississippi in there and thought the state and wow that would be a trip in my stomping grounds! But alas the river, not the sun-baked state of the South!
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.