Although there are many scenic highways in Wisconsin, my favorite is the GreatMississippi River Road. It curves along the river surrounded by towering bluffs, state parks, and old river towns. It offers views of ferryboats, barges, locks & dams, bridges, trains, bald eagles, wildflowers, wetland habitats, canoe trails, wildlife viewing, and numerous historic and scenic viewpoints. There are remnants from native cultures along the way including fascinating American Indian burial and effigy mounds.
There is one section along Highway 35 that I travel frequently because it leads south from La Crosse (pop. 48,000) to De Soto (pop. 282) where my son has been renovating an old home that he calls “The Driftless Cottage.” Over the past several months, he has managed to convert it into a comfortable two-bedroom home, with large window views of the surrounding woodlands and valleys. It's now available for rent on Airbnb—“The Driftless Cottage,” De Soto, Wisconsin. I won't be able to visit as often as I did during the renovation, although it's exciting to know that others are enjoying the benefits of my son's hard labor and talent.
This spectacular area along the Mississippi is considered part of the Driftless Region of Wisconsin because it was never covered by ice during the Ice Age. The landscape consists of steep hills, forested ridges, deeply carved valleys, and cold-water trout streams. It's also home to countless bird and wildlife species.
Here are some of the places along the 29-mile drive from La Crosse to De Soto – including a much-loved side trip across the River to Lansing, Iowa.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER WITH OLD STONEWALL
STONE BUILDING, CIRCA 1920, GENOA, WI
VIEW FROM MT. HOSMER CITY PARK IN LANSING, IOWA
LOCK AND DAM #8, GENOA, WI OPENED IN 1938. ONE OF 29 LOCKS AND DAMS ON THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI.
ABANDONED NORTHERN WISCONSIN CO-OP TOBACCO POOL – GENOA, WI
VIEW FROM THE GREAT RIVER ROAD INTERPRETIVE CENTER AND FISH HATCHERY IN GENOA, WI - HERE YOU CAN FIND HISTORICAL EXHIBITS, AQUARIUMS, HATCHERY TOURS, AND WALKING TRAILS
TUGBOAT NEAR LANSING, IOWA
COFFEE ON THE RIVER LOCATED IN AN OLD HISTORIC BUILDING IN LANSING, IOWA (POP. 2,647).
MY GRANDDAUGHTER, SIENNA, SPYING ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM THE DRIFTLESS AREA EDUCATION AND VISITORS CENTER. LANSING, IOWA.
The total drive takes about 45 minutes. One of the popular restaurants along the way is the Great River Roadhouse located about two miles north of De Soto. It has great pasta and pizza. Another favorite is Coffee on the River in Lansing. It offers coffee, a great breakfast wrap, and seating on the river.
“Rivers are places that renew our spirit, connect us with our past, and link us directly with the flow and rhythm of the natural world.” -Ted Turner
