blog @ lonesome hollow » Recreation at Lonesome Hollow

Wisconsin Trout Fishing Workshops

LonesomeHollow — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:49:39 +0000

Some of the best stream trout fishing in the midwest is found in the Driftless Area of Southwest Wisconsin. The topography here is one of repeated bluffs and valleys, with an underlying porous rock structure consisting of limestone and sandstone. As a result the Driftless Area is dotted with hundreds of cold water springs that emerge at the bottoms of the bluffs, flow together, and create perfect trout streams. The Driftless Area streams are home to four types of trout: brook, rainbow, brown, and tiger.

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow, a rural bed and breakfast located near Soldiers Grove, WI, is hosting three trout fishing workshops during the 2010 trout season. The speaker is Len Harris, a native of the Gays Mills, WI area, a former trout fishing guide, and currently a syndicated outdoor writer. Len knows these streams well, and he has hundreds of great photos of the streams he fishes and the fish he has helped his clients catch. In these workshops Len will discuss the tactics he uses to catch big trout.

Join us on May 8, June 19, or Sept 11 at Lonesome Hollow to be informed and entertained by a talented “trout guy”. You can view all kinds of trout stories and pictures on Len’s blogsite, http://lenharris.blogspot.com.

Wisconsin Winter Getaway

LonesomeHollow — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:09:28 +0000

It looks like the 2009/2010 winter will be another snowy one in Wisconsin. In SW Wisconsin, about 60 miles south of LaCrosse, 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.

Winter at Lonesome Hollow

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow is a rural bed and breakfast located half way between Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. Accomodations 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 snow shoes for use on the four miles of trails at Lonesaome Hollow or at one of five nearby state parks. Visit

Snowshoeing at Lonesome Hollow

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

Wisconsin Fall Colors

LonesomeHollow — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:10:48 +0000

The fall color season has started in Southwest Wisconsin! The hardwood forests between LaCrosse and Prairie du Chien contain a high percentage of maple trees, and every year the fall colors range between “GOOD” and “WOW”. Right now (Sept 22) the colors around Soldiers Grove , WI are about 25% developed. Peak color will probably occur sometime between Sept 28 and Oct 10.

Maple Tree on Lonesome Hollow Trail

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow has 160acres of ridge and valley land, with almost 100 acres being wooded. There are about four miles of private hiking trails that skirt the forest edges or penetrate deep into the forest. Nearby is the Kickapoo River and a sparsely populated valley that extends north from the Wisconsin River for about 70 miles. Wisconsin Highway 131 follows the Kickapoo River all the way from its origin, near Wilton, to Wauzeka, where it meets the Wisconsin River. This 70 mile drive is very rural for its entire length, with no town on Hwy 131 having more than 750 residents.

Fall Colors Surround the Inn at Lonesome Hollow

The rugged Driftless Area terrain, the quaint antique shops, the Amish settlement near Cashton, great apple orchards, and a few wonderful wineries all combine to make this a great choice for fall leaf watching. You can even take in the fall colors while canoeing on the Kickapoo or Wisconsin river.

If your batteries need recharging, head to the hills of Southwest Wisconsin for a beautiful fall adventure.

Nora and Pete, Inn at Lonesome Hollow

Digital Photography Workshop Announced

LonesomeHollow — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:54:54 +0000

Bob Denny, professional Chicago-area photographer, has announced another in a series of digital photography workshops. This workshop is scheduled for October 31 / November 1 and will take place at the Inn at Lonesome Hollow (www.lonesomehollow.com), a bed-and-breakfast located near Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin.

Art From Digital Photography

This workshop is titled, “Digital Photography Into Art”, and focuses on the creation of artistic images beginning with digital photographs. The workshop will incorporate both indoor and outdoor photo shooting techniques as well as Photoshop manipulation of the images. Outdoor shooting will take place near the Inn at Lonesome Hollow, located in the heart of the Kickapoo River Valley and the famed Driftless Area of the upper midwest. The landscape in this area is one of constant valleys and ridges interspersed with small farms. Dozens of trout streams, and the Kickapoo, Wisconsin, and Mississippi rivers all flow nearby. Tobacco barns, vineyards, Amish homesteads, and eclectic small villages add to the photo opportunities.

For more information on the workshop, contact Bob Denny at www.bobdennyphoto.com/WisOct09.html. All workshop attendees must stay at the Inn at Lonesome Hollow during the workshop. Lodging options can be found at www.lonesomehollow.com.

Beautiful Wisconsin Vineyard & Winery

LonesomeHollow — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:21:03 +0000

In the heart of Southwest Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, in a landscape of continuous hills and valleys, surrounded by farm fields and hardwood forests, sitting on a ridge above the Bad Axe River, waiting to be visited and enjoyed by midwest wine lovers – is Vernon Vineyards (www.vernonvineyards.com). The vineyard has more than 10 acres of grapes that hug the ridge contours more than 300 feet above the river below. A very comfortable tasting room opens to a wide. two-sided porch that offers wonderful views of the vineyard and the valley below. Bob and Loren, the owners, are gracious hosts who will make you feel right at home as they walk you through the tasting of their wines. If you want to talk grape growing, they will answer any questions you have and have actively supported other local grape growers in Vernon and Crawford Counties.

Vernon Vineyard

The winery, the first ever in Vernon County, now offers nine different table wines and two dessert wines. These wines are a delight to drink, and are so consistently tasty that Vernon Vineyard wine is now exclusively offered to guests staying at the Inn at Lonesome Hollow (www.lonesomehollow.com), a beautiful, rural Bed and Breakfast near Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. Pete and Nora, owners at Lonesome Hollow regularly offer Vernon Vineyards Ridge Red and La Crosse White wines. They consider it a very special treat for visiting guests to relax over a glass of locally produced wine.

Tasting Room at Vernon Vineyards

If you are a wine lover, visit southwest Wisconsin to taste the product of other local wineries as well: Wegge Winery in Richland Center, Wisconsin; Spurgeon Valley Winery in Highland, Wisconsin; and Eagles Landing Winery in Marquette, Iowa. The Inn at Lonesome Hollow is centrally located to all four of these wineries, and the beautiful Driftless Area landscapes will provide rustic, scenic drives as you travel to any or all of these wineries.

Wisconsin Trout Fishing

LonesomeHollow — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:23:12 +0000

The Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin offers excellent trout fishing opportunities for both fly fishermen and for spin anglers. Hundreds of cold water streams flow from springs that emerge from the porous limestone and sandstone hills that create the rugged, unique character of the Driftless Area. Relatively low fishing pressure, and close proximity to fishermen from Chicago, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee make this an ideal destination for short two or three day trout excursions.

On Tuesday, May 12 Bob Mehsikomer, (member of the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame) from Simply Fishing magazine and TV (http://simplyfishingmagazine.com) was guided by local fishing guru Len Harris for a day of fishing the stream around Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. While Bob is best known for his 80+ monster muskies that he has caught, he thought he’d try the very different and more delicate art of trout fishing.

May 12, 2009 - Bob and His 18" Brown

Bob stayed at the Inn at Lonesome Hollow, www.lonesomehollow.com, conviently located in the heart of the Kickapoo River Valley and the Driftless Area. Between Bob and Len they landed 38 trout, including six that were about 18 inches long. While Len would have liked to put Bob onto a ten lb brown like he helped catch last summer, he was very satisfied with the day’s productivity.

Golf in Southwest Wisconsin

LonesomeHollow — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:04:03 +0000

There are some very nice golf courses in Vernon, Crawford and neighboring counties in Wisconsin, for folks to enjoy as they partake in the more typical outdoor events that this area are known for (hiking, biking, canoeing, trout fishing, birding, antiquing, Amish shopping…).

Viroqua Hills golf course is on Hwy 14, on the south end of Viroqua. It has 18 challenging holes spread on both sides of the highway, with a nifty tunnel taking golfers safely under the busy road. The newer holes on the east side of Hwy 14 are laid out well and will only get better with time. Call 608-637-7615 for information and tee times.

One of my favorite courses in the area is F0rrest Hills in LaCrosse 608-779-4653). This public course sits at the bottom of 600 ft high Grand Dad’s Bluff on the east side of the city. The views of the bluff from the course are spectacular.

For the very casual golfers, try Serendipity Golf Course in rural Viroqua (608-637-7708). The simple layout is perfect for new golfers or anyone who wants to work on their game in relative privacy. This is the only golf course that I know that has a class I trout stream running through the course and within 10 ft of one of the greens.

A final recommendation would be the Prairie du Chien Country Club (608-326-6707). The public is welcome and this course, and like all of those mentioned above, features the scenery of the Driftless Area as a backdrop.

If you stay at the Inn at Lonesome Hollow, www.lonesomehollow.com, you will be centrally located to all of these courses and you can take your clubs and our range balls to our practice golf area at the back of our valley. Total privacy is afforded to those who want to work on their swing in complete privacy.

Pete

Hiking In Southwest Wisconsin

LonesomeHollow — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:49:55 +0000

Here are a couple of great places for hiking in Southwest Wisconsin. They are only a half hour’s drive north of our B&B, the Inn at Lonesome Hollow, www.lonesomehollow.com, which is located near Soldiers Grove, WI.

Riding in Wildcat

Just south of Ontario, WI is Wildcat Mountain State Park. If you are looking for undeveloped, natural hiking then you’ll like Wildcat. The park has 3600 acres of very hilly Driftless Area terrain, 25 miles of hiking trails, 15 miles of horse trails, and a neat 1.3 mile interpretive trail. Much of the park is forested, including areas of large pine and hemlock trees. There are ferns throughout Wildcat Mountain’s forest, including walking and maidenhair ferns. Mount Pisgah State Natural Area is included in the park. The website offers much information - http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/wildcat.

Adjoining Wildcat Mountain State Park to the south is a real jewel – the 8600 acre Kickapoo Valley Reserve, http://kvr.state.wi.us.

Canoeing in the Reserve

This public space has a newer visitor area that is definitely worth at least a half hour to learn about local history, a failed attempt at creating an impounded lake by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the geology of the Driftless Area. There are more than 20 miles of paved roads for hiking and biking, 37 miles of horse trails, and 14 miles of mountain bike trails. The Reserve also offers interesting learning programs for both kids and adults. In the winter you can watch sled dogs mush, ice carvers create, and gourmet cooks create chili masterpieces. Or come to the Dam Challenge and use a giant slingshot to propel rotten fruit against the remnants of the failed dam project. Another great sport at the Reserve is canoeing on the Kickapoo Reserve. Canoes can be rented in Rockton, WI, on the north end of the Reserve and more than 14 miles of the Kickapoo then extend south through the Reserve. Too much fun!

Trout Fishing in Southwest Wisconsin

LonesomeHollow — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:17:37 +0000

photo courtesy of Len Harris

On March 7, 2009 the catch and release trout season opens in Wisconsin. For those who are not aware of the great streams in Southwest Wisconsin, you are in for a sweet surprise. Brook, brown, and rainbow trout abound in the hundreds of coldwater streams that course through the Driftless Area, most of which are found in Wisconsin. The 300 to 600 ft hills (some call them the Ocooch Mountains) create elevated water tables that literally “spring” out of the ground all over and meld together into cold water streams that flow into the Mississippi, Wisconsin, or Kickapoo rivers. If you come to the Kickapoo Valley, you will find yourself in a 1200 square mile subset of the Driftless Area that is known for its peace, seclusion, and incredible scenery.

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow, www.lonesomehollow.com, is located smack dab in the middle of the

photo courtesy of Len Harris

Kickapoo Valley. We offer B&B rooms, a cabin, and two large suites that constitute some of the best lodging available in this part of the state. When you’re not on the streams you will relax in style on 160 acres of wooded hills. We can direct you to some great restaurants, or you can grill your catch right on the cabin deck.

The pictures on this page are courtesy of Len Harris, who will be here in May with folks from the Simply Fishing TV show, filming a day of trout fishing on our local streams.

Digital Photography Workshop at a Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

LonesomeHollow — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:43:54 +0000

macro photo taken by workshop participant

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin is again partnering with Bob Denny to offer a Digital Photography Workshop. The workshop dates are June 5-7, 2009. Workshop attendees must stay in a B&B room, cabin, or suite at Inn at Lonesome Hollow for both Friday and Saturday nights, June 5 and 6. Course content can be obtained from Bob Denny’s website at www.bobdennyphoto.com. This will be the third digital photography workshop offered by Bob at Lonesome Hollow.

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow is situated in the beautiful Kickapoo Valley of Southwest Wisconsin. The Inn offers 160 acres of wooded hills, private gardens, a large pond, four miles of private hiking trails, and superb accomodations. Check out www.lonesomehollow.com to view pictures of the rooms and the grounds.

To confirm your workshop attendance, please contact Bob directly. He is accepting a limited number of

Photo taken during workshop

attendees. Then contact Pete or Nora at Lonesome Hollow to make your room reservation.

We look forward to hosting you and seeing the great photos that result.

Pete and Nora Knapik