During the winter months eagles congregate along the unfrozen portions of the Upper Mississippi River. The stretch of river from La Crosse, WI south to Priarie du Chien, WI always has a high concentration of  these majestic birds. After hitting a population low in early 1970’s the eagle population is once again healthy, and the eagle was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2007. Wisconsin now has more than 1000 pairs of nesting eagles, and more than 200 of those nest in the Upper Mississippi Valley.  

Eagle soars over the Mississippi

Many winter guests at our rural bed and breakfast, the Inn at Lonesome Hollow, take the short drive to the big river to view the symbol of our nation. The most spectacular viewing occurs when most of the Mississippi is frozen, and only small areas (often downstream of dams) remain open. The eagles gather in these spots because they can enjoy fine winter fishing. Often one can view eagles soaring, eagles perched in trees, eagles sitting on nearby ice dining on their catch, even eagles swooping down on the water to grab lunch - all in one spot of the river. 

There are a couple of local events that provide the opportunity to view the eagles along with programs, exhibits, and even winter hiking. In Prairie du Chien their Bald Eagle Appreciation Day is scheduled for February 27, 2010 and will be held at the regional tourism center at the Hwy 18 bridge entrance. Bird experts will be there to help inform the public about eagle behavior. Another eagle event, Cassville’s Bald Eagle Days will be held on Januray 30/31, 2010. Cassville is located about 30 miles south of Prairie Du Chien on the Mississippi River. 

Pete and Nora

When you are able to get away for longer than a weekend, we can recommend several great day trips for guests at our Southern Wisconsin bed and breakfast. It is lovely to have the time to take advantage of our 160 acres of extremely private land. Long walks through the forests, especially at this time of year, will invigorate your senses and give you a new outlook on life. When you feel fully refreshed, consider a day trip down to Prairie du Chien, along the Mississippi River.

The taste of fall is biting into a crisp, freshly picked apple.

There are several interesting upcoming events in and near Prairie du Chien. The weekend of October 3rd and 4th you may choose to spend some time at Effigy Mounds National Monument, partaking in the Hawk Watch and benefiting from one of the best spots to view the fall migration in the state. Or you may head over to the Shihata Orchard Fest, just north of Prairie du Chien, for some apple picking, apple cider, and a pumpkin patch. If cruises are more your cup of tea, look into the Fall Foliage Cruises aboard the Mississippi Explorer Cruises. They depart every Saturday and Sunday in October at noon from the St. Feriole Island river front in Prairie du Chien.

There is a lovely circular route to and from our bed and breakfast Wisconsin and Prairie du Chien. One route takes you along the Mississippi River, and the other through lovely rural Southern Wisconsin. We are currently running a fall special to help entice you to extend your stay. See you soon!

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