Wild West Days in Viroqua

Wild West Days will feature a rodeo, cattle drive, country music concert, and a parade that features more than 100 horses. Many of the Wild West Days events take place at the county fairgrounds in Viroqua, but the music event will be held in the beautifully restored Temple Theater in downtown Viroqua.   

The Crowd at Larryfest 2008

Larryfest is an exceptionally good bluegrass festival that takes place on a rural property near LaFarge, smack dab in the middle of the beautiful Kickapoo Valley. This will be the 12th annual Larryfest event, and they just keep getting better. Somehow bluegrass music and the Kickapoo Valley seem to be a perfect match.

Giddup and Dance

Over the past few years many area visitors who have attended these events have stayed at a rural B&B just south of Soldiers Grove, WI – the Inn at Lonesome Hollow (www.lonesomehollow.com). Rooms are still available for these nights.

On Friday evening the group enjoyed dinner at Country Gardens restaurant in Soldiers Grove, only a five mile drive from the Inn. On Saturday the group visited Vernon Vineyards and tasted the wine out on the scenic vineyard grounds near Chaseburg. Dinner on Saturday was cooked at the Homestead suites of Lonesome Hollow and included steaks purchased from Kickapoo Locker in Gays Mills. A Saturday night campfire capped the day for this fun group.

Colleen Baldrica

About the Retreat Directors:   Colleen Baldrica (Moran) began her spiritual journey as a child.  Inspired by the teachings of her Native American grandmother, she carried that wisdom forth into her career as an adult.  With a Masters degree in Counseling  and a PhD in the Philosophy of Education, she worked in public education for 28 years. As the author of “Tree Spirited Woman” (Beaver’s Pond Press 2006) she has begun a new quest – to share with others what experience has taught her about those simple truths she learned as a child.  Colleen continues to enjoy the path she has discovered by taking long walks in the woods, sharing meaningful conversations with friends and family, and taking time to curl up with a good book. Colleen lives in Stillwater, Minnestoa.  Her website: www.colleenbaldrica.com.

Jeanne Penton

Jeanne Penton, B.S., ACSM has 15 years of experience in the health and wellness industry.  She is nationally certified through the Amerian College of Sports Medicine, and is a yoga instructor and public speaker.  She has worked with many populations including children, seniors, physically disabled, post-cardiac, diabetics, pre-post natal, cancer survivors, athletes, and general population fitness enthusiasts.   Jeanne has shared her knowledge and passion for wellness with many groups, having worked with corporations, schools, churches, fire departments, and served on faculty for the Department of Health and Human Performance at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL.  Self-acceptance, mind/body awareness, and stress management serve as the foundations of her teachings.  Jeanne lives in Sycamore, IL.

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.

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