Prairie du Chien, WI: Crawford County (Our First Wisconsin County)
The Wisconsin Takeover of The Iowa Gallivant officially began as we crossed the Mississippi from Marquette, IA and into one of the oldest communities in the Badger State. The stunning beauty of the Midwest’s Driftless Area was already absorbed into our road trip as we started in Iowa’s Clayton County and kept going north as the bluffs continually became more towering with every mile traveled on the Great River Road. Our destination was a snowy town on the eastern banks with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season behind us and the endless streams of vacationers ahead of us once the weather breaks and summer break begins. Just what we wanted. We’re on a grownup getaway in our first big trip to Wisconsin!
Leisure Time Sports Bar & Bowl was stop number one after checking into our motel room and a very long nap. You want to meet locals then this is where they’re at among the tall beers and exploding sounds coming from the pins. Along with the familiar shameful hum of the gutter from my “green machine” bowling ball. I gave it that nickname and for this sports sake, I hope no one follows my performance after using it. I don’t care though, because my wife rolled her highest game ever and she has Prairie du Chien to thank for it!
Supper club nights can be the best nights and Jones’ Black Angus had the full menu ready for a perfect meal in the perfect SW-Wisconsin atmosphere. Start out with a loaded salad bar with some of your classic choices to pile high on a chilled plate. This first course include pickled herring, rich Braunschweiger and….wait for it….a huge board of cheese that you carve yourself! We don’t say this unless we mean it and we mean this…That will spark a road trip any time of the year for us. Is this meal over? Not even close because we had our entrees heading our way. The very cheerful and all around awesome waitress placed a plate of a giant breaded fillet of walleye with tender glazed carrots and then a huge bowl of seafood pasta. Just look at the shrimp and amazing scallops in the picture above and start to tear up if you feel it’s necessary. Champagne anyone?
After a big ‘ole meal and bowling one may get a little drowsy and that would be better to handle if I hadn’t forgotten my favorite body pillow at home 3 hours away. The PdC has that covered!
Prairie du Chien has the small town look and feel with it being juuuuust big enough to have ample amounts stores to gear-up especially if you make an amateur traveling mistake like I did. This pillow made me feel like Nemo hiding in an anemone. Goodnight, Wisconsin!
Wake up and smell the cheese curds! That was easy because we had some in the motel fridge from the shop on the way in. After that I suggest strolling into Simply Cafe and getting breakfast. We had a very hot bowl of their homemade oatmeal and the Wake Up Call. Their house baked Italian bread with egg, sweet peppered bacon, tomato, cheddar and red pepper mayo. Look at that hot chocolate grin up there! Let’s shop!
The Cannery is going to be one of the biggest gift shops you’ll see. Because its huge! Multiple levels with one section that has its own street name for cryin’ out loud. The re-purposed canning facility has turned into what looks like a Wisconsin deep woods lodge filled with everything you need for that special someone. Or hundreds of special someones. Crafts, fudge, ice cream, furniture, artwork, candles…just plan to stop here and get 2019’s shopping complete and enjoy all that free time you’re going to have for the rest of the year.
Just a taste of what we did in The Driftless and there’s more to come in this Wisconsin Takeover. We’ll see you again, Prairie du Chien and we’re going to experience even more when we come back. It might be sooner than later because my bowling game needs some major work. Yes, I will travel 3 hours and pass several other bowling establishments and….It’s my travel blog, Okay! See you again!
