I had sent off quick directions that very morning and should have reread what I typed/ put on my glasses because I goofed at the very last step of passing the mailboxes, the letter L (left) got typed instead of R (right). OOPS. Mia culpa. At least everybody knows everybody and when they asked directions more than once, they got more than an earful. Welcome to the country!
Arriving mid afternoon and a brief tour of the End of the Rainbow Valley including The Tractor, we discovered they had skipped lunch. Luckily dinner was already made and in the fridge so it became a very late lunch. Once sated we journeyed up to the Ridge for some Amish scenery, baked goods and handicrafts followed by a nice walk on the Chaseburg trail. Our guests appreciated the fresh air and we kept hearing this remark about 'the quiet' which we honestly take for granted.Upon our return home, I threw some dinner together while the guys enjoyed a beer on the front porch. Dinner was late for us but simple, a garden Squash Noodle Lasagna and peach cobbler for dessert. My eyelids started getting heavy not long after dinner and since plans possibly included a canoe outing the next day, we all ended up retiring about 10.
 |
| Some calm in the backwaters of the Mississippi |
 |
| David and Aura found their rhythm |
 |
| A toast with 3 tap ice cold root beers and a beer |
Y'all come back, ya hear?
Follow up on a great visit at Chez End of the Rainbow..... We went to check in the Charmont (very cool place), rested up a bit, and then walked along the River and through the lovely gardens and a nature trail in Riverview Park. We called the phone number with the the white circle stops (a project of UW LaCrosse - Hear Here oral history project) and learned a lot about LaCrosse and some of the art that is scattered around the city. We learned about the trompe-l'oeil style mural at the Pumphouse and learned about the “the colossus of kitsch” or as Riverside Park calls “the big Indian” and the protests to its harmful stereotype. We had a 4/5 star meal at Piggy's, checked out the roof garden at the Charmont, and then off to bed. It's really great that we had such a beautiful day for canoeing! When we got up this morning, we thought we'd find a breakfast place where we could do patio dining. Since the Charmont has this, we headed to their dining room until we found out it was starting to rain and they were no longer serving breakfast :-( . Determined to eat a breakfast, we were directed to Fayze's. After waiting about 1/2 hour, we were seated. We enjoyed the veggie omelet and the veggie eggs benedict and a couple fresh colatchky (sp?) cookies. The sun was back out when we left the restaurant, so we wondered through a few friendly downtown stores before heading back to Milwaukee. The only glitch to wonderful weekend was the horrendous traffic coming home (particularly between the Dells and Madison) and the freeway being closed for a stretch in Delafield (for reasons unknown). We had a light dinner at home and some yummy Amish cashew candies for dessert. Such fun memories now!! Thanks again, Karen and Irv!
ReplyDeleteAnd it was kind of ironical that the Charmont was once a chocolate factory! The decor incorporated the original floors and walls, which reminded David of the Ambrosia factory, where he worked once upon a time!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you had all that peace and quiet before the city traffic at the end of your get away.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are like a little B&B tucked into the hills....very sweet.
ReplyDelete