Traveling Wisconsin's Scenic Highway 35

How many of Wisconsin’s annual visitors, family vacationers, travelers or explorers have truly experienced the myriad of stories found on the internationally renowned scenic Highway 35, the Great River Road? For families who want to slow down and take a journey almost back in time, it’s a rewarding trip. Scenic Highway 35 offers endless ­opportunities for exploration.

The motto of the Mississippi Valley Partners, a non-profit organization, promotes “100 miles of friends.” Your journey of 100 friends starts in the oldest town of the Highway 35 journey, Prescott, established in 1851. Here you’ll find ample opportunities for antiquing, swimming, fishing, hiking and boating. Stop in at the Heritage Center to see exhibits, maps and gather information from the Chamber of Commerce housed there.

Diamond Bluff is the next little town; here the ­residents known as “bluffers” enjoy some of the best views of the Mississippi River. It was a French settler, Monte Diamond, who named this settlement nestled under towering limestone bluffs that served as landmarks to the river pilots. Head over to Sea Wing Memorial Park and read the memorial plaque erected there describing the major river disaster that occurred near this settlement.

Next stop is Flat Pennies Ice Cream, with an impressive caboose, #27, that is, located in Bay City. Taste their unforgettable shredded beef sandwiches, fruit smoothies, and tasty ice cream treats. Camp, fish, share tall tales, and catch a sun tan on the large beach, but don’t swim in the harbor where serious fishermen launch their boats into the waters in search of their next big fish.

Set at the foothills of the bluffs is Maiden Rock, a quiet village richly painted with history, and murals. This town, established in 1850s earned its name from the story of an Indian Maiden who plunged to her death to escape an arranged marriage.

Stop and have lunch at Old Man River Pizza Pub, a historic joint well worth the stop. I recommend their taco pizza, which tastes more like a classic taco with a dash of pizza added in. Visit the Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery to pick up your own cider-making equipment, picnic baskets and an immense choice of fruit wines made from Wisconsin flavored fruits.

Next stop, just five miles away the small village of Stockholm, population 97, established in 1851 by Swedish immigrant farmers. Any day you visit you’ll find the streets busy with shoppers and visitors looking to find unique, one-of-a-kind items sold by the artisans, craftsman and eateries who sell their wares in quaint shops that are rich in history and aesthetic appeal. Travel there, walk the streets, dine in or out and you’ll understand why Travel Wisconsin rated Stockholm as one of the top five shopping destinations in Wisconsin.

It is here that you can buy up breads at the Bogus Creek Bakery, or delicious Swedish donuts, but you’ll have to get there early before the crowds snatch them up. I recommend that you budget a half-day or at least a few hours to visit all the stores in this village of artists and entrepreneurs. If you can, plan a full day visit on July 18, 2009 for the 36th annual Stockholm Art Fair where over 100 exhibitors display their arts and crafts.

It was during the 35th annual Art Fair that I fell in love with this little village and opened White Wolf Creek Gallery & Gifts and Emme Jo’s Art Palace, where you’ll find a collection of kids’ art made by the young village’s artist in training.

About five miles south of Stockholm you’ll find the city of Pepin, the birthplace of the world-famous author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Does the offer of tasty foods, set among arts and crafts booth, a fiddle contest, parade, demonstrations, or your chance to become the next “Pepin Laura” make you want to kick up your boots? If so, visit Pepin September 12-13, 2009 to celebrate Laura Ingalls Wilder Days.

No matter if you spend the day swimming, fishing, boating, or shopping the boutiques, or trying to gather a fin sample from the mysterious lake monster named “Pepie” to claim the $50,000 reward for proof of its existence, there is no doubt you’ll come to the end of your day fulfilled from your adventures, and hungry for dinner.

Your experience visiting Pepin will be richer by dining at The Pickle Factory Bar & Grille. Visit in the early evening and inquire for a spot on the upper deck so you can watch the orange and golden hues of the sunset rippling across the Lake Pepin as yachts, sail boats and boaters breeze by.

Whether you choose a sandwich, pizza or steak, there is one appetizer you will have to try: deep-fried pickles. Yes, pickles! Served with a ranch dipping sauce, or order them like me, with a bit of tarter sauce, and you’ll quickly receive a basket with a stack of lightly battered fried dill pickle spears. So delicious, they could be their own food group, so unforgettable you’ll want to come back and order them again.

Next stop is Rock in the House in Fountain City. Most of us living or traveling through the blufflands are accustomed to seeing chunks of limestone that have broken away from the bluffs and littered the ditches. Try to imagine a block of limestone that is a story and half tall, about 20 feet wide and several feet thick. Then envision it rolling down a bluff and rolling into a residence cutting their house almost in half. Talk about a sharpening stone!

Next stop in town is Elmer’s Auto and Toy museum featuring an enormous collection of pedal cars. By now, you’ll have worked up a thirst and you can quench it by drinking from the historical water fountain that gave this city its name.

In Nelson, the main attraction is the Nelson Cheese Factory & Deli. I would not even venture a guess as to how many garlic cheese curds I’ve nibbled on my travels, but I am sure there is at least one curd for every string peeled from the smoked string cheese. This stop is a must for all ages!

Up the road, you’ll find the town of Alma, a river town that has never lost its charm or unique shops, galleries, fine dining and museums. The shops, like in many small towns turn over to new hopefuls, but there are classic shops that have endured the ups and downs of our economy.

As you leave Alma, your next stop will fulfill the art side of your soul. In Cochrane, there is an outdoor sculpture garden just off the highway on the right side called Prairie Moon Sculpture Gardens and Museum. Here you will find collection of sculptures made from broken glass, stone, and cement pieces that have been broken to be made beautiful. One man’s vision became a resting stop for his creations and has since been entertaining the visitors who venture here.

I may not ever “reap the shot” of Pepie, the sea monster of Lake Pepin, but I will forever watch the shores for his silhouette against the unforgettable sunsets. Traveling the Great River Road has changed the course of more than one person’s life that I know.

Lisa Loucks Christenson is a writer-photographer based out of Rochester, Min. She has been published in Esquire, Self, Woman's World, Career World, Rourke, Trips and Journeys, Harcourt, Disney, Times Plain Dealer, Writer’s Weekly, and Writer’s Digest. She can be reached at www.lisalouckschristenson.net

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA LOUCKS CHRISTENSON