Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the dozen bridges, a “weeping” rock wall and legendary gold buried along the riverbank by
fleeingFrenchsoldiers,andanold860-foot-longrailroadbridge.Youcanlinkupattheend
with the Chippewa River Trail to Eau Claire. You can also canoe, kayak, or tube the Red
Cedar River from Menomonie. Rentals are found at the Menomonie trailhead.
Accommodations and Food
A large dose of chain motels comes at the junction of I-94 and WIS 25, including the super
clean and utterly friendly
Super 8
(1622 N. Broadway, 715/235-8889, $53-129). Bike trail
access is a couple blocks away.
A breath of fresh air is
M
Zanzibar
(228 Main St. E, 715/231-9269, 4pm-11pm Tues.-
Sat., $12-29). On one menu you'll find tapas, quail, and
ahvosh
(an Armenian flatbread).
Andit'sall well done, with friendly,attentive, and knowledgeable service. The martinis are
otherworldly as well.
If you're biking the Red Cedar State Trail, reward yourself with a meal (and perhaps
a bed) at the
Red Cedar Lodge
(E4620 County Rd. C, 715/664-8354,
www.red-cedar-
itself was a genuine cooperative creamery, constructed in 1904. Up until 2010, it was one
of the best eateries in Wisconsin. After it closed suddenly, shocking the community, two
sisters reopened it into a more traditional steak/supper club place. It has lovely chic rustic
interiors. They also have four B&B rooms, but you'll want to call way ahead for these.
Information
You'll find local tourism information at the
Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce
(342 E. Main St., 715/235-9087 or 800/283-1862,
www.menomoniechamber.org
).
The Black River Valley contained the most pine trees per settlement in the state when the
firstsawmillwasopenedin1839.Morethan50sawmillswhinedaway24hoursaday,pro-
cessing 4.9
billion
board feet of lumber. Iron ore mining and smelting has also been a local
industrial linchpin since 1856.
The forest was once the prime hunting grounds for the Winnebago, whose hegemony
oncestretchedwestthroughouttheregion.ForciblyrelocatedtonortheasternIowaandlater
a South Dakota reservation before making a long migration back to Wisconsin, they defied
attempts to remove them again.
