Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and Dam 7. Acre for acre the lake is one of the most active fishing spots on the Mississippi
River.
Onalaska lies north of La Crosse at the hook in the Mississippi that forms the eponymous
Onalaska Lake and Spillway—much loved by anglers, who take a huge number of sunfish
from the waters. The oddball name, inspired by a late-18th-century poem (spelled “Oon-
alaska” in that usage), is one of three in the United States. The other two are in Texas and
Washington, but Wisconsin's “Oonalaska” was the first.
Sights
Onalaska is technically the southern terminus of the
Great River State Trail,
a 24-mile
multipurpose rail-to-trail paralleling the Mississippi River. Dozens of great partially forged
iron bridges are scattered along the route, and the trail also passes through lovely Trem-
pealeau. One frightening highlight is the still-active Burlington Northern railroad line, dir-
ectly next to the trail. A better highlight is the Midway Prairie, a small swath of extant vir-
gin prairie north of the trail, now maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
For information, check out
www.discoveronalaska.com
.
Accommodations and Food
Mostlychainlodgingsareapparentaroundhere.The
Lumber Baron Inn
(4212ndAve.N,
608/781-8938,$95-129)isamammoth1888B&Bdreamhomerepletewithcarriagehouse,
landscaped grounds, and nice details.
Somehavecalled
M
Traditions
(201MainSt.,608/783-0200,5:30pm-10pmWed.-Sat.,
$25-30) one of the best restaurants in the state. Housed in an old bank building—the intim-
ate private rooms are in the vault—it offers consistently excellent creative cuisine.
The castellated and craggy circumference of one of Wisconsin's prettiest cities is often
voted number one by Midwestern travel mavens as far as aesthetics goes. Even Mark
Twain, after a visit, referred to it as “a choice town.” Buffalo Bill Cody found the town so
much to his liking that he brought his Wild West Show back again and again, and he even-
tually bought part of Barrons Island.
