Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
collection, and it's easily spotted by the sign “Good Drinks, Bad Service” out front. Archi-
tecturally, the interiors represent an after-Prohibition exuberance in cocktail lounge design;
it's a bit flamboyant.
Anumberofpubsdowntownofferlivemusiconachangingschedule,including
Bodega
Brew Pub
(122 S. 4th St., 608/782-0677), the longest-running. It's outstanding.
Festivals and Events
InadditiontoOktoberfest,LaCrossecelebratesitsheritagewith
Riverfest,
aJulygathering
mostly of music performances.
OKTOBERFEST
It's not surprising to discover that the largest German-heritage festival in the Midwest is
held in Wisconsin. La Crosse's legendary blowout
Oktoberfest
(608/782-2366 or 800/
658-9424,
http://oktoberfestusa.com
), held the last week in September and first week in
October, features a 7:30am-midnight slate of beer, polka, beer, varied music, beer, and a
host of family events—sports to carnivals to parades. Almost half a million people attend
this one, including a number of German musical acts.
There's a huge conglomeration of chichi antiques and crafts shops in Old Towne North
along Caledonia Street; also, the
Antique Center of La Crosse
(110 S. 3rd St., 608/
782-6533) has about 75 boutiques of anachronisms—the largest collection in western Wis-
consin.
Trails
ThecityofLaCrossehasanotablenetworkoftrailsfollowingtheLaCrosseRiverthrough
marsh and bottomland. Canoe trails also snake through these sloughs down toward Ol'
Miss. Easiest is to depart Riverside Park. Most keep on the main trail to Myrick Hixon
EcoPark and Granddad's Bluff.
The
La Crosse River State Trail
isa22-mileronthepackedlimestonescreeningsspan-
ningtheabandonedgradeoftheChicagoandNorthwesternRailroad.Thewesterntrailhead
isn't in La Crosse technically, but in Medary, northeast of La Crosse along WIS 16. The
eastern terminus is the Bicycle Capital of the United States, Sparta. Keep your eyes peeled
