TH file photo

There’s nothing like a carnival ride.

Area Attractions

Gays Mills, WI

You'll know you're almost to Gays Mills when you see hundreds of apple trees, twisted and bent, marching up and down the hillsides.

The Gays Mills historical marker, which overlooks town and the crooked Kickapoo River that runs through town, says farmers learned very quickly that the area was good for growing apples.

John Hays, in fact, took some Gays Mills apples to the state fair in 1905. The apples took first place. He took them to a national contest in New York. They won first place again.

So, the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society decided to plant some trial orchards. You can see the result. The Gays Mills area is the center of the largest and most concentrated apple orchard area in the Midwest. There are now more than 1,000 acres of apples growing around here.

Drive down the hill-watch for the hairpin turn you're supposed to take at 15 miles per hour-and you're entering Gays Mills, population 578. Find a shady spot and enjoy one of those juicy apples you bought along the road.

Historic Log Cabin Park is also located in Gays Mills. These are reconstructed log buildings sponsored by the Crawford County Historical Society. Relocated buildings illustrate the techniques of our pioneer ancestors.

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Prairie du Chien, WI

Prairie du Chien and the Ports of Discovery area offers visitors historical sites and museums, family oriented attractions, antique and specialty shops, riverboat casino gambling, state and national parks, natural sightseeing, the Great River Road and more.

While visiting Prairie du Chien and the "Ports Of Discovery" don't miss:

Villa Louis

The Villa Louis, home of Hercules L. Dousman, Wisconsin's first millionaire, is operated by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The Villa Louis when through a major renovation in 1997. On May 1 the Villa Louis Historic Site will open for the season through Oct. 31 with scheduled tours from 9 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. for a nominal fee.

There is a family ticket available as well for the Villa Louis, Stonefield Village and Pendarvis, also in southwestern Wisconsin and operated by the society. For more information on the Villa Louis Historic Site, call 608/326-2721.

Prairie du Chien Museum at Fort Crawford

During the spring of 1998, the Prairie du Chien Museum at Fort Crawford underwent an extensive remodeling at Stovall Hall, the lower museum building.

Not only did this enhance the overall look of the building, but has led the way for new exhibits. The museum is open daily from May 1 through Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a small admission charge.

Museum attractions include the story of Dr. William Beaumont, a pioneer in digestive medicine; episodes of Fort Crawford history featuring Zachary Taylor, Jefferson Davis and Blackhawk; a reconstructed pharmacy from the 1890s; dioramas illustrating the progress of surgery; and, a children's favorite, The Transparent Twins.

Riverboats

River were the main mode of transportation, first with canoes and then with steamboats.

The route from Green Bay to Prairie du Chien with a land crossing at Portage connected Prairie du Chien with Montreal and New York while the Mississippi gave access to the markets of St. Louis and New Orleans.

Today the rivers are used for canoeing, pleasure and house boating, barge hauling and regular visits by the Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and American Queen. All three typically make stops at Lawler Park in Prairie du Chien.

Lawler Park is where locals and visitors alike gather for family reunions, to watch the big boats and tugs which are frequently docked there or just sit and watch the Mississippi River roll by.

Also, the Julia Belle Swain offers historic, scenic one-day or two-day excursions along the Upper Mississippi from her home port, La Crosse.

Lodging, meals, entertainment and tours at port villages and towns are included in the package of your choice!

Scenic Beauty

Scenic beauty abounds in this area. Prairie du Chien is surrounded on all sides by towering bluffs left when the glacial runoff carved the Mississippi Valley.

Pike's Peak State Park in Iowa and Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin overlook the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers and offer panoramic views of the Valley.

The Great River Road

The Great River Road from La Crosse to Prairie du Chien is an experience not easily forgotten.

Two Corps of Engineers locks and dams occasionally allow viewing of barges loaded with coal, grain or chemicals as they change from one level of the river to another. Stops may be made along the way for cheese, fish or decorative items.

Parks

LaRiviere Park has hiking, bird watching, horseback riding space, cross-country skiing, mountain bike riding, berry and nut picking and nature appreciation, all within minutes of the numerous motels in Prairie du Chien.

Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa highlights the method of burial used by Indians in earlier times. Mounds in effigies of birds and animals can be viewed on the hike laid out for the adventurous visitor,

Wyalusing State Park has 2,600 acres on top of the bluffs just south of the confluence of the rivers and is best known for nature study, camping and some of the most beautiful sunsets in Wisconsin.

Pikes Peak State Park is located directly west of Wyalusing and is the best place to view a sunrise over the Wisconsin hills. It also offers camping and hiking as well as a fine view of the rivers and valley.

Fishing

Fishing is one of the main attractions to residents and visitors alike.

The Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers contain all species of fish and the area is the site of many fishing contests each year.

For a complete listing of events happening in the Prairie du Chien and "Ports Of Discovery" area, call the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce office at 608/326-8555 or 800/PDC-1673.

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Wyalusing, WI

Wyalusing offers camping, boating, fishing, numerous hiking trails, canoe trails and canoe rentals, a boat landing, picnic areas, a nature center and Indian mounds.

To get into the park, open year round, vehicle fees are $4 per day for residents and $6 for non-residents, or $2 a day for a resident senior. The annual fee is $15 for residents, $24 for non-residents and $6.50 for resident seniors. There's also a $2 hourly fee.

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Area Events

Prairie du Chien, WI

Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, 3 mile run/walk, Hoffman Hall, 1600 S Wacouta. For more information, call 608-326-7207

Dec. 4: Holiday Parade, 5:30 p.m., Blackhawk Ave. For more information, call 608-326-7207.

Dec. 4: Holiday Parade, 5:30 p.m., Blackhawk Ave., Prairie du Chien, Wis.

Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13: 1890s Christmas Holiday on a Victorian Country Estate, Villa Louis Historic Site, St. Feriole Island, 521 N Villa Louis Road. Visit the Dousman family as they prepare for the holidays in the 1890s, including decorating the house and preparing for a Christmas Eve visit from St. Nick. Christmas Day finds the family opening gifts in the parlor, attending church and gathered at the dinner table for a Christmas feast. They greet the New Year with a reception and social dance hosted by the family for daughter Virginia Dousman's 18th birthday. Lamplight programs will be presented on Saturday, Dec. 5 and 12. For more information, call 608-326-2721.

Dec. 31: "Droppin of the Carp," entrance of St. Feriole Island, Blackhawk Ave. 9 p.m. bonfire and entertainment, countdown at 11:40 p.m. and ends with fireworks. For more information, call 608-326-8602.

Area Parks

Gays Mills, WI

* Robb Park on the Kickapoo River has a shelter house, trailer parking, dumping station, sanitary facilities, handicapped accessible rest rooms, electrical hookups, horseshoe pits, and fishing below the dam with a variety of fish, including bass, walleye, pike, trout and catfish.

* Log Cabin Heritage Park has two picnic shelters, playground equipment, swimming pool, softball field and sand-volleyball court. Also includes authentic pioneer log cabins.

* Brown Park, near the Methodist church, has three double tennis courts and a basketball court.

Prairie du Chien, WI

* LaRiviere Park, located on Vineyard Coulee Road, southeast of Prairie du Chien. Provides hiking, nature, skiing, bridle trails, picnic area and shelter house.

* Lawler Park, St. Feriole Island. Its dock houses the Mississippi Queen, the Delta Queen and the American Queen when they stop. It has facilities for family picnics.

* Prairie du Chien - LaRiviere Park, located on Vineyard Coulee Road, southeast of Prairie du Chien. Provides hiking, nature, skiing, bridle trails, picnic area and shelter house.

* Lawler Park, St. Feriole Island. Mississippi River front park. The Julia Belle Swain and Mississippi Explorer dock at this park for river cruises. It has facilities for family picnics.

Wauzeka, WI

* Husher Park, a roadside park overlooking the lower Kickapoo Valley, has picnic tables and lookout towers, located on Wisconsin 131, five miles northeast of Wauzeka.

* Village Park has shelter house, fireplace, toilets, water and ball field.

Wyalusing, WI

* Bagley - Wyalusing State Park, 10 miles from Prairie du Chien. The Wisconsin River was the pathway for early explorers and fur traders. Park has campgrounds, picnic facilities, hiking and nature trails.

Area Camping

Prairie du Chien, WI

* Frenchman's Landing campground, seven miles north of Prairie du Chien on Wisconsin 35. Area's only campground with riverfront campsites on the main channel of the Mississippi River. Sand beach, free boat ramp, water electricity and sanitation facilities. Call 608/874-4563.

* Big River Campground, 106 W. Pauquette Road, Route 1. Has 108 campsites, water, electrical and sewer hookups, modern rest rooms, showers, boat rental, playground, fishing and swimming. Call 608/326-2712.

Wauzeka, WI

* Husher Park, a roadside park overlooking the Wisconsin 131, five miles northeast of Wauzeka, offers camping picnic tables and outlook towers.

Wyalusing, WI

* Wyalusing State Park, 10 miles from Prairie du Chien. The Wisconsin River was the pathway for early explorers and fur traders. Park has campgrounds, picnic facilities, hiking and nature trails.

* Bagley - River of Lakes Resort and Campground, one-and-a-half miles south of Bagley, has 150 50-foot campsites, three modern rest rooms, 10 showers, electricity, water and sewer hookups, dumping station, boats, motors, canoes, paddle boats, bicycles, recreation hall, RV rentals, cabins and seasonal sites.

* Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Campground, 15 miles south of Prairie du Chien on County X, has 200 campsites, cabin rental, heated pool, 18-hole miniature golf, snack shop, rest rooms, general store, laundry facilities, playground, cartoons in Yogi's Theater, wagon rides with Yogi, hiking and trails. 608/996-2201.