As I drifted into the cold water and floated free, I could feel the anticipation building. I carefully maneuvered the boat and the gentle bobbing motion signaled the beginning of my adventure. The farther away I got, the breaking of the serene silence of the riverbank. The current tugged atContinue Reading

As a former Catholic, Weiss was immediately intrigued by the idea of a priestless religion with no strict rules that succeeded in making people she knew happy. “I went back to a tiny town and started chanting on my own,” Weiss said. Dremsa, originally from Brazil, was also struggling withContinue Reading

Nestled in the winding rivers and abundant hills of West-Central Wisconsin, the City of Hillsboro is the gateway to the non-glacial Driftless Region. From the historic downtown to the surrounding countryside, you will find a community that truly embraces the “small town Wisconsin” lifestyle. The picturesque scenery of Hillsboro onlyContinue Reading

Anyway, back to the 70s and early 80s. Church, if you recall, can be a lot for kids. Adults too, I suppose. A half-hour lead-in, a ninety-minute-ish event, a fifteen-minute exit, and lots of “Behave! Sit still!” Sure, Sunday school was alright. When you talked about cool things like Noah’sContinue Reading

After meditation, I set out to tour around the festival grounds, searching for destinations that I could cover and write about. The Backwoods Stage lays nestled in the woods past the Honeybee campground. A small clearing serves as the seating area, speckled with trees and glow-in-the-dark jellyfish. I wend myContinue Reading

Howard County – Where Community Pride Was Invented! Located along the Upper Iowa River in Northeast Iowa, less than an hour from the Mississippi River. Visit the boyhood home and farm of Dr. Norman Borlaug and stop in at the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Canoe the Upper Iowa River,Continue Reading

Anderson’s pottery is the star of the show. She depicts an ever-expanding repertoire of regional wildlife: birds, animals, insects and wildflowers. Using a decorating technique called “Sgraffito,” she scrapes and carves away a contrasting surface layer to reveal the image. Some of her local favorites are Bald Eagles, Sandhill Cranes,Continue Reading

As we entered the restaurant, the warm glow of lights across the ceiling greeted us, casting a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The rustic yet modern decor added to the allure of the place, with wooden beams and exposed brick walls adorned with vintage photographs of the city’s rich history. TheContinue Reading

When I arrived I was familiar with the Oktoberfest grounds, but not this festival. In the distance, I could hear music and laughter, but still did not know what I was walking into. They thanked me for coming and handed me a shirt and a name badge. Then, they calledContinue Reading

If you live in the Driftless Area, you are probably well aware that Madison sits on the outskirts of its boundaries, by something like three miles. And as with the Twin Cities and Rochester in Minnesota, Madison – Wisconsin’s capital city – perches like a borderland kingdom that average folksContinue Reading

The recreation hub of Dunn County, Menomonie is a playground for outdoors and sports enthusiasts of all kind, home to the beautiful Red Cedar River! The recreation hub of Dunn County, Menomonie is a playground for outdoors & sports enthusiasts of all kind. Nestled in the heart of Northwestern, WisconsinContinue Reading

  Rampfest sounds like the vernacular of a skateboarder. Rampfest dude, with a long drawn out Dueeeeed. Or maybe something you’d hear at a farm supply store. The ramps at Rampfest are wild spring edibles. I do think that their name needs a little work though. When I think ofContinue Reading

River Bluff Scenic Byway The River Bluffs Scenic Byway plays hide and seek with three rivers, crossing them at times, providing distant views of the river valleys at others. This byway starts and ends with a mesmerizing three-state view of the Mississippi River. Within its Corridor in Fayette and ClaytonContinue Reading

Caledonia, the county seat, lies nestled in the center of beautiful Bluff Country. Designated “The Wild Turkey Capital of Minnesota” and “The Heart of Quilt Country,” the Caledonia area is home to trout streams, snowmobile trails, horse, hiking, and biking trails. Trout Fishing The Houston County area is home toContinue Reading

There are many advantages to fishing this jewel of the Midwest. The Driftless abounds in hidden creeks, some of them not much more than a trickle, yet still home to populations of brown trout, and sometimes the native brookies. While the Driftless contains its share of full-sized rivers suitable forContinue Reading

A Tasting Worth Talking About The evening featured some of the most sought-after, nearly impossible-to-find pours in one lineup. The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)—George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, Thomas Handy, Eagle Rare 17 Yr, and Sazerac 18—was fully present. That alone would have been enough to draw collectorsContinue Reading