USA (Wisconsin) - Week of October 19, 2025

Welcome back! Amazing blessing to 'see' you once again, or perhaps for the first time. 

I've decided to visit a few locations in Wisconsin's southwest, spending more time than I usually do to develop a deeper appreciation. My efforts were warmly rewarded. My destinations reflected my interest in providing a broad spectrum of Wisconsin's possibilities within a relatively small area. My maximum one way travel time was about three hours. I hope you enjoy your vicarious visit to the beautiful state of Wisconsin.  

Reflections on Eau Claire River

BTW - Wisconsin is one of my top destinations in my global adventures. As North America experiences four seasons (spring, summer, fall & winter), the only season I like to avoid is winter. I mention the four seasons as other parts of the world may only have two 'seasons' - a dry 'season' and a wet 'season'.

May the universe bring endless blessings (blessings in disguise) and moments of magic 🦄  to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏

Travel Maps

Much more traveling throughout Wisconsin's southwest. I'm hoping the week's various road trips give you a small sampling of Wisconsin's diversity. Do remember there is so much more to see throughout the rest of the state. Summer is particularly busy with rodeos, music festivals, weekend festivals, 4th of July parades, music in the park, the list goes on and on!

United States of America: October 19 to October 25, 2025

Road Trip 

Day 1

The road trip (~108 km/67 mi) started on Tuesday afternoon with a stop in Ellsworth. 

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery

A Wisconsin must-see destination, especially if you have a hankering for cheese, is the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery in Ellsworth. Pardon me for forgetting to take photos of the endless assortment of flavoured cheese curds. Their store, a cheese mecca, has a complete range of non-dairy products including Spotted Cow beer which is only available in Wisconsin, souvenirs and delicious ice cream. Their Menomonie location is a short drive from Eau Claire. I defaulted to visiting the Ellsworth location to have what I thought would be the premier cheese curd experience. 

Day 2 - Great River Road

Wednesday was dedicated to traveling south along the Mississippi River starting near Alma, ending about 38 mi (61 km) at Trempealeau. Traveling the Road takes time if one wants to make stops to explore the various points of interest. I think I had the chance to get a fair cross-section of experiences in the relatively short distance I drove. 

Nelson Cheese Factory

My first stop (~87 km/54 mi from Eau Claire) was this creamery as my initial idea was to pick up a sandwich to avoid downtime with a stop for lunch. I forgot to take photos at this location. Hopefully, the above link provides with sufficient information and photos to cover off my photographic miscue. Great place to buy wine, snacks, sandwiches and endless variety of cheeses. Nelson is a popular destination on the Great River Road adventure. A good indication for popularity is the size of the parking lot. You guessed it, Nelson has a large parking lot!

Lock and Dam #4 - Alma

A short distance down the road from Nelson was the first lock and dam on this trip. The highlight, given the lack of a barge in the lock, was the foot bridge that was built over the railroad track leading to the lock and dam observation deck. Yup, the Army Corps of Engineers wants to keep the viewing public safe in their quest to watch the lock operate. 

Kinstone

'Kinstone is a 30-acre haven of peaceful beauty filled with stone sculpture, natural buildings, planted prairie, and spectacular views over the Mississippi River. This modern megalithic site featuring three stone circles, dolmen, standing stones, labyrinth, thatched cordwood chapel and more is a truly magical place!'

Kinstone, located just outside Fountain City (where I had a hot lunch at The Golden Frog), was a mystical experience. I met Kristine Beck, Kinstone's owner/creator, when paying the $10 admission fee. I'm in awe of what she envisioned and subsequently created on this 30 acre property. She's the second person I've encountered this year who believes that the stones have a voice; Lee Ufan was the first person I met through his art in Busan, South Korea. I left Lee's name and website with Kristine as she expressed an interest in his artistry and kindred spirit. 

Kinstone has the presence you want it to have. My presence was spiritual. Walking amongst the stones was meditative. The signposts were a great addition to understand what Kristine was thinking in the developing the different stone installations.

Breathtaking setting

Apparently there are more than 10,000 dolmen in
South Korea. I confess missing all of them!

Dolmen - a structure with two stone sides and
a stone roof

Water Dragon

Stone circle

St. Francis Assisi - Sun and Moon
for Carmen, a special yoga teacher who
has a passion in this area

Labyrinth - the ultimate in meditation. Hope 
you take the time to experience one in your life. 

Perrot State Park - Brady's Bluff

The next stop was a hiking adventure up to Brady's Bluff (1168 ft/356 m above sea level), about 460 feet/140 m above the Mississippi and Trempealeau Rivers. The hike involved a 3 mi/5 km loop trail with river views from above and alongside the Mississippi River.

Lock and Dam #6 - Trempealeau

My lucky day - there was a barge in the #6 site. I noticed a number of barges heading towards the Lock and Dam from atop Brady's Bluff. The outstanding question was whether I could reach the lock and dam in time for at least one barge. 

Wisconsin Locks and Dams

Capacity comparison

That's one big barge, right!?

Barge in lock

UW - Eau Claire: Gartner Centre

An important blessing that comes from living in Eau Claire is access to amazing musicians and music through the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire campus. This is the 2nd performance I've attended at the campus. I had a front row seat for this free performance. Watching this performance was pure magic. Most of the pieces she played in the hour long performance were performed from memory. Dr. Fujimura was consumed by her music. Was an incredible hour of entertainment!

Dr. Yukiko Fujimura regularly performs solo and chamber music, as well as concerti with orchestra, and has received numerous awards and honors for her piano excellence. Guest Artist: Dr. Yukiko Fujimura (piano)

Pure musical magic

Day 3

The third day, Thursday, was a lighter travel day with a forty minute drive north of Eau Claire to the David R. Obey Interpretative Centre. The day's primary focus was the 5 mi/8 km hike on the Andrew Cahow Trail which crossed over the Ice Age Trail. 

Ice Age Trail - Chippewa Moraine

This link provides additional information about this segment of the Ice Age Trail.

Andrew Cahow Trail

This link provides more details about the trail I hiked..

Gotta love those reflections

Eau Claire

I spent Thursday afternoon having lunch and exploring Eau Claire's downtown area. Sharing a few photos from the Eau Claire downtown area. Great locations for recreational activities or just chilling by the water including beautiful parks and walking/cycling trails!

Historic building - now part of city hall

Squirrel preparing for winter by changing
its fur colour!

Reflections on Eau Claire River

Reflections on Eau Claire River

Day 4

Friday was a driving day as it took about three hours to reach the first destination. Yes, it would at least three hours with a side trip to Sullivan's Supper Club during as I meandered my way back to the hotel. Heart felt thanks to my very good friend Dave for sharing a travel article that focused on these destinations in the driftless area of Wisconsin. I've learned 'driftless' refers to the area which evaded Wisconsin's glaciation experience. The topography reflects this important difference!

House on the Rock

The first stop was the House of the Rock. I encourage you to click on the link to learn more about the genesis of this house. I'm continually amazed at people's creativity and ingenuity. This is a striking example. There was a thread of people's creativity in many of the locations I visited throughout the week. 

The Infinity Room, in the photos below, is a room which extends 218 feet out over the scenic valley with over 3,000 pieces of glass. This is but one small part of what I saw. Do click the link!

Infinity Room

Taliesin

The next stop was Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Wisconsin. I invested in the 2.5 hour indoor tour of Frank's residence which I think was both time and money well spent. I'm a big FLW fan - especially his prairie homes which he deliberately designed to blend into the landscape. 

I wish I had a simple way to convey what I think is a breathtaking experience of walking through Frank's residence. The subtlety and ingenuity of his design and thinking is everywhere. The colours, the attention to detail, the line of view and so much more. You do need to experience his work first-hand if you have an interest. 

Design studio

Romeo & Juliet Windmill

Quotable quote

Sullivan's Supper Club

In my last stop of the day, I gave myself two wonderful available only in Wisconsin gifts in one fell swoop. I had a Friday fish fry at a supper club which was situated on the Mississippi River. The only drawback was dinner was at night so I was unable to enjoy the full experience of having a meal on the river!

I know my Wisconsin friends would be surprised at how long it took me to enjoy both of these culinary experiences. You can learn more about supper clubs by clicking in the link. Beware that this knowledge may entice you to travel to this amazing state!

Day 5

Saturday marked the end to my almost week long Wisconsin adventure, albeit the stop was in Minnesota. This was the first time I spent time in Minneapolis (St. Paul is the other half of the twin cities). My usual routine was making a beeline from the airport for Eau Claire. 

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

The largest urban sculpture garden in the country, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is a joint project of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Walker Art Center.

Hephaestus Greek God of Fire Sculpture

Spoonbridge and Cherry Sculpture
This sculpture is equivalent to Chicago's 'Bean'

Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers

Me being artist with State Capitol building
in background (X with Columns)

Me being artist with State Capitol building
in background (X with Columns)

Hahn/Cock Sculpture

Next Week

I return to Canada (Port Credit/Mississauga) on Wednesday, October 29. I have one last golf game planned before I wrap up my four week golf season. I also have final yoga sessions (at least for this visit) with Stasha, Denise, Carmen, and Beth.