Sept 12, Sunday
Wyalusing State Park
We arrived at Wyalusing State Park around noon. Nestled on a high ridge overlooking the Wisconsin River, this park is known for its stunning views and rich natural history. Before heading to our site, we stopped at the dump station to fill up with fresh water. Our site, #217 in the Homestead Campground, was spacious, well-shaded, and relatively level.
Wyalusing has a long history, dating back thousands of years. Native American mounds found in the park indicate this area was significant to the Indigenous peoples. Today, it’s one of the oldest parks in Wisconsin.
Exploring McGregor and Marquette
Once we were settled, we drove across the Mississippi River to explore the historic river towns of McGregor and Marquette, Iowa. Both towns have fascinating histories tied to the river and early exploration. On June 17, 1673, Father Marquette and Louis Joliet first mapped the area, and it later became a hub for trade and transportation. By 1873, the towns were home to the world’s largest railroad pontoon bridge, connecting Iowa and Wisconsin.
However, time hasn’t been kind to these communities. Flooding has taken its toll over the years, and both towns have struggled to maintain their former vibrancy. We stopped at the Casino Queen Riverboat, now rusting and showing its age. Outside was “Pinky,” a large pink elephant statue originally built for the Wisconsin Republican Party in 1963. Over the years, it’s become a quirky local landmark.
Pikes Peak State Park
A short drive brought us to Pikes Peak State Park, known for its breathtaking elevated views. From the overlooks, we could see the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. The park also provided stunning views of Wyalusing State Park’s ridge from a distance.
We decided to take a short hike to Bridal Veil Falls, one of the park’s main attractions. While the falls were smaller and less impressive than expected, the hike itself was peaceful, surrounded by lush foliage and the sounds of nature.
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Our next stop was Effigy Mounds National Monument, a unique site preserving ancient Native American burial and ceremonial mounds. These earthen formations, often shaped like animals, hold spiritual and historical significance. Unfortunately, the mounds are accessible only by hiking trails, and with limited time, we only explored the visitor center. While the center had some educational displays, it left us wishing for a deeper experience.
St Feriole Island Park
Crossing back into Wisconsin, we visited St. Feriole Island Park in Prairie du Chien. This park, located on the east channel of the Mississippi River, is the site of the town’s earliest settlement and remains a hub of activity. On this particular day, the park was alive with tents and spectators attending the Carriage Classic 2021, an annual horse-and-carriage competition showcasing beautiful period vehicles and equestrian skills.
White Springs Supper Club
For dinner, we ventured to the White Springs Supper Club, a historic eatery that reopened in 2020 after being closed for a decade. The restaurant has deep roots, originally opening in 1949. Its nostalgic charm was evident, though the interior had a strong moldy smell and an overall worn feel.
Despite these issues, the classic supper club experience shone through. We were treated to a traditional relish tray before our meal, a Wisconsin supper club staple. I ordered the special—Tomahawk Pork Chops—but sadly, they were undercooked, making it impossible to finish.
After dinner, we refueled the truck and returned to camp by 9 PM, ready for a good night’s rest.
On the way back, we stopped to get some gas. We were back at the camper at 9 pm.
Sep 13, Monday
Our goal for the day was to follow the Great River Road south, exploring towns and attractions along the Mississippi River en route to Dubuque, Iowa.
Potosi – Brewery and Scenic Countryside
Our first stop was Potosi, a small town famous for its brewery and the National Brewery Museum. The Potosi Brewing Company, founded in 1852, was a major player in the local economy for over a century before closing in 1972. It reopened in 2008 and now serves as a symbol of the area’s resilience.
Though the brewery didn’t open until 11 AM, we admired the massive beer can outside—a fun photo opportunity. The drive through the countryside was equally memorable, with golden harvest fields and cornfields sculpted along rolling hills. The vibrant colors and scenic beauty were stunning.
The Mining Museum and Rollo Jamison Museums
Our next stop was The Mining Museum and Rollo Jamison Museums in Platteville.
Platteville was founded in 1827 as a lead mining town. While most lead mines are generally short-lived, and the lead was exhausted in the area by 1850, Platteville continued to grow as an agriculture center. The Platteville Academy was established in 1839, and the Platteville Normal School, the state’s first teacher’s college, was founded in 1866. In 1907, the Wisconsin Mining Trade School was established to study mining engineering. Today, a 241 x 214-foot “M” on a hillside overlooking the city commemorates this school. The last two institutions were merged into the UW-Platteville in 1959.
The Mining Museum opened in 1971, features displays about the lead and zinc mining in the area and offers tours of an abandoned lead mine. In 1981, the museum accepted a large private collection of historical artifacts from southwestern Wisconsin.
We were fascinated by the artifacts that Rollo had collected over 70 years. At 1 pm, we embarked on a guided tour of the mine, which was both educational and engaging. The museum also had a mine train where we could ride in one of the ore cars and be pulled by a 1931 Whitcomb locomotive that was once used in the Blackstone Mine near Shullsburg. Unfortunately, it started raining so the ride was closed.
Dickeyville Grotto
The Dickeyville Grotto, built between 1925 and 1930 by Father Matthias Wernerus, was an unexpected gem for us. This intricate work of art featured shrines made from colorful glass, gems, seashells, coral, fossils, petrified wood, and brightly colored pottery and porcelain. It also included unique elements such as stalagmites, stalactites, quartz, agates, amber glass, onyx, amethyst, and fool’s gold, creating a dazzling display.
As we explored the grotto, we admired its many shrines, each with its own distinct character and purpose. The Grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the main shrine, stood as a stunning centerpiece surrounded by vibrant mosaics and religious symbols. The Patriotic Shrine honored America with intricate representations of the flag and other national emblems. The Sacred Heart Shrine, Christ the King Shrine, and Holy Eucharist Shrine highlighted spiritual devotion, while the Fatima Shrine reflected a connection to Marian apparitions. The Stations of the Cross, woven into the grotto garden, provided us with a contemplative path for reflection.
This blend of faith, freedom, and artistic ingenuity made our visit to the Dickeyville Grotto a truly unique experience, showcasing both spiritual and national pride.
Eagle Point Park
After leaving Platteville, we continued on to Dubuque and drove up to the 164-acre Eagle Point Park. This large park sits on a high hill overlooking the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam No. 11, offering breathtaking views of the river and surrounding areas. It cost us a dollar to enter, which felt like a bargain given the park’s beauty and amenities.
The park is known for its beautifully landscaped grounds, stone pavilions, and winding trails. It was designed by renowned landscape architect Alfred Caldwell, whose work highlights the natural beauty of the area. From the overlooks, we watched barges navigating the lock and dam. The park also features picnic areas, gardens, and playgrounds.
National Mississippi River Museum
After visiting Eagle Point Park, we headed down to the National Mississippi River Museum. I had expected a small museum where we could stroll around for an hour, but instead, we found a sprawling complex of buildings and an outdoor marina with ships. It was a lot to take in, and we realized it would have taken us several days to explore everything fully. Since it was already 3 pm and admission was $20-$26 per person, we decided it was best to save it for another time.
Dubuque River Walk
Instead, we opted to walk along the Dubuque River Walk, a scenic path that runs along the river with some art installations on display. As we walked, we passed the outside of an old brewery building that had been converted into retail space.
We also came across the Dubuque Shot Tower, constructed in 1856 and designed to produce lead shots for firearms. Molten lead was poured through a grate at the top of the tower, and as the droplets fell, they cooled into nearly perfect spheres before landing in the water below. After the Civil War, the Standard Lumber Company repurposed the tower as a fire watchtower. In 1911, an arson fire gutted the tower, leading to its abandonment. Subsequent restoration efforts have preserved its historical significance.
Holy Family Grotto
The Holy Family Grotto is behind the Sisters of St. Francis Convent in Dubuque. This is one of Father Paul Dobberstein’s commissioned “satellite grottoes”. Primarily built in West Bend at his workshop, it was sent by rail to Dubuque and assembled in 1930 near the Convent.
Driftless Area
Throughout the day, we traveled through a beautiful area known as the Driftless Area, which consisted of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and northwestern Illinois. The area is noted by the deeply carved river valleys that escaped being flattened by the glaciers in the last glacial period.
Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On our trip back north, we tried to take improved roads along the Mississippi River as much as we could. As we approached North Buena Vista on one of these roads, we saw a directional sign that said “Grotto”. Of course, I turned into the detour, and we found The Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a bluff surrounding the town. This grotto was built in the late 1930s during the Great Depression. The town’s residents used rocks from the local area and the 700-pound statue of the Virgin Mary was ordered from Terra Cotto, Germany, and installed in 1938. In modern times, they installed a fluorescent halo over her.
Mississippi Valley Overlook
We stopped at another wayside near Guttenburg that provided us a view of the Mississippi Valley from a high bluff, but it was a little too overgrown to see much. The road sign was informative though.
Sunset and Drive Around State Park
It was getting dark as we approached our campsite, but we rushed to a boat ramp to try and capture some good sunset pictures. When we got to the park, there was enough light that I decided to drive around the park, which we had not seen yet. We found that the Wisconsin Ridge Campground had the best views of the Wisconsin and Mississippi River Valleys and their confluence, though it did not appear to offer electrical connections. We did stop briefly at The Knob at the end of the campground, which gave us a view of the Wisconsin River valley below. There was also an informational sign talking about the old-growth hardwoods found there. As we continued driving, we found another great outlook at the Green Cloud Picnic Area, where a Passenger Pigeon Monument stood, but it was getting too dark to stop. If I came to this campground again, I would love to be able to stay on Wisconsin Ridge and take the canoe trail through the islands of the Mississippi. It was very dark by the time we made it back to the camper.
Sep 14, Tuesday
The House on the Rock
The House of the Rock is the most popular tourist attraction in Wisconsin. It consists of a complex of architecturally distinct rooms, streets, gardens, and shops designed by Alex Jordan Jr. The house was started around 1945, with additions to the original structure and other buildings added over several decades. It has huge collections of authentic pieces, reproductions, and specially made examples of everything. Often, we were unable to tell them apart. The house was opened to the public in 1959. Jordan sold the house in 1988 to a friend who continued building on the site.
When we got there, we drove deep into the woods, and the road was lined with various large pots and odd sculptures. After parking in the large parking lot that was mostly empty, we went into an entrance building where we exchanged our online tickets for paper bracelets. There was a route that you followed through the complex. The route began in a fairly modern building with exhibits about the construction of the complex and the architect’s life, and then we were directed into the house itself, which was built atop a tall column of rock called Deer Shelter Rock. One of the highlights was the Infinity Room, a small room that seemed to extend forever out over the forest. Then we were directed through their other major exhibits that included “The Streets of Yesterday,” which was a re-creation of an early twentieth-century American town; “The Heritage of the Sea,” which featured nautical exhibits and a 200-foot model of a fanciful sperm whale-like sea creature; “The Music of Yesterday” with its huge collection of automatic music machines; the “Spirit of Aviation” which contained a collection of large model airplanes in a themed room. and finally, the “world’s largest indoor carousel” that featured 269 carousel animals, 182 chandeliers, over 20,000 lights, and hundreds of mannequin angels hanging from the ceiling. We bought several dollars worth of tokens for 25 cents each that could be used in many of the automated music players and devices throughout the complex. Halfway through the complex, they conveniently placed a cafe where we could buy lunch.
We had read that we should allocate four hours to explore the complex but we could have spent weeks there.
We were both mentally exhausted.
Sep 15, Wednesday
We left around 10 am, heading toward West Overlook Campground near Cedar Rapids.