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Road trip!
Jun. 13th, 2018 08:23 pmMy friend Matt and I decided to go explore some of the Driftless region of Wisconsin last weekend while Jana was off winning fame and glory (Jana Pullman, winner of the Fine Binding Award at the Degolyer Bookbinding Competition, second time in a row). The "Driftless" refers to the fact that glaciers never passed through the area so it's quite hilly and scenic, with lots of rivers and ponds as a result. Our first stop was Viroqua, WI, which is a few miles from the Organic Valley Co-op offices. We ate a fab lunch at the Driftless Cafe, shopped at the art emporium, bought books at Driftless Books and Music and stopped by the Viroqua Co-op, which is expanding. It was lovely!
After that, we went to the Spring Green Inn to check in, then on to Spring Green for dinner at Freddy Valentine's, the restaurant in the old bank. From there, we went to Arcadia Books, which is a nice general bookstore with a cafe attached. Then back to the hotel to read, rest and sleep.
Because we missed out on House on the Rock on Friday, we decided to combine our House on the Rock and Taliesin tours on Saturday. Reader, this was ill-advised. But off we went to Taliesin for a very early lunch in the charming cafe before embarking on the walking tour of the house. Then we got to spent a couple of hours clambering about the house and grounds, which are quite lovely. Our tour guide was quite knowledgeable and it's remarkable how engaging the place is, given the ax murders (seriously unpleasant, FYI), the two fires, the nearly sliding off the hill and the various other traumatic events in the house's history.
Then tea, then off to House on the Rock! Matt loved it, as I predicted, and we walked the whole house and grounds for...hours. It is glorious, it is completely over the top and you emerge exhausted, which we did. So, of course, I had a ticket for American Player's Theater that night. I love outdoor theater, I love "As You like It," what could go wrong? Initially, nothing. We stopped by Paradise Tea/No Rules Gallery in Spring Green and had dinner at a place that we were assured was an "actor's hangout" (apparently we looked like "American Gods" fans). Matt dropped me off in the parking lot and I acquired some tea and a scarf that doubled as a mosquito net and caught the shuttle up the big hill to the open air theater. I found my seat and read P.D. James until the show started. The production was quite good and other than being a bit tired, I was enjoying myself. Right up until the lightning started. 20 minutes before the end of the play, they had to call it off and evacuate the theater. This consisted of piling people into the shuttles while the rest of us jogged down the steepish hills in the rain. It was a very full house so this took a few minutes. And then, of course, my phone wasn't working. Fortunately, Matt decided that things looked dicey and showed up to rescue me without being called. And back we went to the Inn.
The next day was a drive home with a lengthy tour of La Crosse on the way. La Crosse has a very nice gaming store downtown and is far more interesting that I give it credit for. Got back around 5, did laundry, worked and collapsed. It was an excellent road trip. And now I am planning more.
After that, we went to the Spring Green Inn to check in, then on to Spring Green for dinner at Freddy Valentine's, the restaurant in the old bank. From there, we went to Arcadia Books, which is a nice general bookstore with a cafe attached. Then back to the hotel to read, rest and sleep.
Because we missed out on House on the Rock on Friday, we decided to combine our House on the Rock and Taliesin tours on Saturday. Reader, this was ill-advised. But off we went to Taliesin for a very early lunch in the charming cafe before embarking on the walking tour of the house. Then we got to spent a couple of hours clambering about the house and grounds, which are quite lovely. Our tour guide was quite knowledgeable and it's remarkable how engaging the place is, given the ax murders (seriously unpleasant, FYI), the two fires, the nearly sliding off the hill and the various other traumatic events in the house's history.
Then tea, then off to House on the Rock! Matt loved it, as I predicted, and we walked the whole house and grounds for...hours. It is glorious, it is completely over the top and you emerge exhausted, which we did. So, of course, I had a ticket for American Player's Theater that night. I love outdoor theater, I love "As You like It," what could go wrong? Initially, nothing. We stopped by Paradise Tea/No Rules Gallery in Spring Green and had dinner at a place that we were assured was an "actor's hangout" (apparently we looked like "American Gods" fans). Matt dropped me off in the parking lot and I acquired some tea and a scarf that doubled as a mosquito net and caught the shuttle up the big hill to the open air theater. I found my seat and read P.D. James until the show started. The production was quite good and other than being a bit tired, I was enjoying myself. Right up until the lightning started. 20 minutes before the end of the play, they had to call it off and evacuate the theater. This consisted of piling people into the shuttles while the rest of us jogged down the steepish hills in the rain. It was a very full house so this took a few minutes. And then, of course, my phone wasn't working. Fortunately, Matt decided that things looked dicey and showed up to rescue me without being called. And back we went to the Inn.
The next day was a drive home with a lengthy tour of La Crosse on the way. La Crosse has a very nice gaming store downtown and is far more interesting that I give it credit for. Got back around 5, did laundry, worked and collapsed. It was an excellent road trip. And now I am planning more.
