side road from Winona to Lacrosse for great river valley view

[wheelspin]

After heading east out of Winona on HWY61, you will pass through a blink and miss it town called Lamoille. Watch for a small right hand turn road, cty 3. (all left hand turns very shortly would end in a swim, heh heh)
It is also referred to as Apple Blossom Drive. (and is signaged that way too)
Follow cty 3 through a pleasant drive up the bluff, and you will end up back at I90 at the Nodine exit. Cross 90, and your road becomes #12, and approximately a mile later you will be in Nodine.
Turn left on cty 12, and follow it a short distance, 1 or 2 miles, just before it heads down the bluff to I90.
The road you are going to turn on is cty 1. Turn right. This will also be signaged as Apple Blossom Drive.
Follow this all along the top of the bluff for around 7 or 8 miles until you go back down into Lacrescent.
This will provide you with some spectacular viewing of the Mississippi river valley overlooking Lacrosse.
You can get right back on the regular route in Lacrescent.

You won't regret this view after all the cornfields you had to slog through to get across Iowa!

[LadyGT]

I knew it, I knew it. Somebody confirms cornfields! ;D :-*

[outlaw57]

this is a great drive!! the view from the bluffs down into the river is so great!! everyone should take it!!

[wheelspin]

Well, there may be some soy bean fields in Iowa too...
;D

I'll post up a quick map image tomorrow at work. I just started running Linux O/S on my laptop, and it's not letting me upload the images to the page.

[The Chief]

Sweet, the more help the better as not being a US resident and knowing the place names makes it hard to figure out exactly where the detour went ;)

[BluLightning]

I printed out the directions so we might be checking it out.

[The Chief]

Well im definatly up for checking it out, which leg is it on? and who else is up for a detour?

[outlaw57]

Friday, after leaving Rochester, going to Madison

[oletrux4evr]

I printed that detour off too, so maybe we'll have us a convoy! ;D

[trukluvr]

I knew it, I knew it. Somebody confirms cornfields! ;D :-*


Let us not forget all the wheat fields in Nebraska.

[Rande]

Drove the detour today. At least the last part from I90 into LaCrescent. I didn't do the Cty 3 part but I've been there before, nothing remarkable about that segment.

It is a nice drive. I've been up and down Cty 1 (Apple Bloosom Drive) many times but never really paid attention. I live here, its a road to get somewhere. Today I paid attention.

We'll start on the official route on Hwy61 a few miles out of Winona. Cty 3 is the turn off from the official route. It is just a few miles beyond the little village of LaMoille. LaMoille is just a collection of a few houses, easy to miss. There is a sign on the highway for LaMoille and the town of Pickwick which is farther from the highway. That tells you that you are getting close to Cty 3. LaMoille is at Cty 7.

Turn right onto Cty 3 (it is marked by signs), this will take you up to the top of the bluffs and take you on to I90. At I90, you get on Cty 12 (turn left) and cross I90 and just continue on Cty 12 into the small town of Nodine. Cty 12 turns in Nodine (it is a T intersection) and you turn left. Just a mile or so out of Nodine, Cty 1 intersects with Cty12. Turn right. If you miss Cty 1, you will start down the valley back towards I90.

Cty 1 will take you into LaCrescent which is where the official route is taking the tour and at the Cty 1/Cty12 intersection, there is a sign telling you LaCrescent is thataway. The official route is down below at the river and you are up on top going the same way. Once in LaCrescent, continue on the road you are on to 3rd Street south (you'll cross Main St first). Turn left, its a 4 way stop with stop signs, not a light). 3rd Street will bring you to the intersection (only 2 blocks away) where the tour will be turning left to head over the river into LaCrosse. Everyone else will turn left, you go straight through that intersection and you are back on the official route with everyone else.

The views of the river are a bit small at first. You will be looking between other bluffs. They get better as you go along. Near LaCrescent, there is a place where the road has been widened on the river side of the road to allow folks to pull over and take a gander. Right next to that is a small gravel turn off the road where more cars can pull off. There a small marker there (like those historical markers you occasionally see) that tells you what you are looking at. Just past that, you begin to head down the valley into LaCrescent.

It certainly is a nice drive. The intersection in LaCrescent with the road to take you over the river is presently under consruction. Oh Boy! BUT, it is nearly finished and I saw no reason the construction would interfere with those taking this detour. For the official route, well that is different. The approach to the left turn is a single lane through the contruction zone, ending at the light in a single left turn lane. The approach to that intersection from the detour, is two lanes with a straight shot through the intersection. I would guess there would be a Sheriff there to help things along for the official route. I don't know that for certain.

[The Chief]

Right ten lets make a list of names so we can hook up this day and run the same route.

Count me in

[Impala_Guy]

I would guess there would be a Sheriff there to help things along for the official route. I don't know that for certain.


Unless Carol has some pull there you are being wildly optomistic. :D I'm in for the detour. Love a good side trip. Sometimes they even happen when I'm not lost.

[MIKEE]

you can actually travel along side the Mississippi river. on the Wisc. side. just cross the river and turn right.
HWY 35 travels down to PRAIRIE DU CHEIN. Numerous roads to turn back east and reconnect to route or take hwy 60 to 14 same direction east.. then follow 14 into MIDDLETON/MADISON. QSL is on 14 just as you get to 12 bypass to head to venue. The entrance ramp to 12 off 14 is a left turn and over 14. BTW. if you follow this route it will also take you along the WISCONSIN RIVER for the whole trip on 60 and 14. this is somewhat of a more time consuming route as well. either route is scenic; and the pt route takes you thru the heart of the driftless region of wisc.( no glaciers effected development of this region) very hilly and windy roads w/ the KICKAPOO river winding through it . NOT TOO MANY CORNFIELDS! as this area is mixed topo. is much hillier than most of the state.
WATCH OUT for the AMISH horse drawn buggies on the roads out there also.

[oletrux4evr]

Right ten lets make a list of names so we can hook up this day and run the same route.

Count me in


We're in! 8)

[1956NY150]

we're in

[Bigbuds1]

sounds good to me too,,,,,,,,

[cubby]

Give us a shout we are looking at that area to do a cruise for our car club this fall .Would love to travel with aa group.

[70Pontiac]

Awesome. I've got it mapped out. Thanks for the tip!!

[cstmwgn]

Is this still viable?????

[Amigo-2k]

It should be no problem. The Mississippi would have to rise several 100 feet for this to be an issue.

[oletrux4evr]

We took the Apple Blossom side trip,,,,,very nice indeed. ;D
Can't get the photo to load, so here's a link:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj154/oletrux4evr/Earl/DSCF0519.jpg