Hidden Valley B & B Association

Kickapoo time

wisconsin-inns — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:21:35 +0000

For those living in the Kickapoo valley of the Driftless area of Wisconsin, time seems to slow down. Locals call it Kickapoo time and just as the river rambles along at its own pace, residents also meander along like the river as well. Kickapoo time it most noticeable when you experience it on the river. This week, to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary, my wife and I took a four hour canoe trip starting in Ontario. Slowly, we drifted through beautiful river valleys, past grazing cows, and past tall water worn stone bluffs; our conversation wandered slowly along as well, inspired by the beauty of the river, and the beauty and longevity of our relationship. Just as in life, the journey is more important than the destination and far sooner than we expected we found ourselves at our destination.

We invite you to come and experience Kickapoo time for yourself in southern Wisconsin.

Family Biking Adventure

wisconsin-inns — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:58:43 +0000

I grew up biking, whether it was around the block as a child growing up in Minneapolis, around campus at the University of Minnesota, or around the river. Biking the muddy trails, the back woods and the nature preserves was often where I would be found. When we relocated to the Driftless Area, biking became less of a priority with children and even less of a priority when trying to pull a burley behind me on our local hilly roads.
However, lately I have been inclined to try it again now that our children can ride along side us. As a family we have biked the long, yet flat, Sparta trail from Wilton and explored the cave- like old rail tunnels which offered a great respite from the heat.
Keen to keep our family active, we were surprised to learn from a local bike store that they were working on an off-road trail within the Viroqua city limits. So, planning a few hours on a nice, cool, Sunday morning with a breeze in the air we loaded our bikes, water, and snacks and made our way out thorough the sleepy town of Viroqua and on to the trail.
The children, having never biked on rough terrain bending under low hanging branches and negotiating bushes were exhausted after 15 min and decided to stop and lounge under a stately oak. I, however, in a bid to recapture my youth, decided that I wanted to keep going and took off up the trails. Well needless to say, 15 years later, I am not in the shape I used to be and neither was my bike for that matter. After an exhausting and winding uphill climb I was thankfully forced to stop when my chain broke, limiting my foolishness to only a short distance.
However, with time and some bike repairs, I do hope we will be back on the trails again, this time with a more reasonable expectation on my part.

A Driftless Summer

wisconsin-inns — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 03:33:21 +0000

Summer is fully upon us in the Driftless region of Wisconsin and there are endless lists of activities that await you.

For bicyclers the area offers many challenging roads and trails. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve in La Farge and Side Hollow Park in Viroqua offer many adventurous off road bicycle trails. For the road bicycler the Driftless area offers a unique biking experience with rolling hills and quiet country roads. For the more adventurous there is the Brave Ride; offering a 20 mile, 40 mile and 62 mile road bike course through the hills of Crawford County.
For the water lover the Driftless area offers canoeing and kayaking along our meandering rivers. The highlight of our area’s canoeing and kayaking is the Kickapoo River offering 130 miles of paddling, and beautiful scenery.
The Kickapoo River along with its tributaries offer some of the best fly-fishing in the upper mid west offering many class A trout streams, and world class fly-fishing outfitters.
For those who prefer a more leisurely view of the Drifless area, there are birding tours on the Mississippi River, Amish farm tours, historic attractions, round barns, numerous unique shopping and antiquing opportunities, as well as many fine dining opportunities.

We encourage you to explore the Driftless area at your own speed.

Explore the Hidden Valleys of Southwest Wisconsin

wisconsin-inns — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:37:33 +0000

Hills and Meadows of Southwest Wisconsin

There are a million reasons to visit the hidden valleys of Southwest Wisconsin. Whether you come for the rivers, the bike trails, the birdwatching, historic small towns, or the simplicity of a Wisconsin Weekend doing nothing at all, we want to be your tour guide. Southwest Wisconsin Innkeepers know every secret of these timeless, hidden valleys, and they’re willing to share some of them with you.

That’s what this blog is all about — sharing area news and Wisconsin travel tips to make your stay unforgettable. What to bring? Your walking shoes, your favorite jeans, and someone you love. Everything else you need is already here in Southwest Wisconsin.