Travel & Visitors Guide - May 15, 2009
Historic bar adds roadhouse concerts
Leo & Leona's, the historic bar in southwest Wisconsin, has come all the way back. Early this month String Ties, a popular regional band, played the kickoff concert in the bar's renovated roadhouse hall.
Tagged with: leo and leona's, la crosse, roadhouse, mike ditka, cheese league

Travel & Visitors Guide - April 26, 2009
Promoting Wisconsin areas through sports
The La Crosse Area Sports Commission was formed a couple years ago, but kicked off its events phase with a February banquet honoring athletes and sports figures. Baseball Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew was the main speaker.
Tagged with: la crosse sports commission, tourism, la crosse

Travel & Visitors Guide - Feb. 15, 2009
Doc Powell had strong state ties
Some readers might recognize Doc Powell as a contemporary jazz and R&B guitarist. Those with more of a sense of history will probably be familiar with the name as the "blood brother" of Buffalo Bill Cody and through Wild West tales.
Tagged with: dr. frank powell, doc powell, la crosse, wild west

Travel & Visitors Guide - Jan. 11, 2009
Scenic Byways proposed throughout the state
Sections of two highways in Western Wisconsin could become official Scenic Byways in 2009. Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin (CSW) has proposed state Scenic Byway status for State Highway 33 from Portage to La Crosse. Planning for Highway 60, from Lodi to The Great River Road near Prairie du Chien is also underway.
Tagged with: scenic byways, citizens for a scenic wisconsin

Travel & Visitors Guide - Dec. 21, 2008
Norskedalen offers winter fun for all
Norskedalen means Norwegian Valley, and if you have some Norski blood in you a trip to this nature and heritage center will have extra meaning. Norskedalen is dedicated to preserving, interpreting and sharing the natural environment and cultural heritage of the area surrounding Coon Valley in southwest Wisconsin.
Tagged with: norskedalen, vernon county, an old fashioned christmas, skumsrud heritage farm

Travel & Visitors Guide - Nov. 9, 2008
Jim Gantner helps renovate historic Eden Hotel
Jim Gantner has learned that in some ways you can go home again. The former Brewers second baseman and his wife, Jeannine, have moved back to Jim's hometown of Eden, about an hour north of Milwaukee, near Fond du Lac.
Tagged with: eden hotel, scuds buds, jim gantner, eden, robert scudella

Travel & Visitors Guide - Oct. 12, 2008
Wade House offers unique fall experience
This weekend and next mark the peak of autumn color season in many places in Wisconsin. There are numerous wonderful places around the state where you can take in the fall colors and have some fun at an autumn event. One unique place, especially if you're a history buff, is Wade House in Greenbush.
Tagged with: wade house, greenbush, marie christine kohler, ruth de young kohler, kohler company, john michael kohler

Travel & Visitors Guide - Oct. 5, 2008
Blue Mound offers views of many colors
Wisconsin has many wonderful places to view fall colors, but one of the best has to be Blue Mound State Park, west of Madison. The 1,153-acre park is on the highest hill in southern Wisconsin -- 1.716 feet above sea level -- and the seventh highest point in the state overall. So, from it you can see miles of beautiful color.
Tagged with: blue mound state park, blue mound, mount horeb, barneveld, autumn, fall colors

Sports - Oct. 3, 2008
The top five Wisconsin sports stories in October
The top sports story of September is a no-brainer. The Brewers' roller coaster ride to the post-season as the National League Wild Card is an easy choice. After blowing a 5 ½-game lead, the Brewers went down to the last game on Sunday, won by a great pitching performance by CC Sabathia and a clutch home run by Ryan Braun.
Tagged with: brewers, sabathia, playoffs, braun, rodgers, mccarthy, parkers, wisconsin timber rattlers

Sports - Sept. 28, 2008
Counsell plays key supporting role for Brewers
Whitefish Bay native Craig Counsell was just a kid when the Brewers went to the postseason 26 years ago. Now, he's going as a player. "We're not going to stop talking about 1982," said Counsell, who drew a game-tying, bases-loaded walk in a 3-1 victory over Chicago Sunday at Miller Park. "But, now we have something else to talk about, too."
Tagged with: brewers, craig counsell, ray durham, mike cameron, wild-card

Travel & Visitors Guide - Sept. 28, 2008
Lancaster's Dome caps a great place to visit
As you approach the small city of Lancaster in Grant County, you'll notice a dome that gleams for miles. It sits on top of the Grant County Courthouse and has led to Lancaster's nickname, The City of the Dome. Architect Armand Koch designed the Courthouse, which was built in 1905.
Tagged with: lancaster dome, grant county, the city of the dome, nelson dewey

Travel & Visitors Guide - Sept. 14, 2008
The Potosi Beer Museum is up and running
It seems like just yesterday we were reporting tiny Potosi, in southwest Wisconsin, had been awarded the National Brewery Museum over St. Louis and Milwaukee.
Tagged with: potosi, potosi brewery foundation, national brewery museum, american breweriana association, potosi brewing company

Travel & Visitors Guide - Sept. 7, 2008
Popular pumpkin patches around Wisconsin
It's been a bumper crop year for them, in the Hoffmanns' back garden, and around the state. That's thanks in part to ample rainfall early in the summer and sunny weather lately.
Tagged with: pumpkins, pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, halloween, autumn

Travel & Visitors Guide - Aug. 31, 2008
Carriage Classic transports you back in time
You can get a true glimpse of a bygone era, when fine horses and elegant carriages were part of the Prairie du Chien scene, at the 2007 Villa Louis Carriage Classic next weekend, Sept. 6-7.
Tagged with: villa louis carriage classic, hercules dousman, artesian stock farm

Sports - Aug. 30, 2008
The top 5 Wisconsin sports stories in August
The Brewers are hot, the Big Ten Network will be on Time Warner Cable and baseball is coming to Waukesha, but the top sports story here has to be Brett Favre.
Tagged with: brett favre, jets, northwoods league, waukesha, frame park, brewers, pujols

Travel & Visitors Guide - Aug. 24, 2008
Dragon boats cruise Lake Superior
The Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival is the largest festival of its kind in the country, with more than 100 international teams competing.
Tagged with: dragon boat festival, lake superior, ore boats, edmuund fitzgerald, superior rotary club

Travel & Visitors Guide - Aug. 10, 2008
Wisconsin town makes "Mother Earth News" list
Viroqua, the county seat of Vernon County, has made the Mother Earth News list of "Nine Great Places You've Never Heard Of."
Tagged with: virqua, vernon county, mother earth news, organic valley, co-op

Travel & Visitors Guide - Aug. 3, 2008
Go deep in Wazee Lake
If you want to say you've gone swimming in the deepest lake in Wisconsin, take a dive into Wazee Lake in Jackson County.
Tagged with: lake wazee, green lake, quarry lake

Sports - Aug. 1, 2008
The top 5 Wisconsin sports stories in July
Let's hope the day will finally come when Brett Favre and the Packers don't automatically dominate Wisconsin sports news. In July, however, the melodrama in Packerland has to be rated the top story in the state.
Tagged with: packers favre sabathia brewers melvin attanasio us bank championship, richard johnson

Travel & Visitors Guide - July 27, 2008
Lumberjacks display skills in Hayward
The Lumberjack World Championships are being held in Hayward this weekend and have drawn competitors from all over the world to compete in log rolling and boom running, a variety of sawyering and chopping categories, pole climbing and other areas.
Tagged with: lumberkjack, lumberjack world championships, hayward, log rolling, espn great outdoor games