LA CROSSE, WI

First of all, Happy Birthday to Ricky J!

I spent the nite in Winona, MN, a typical highway and college town. I didn't care for it and was anxious to get back on the road. It took almost an hour to get out of town and back onto Hwy 61. Once there, I headed south toward La Crosse, WI. I hadn't planned to get there until tomorrow and planned to stay in one of the small towns in between.

As I got about 6 miles out of town and was starting to look for one of the small towns I mentioned, a car pulled over and offered me a ride all the way into La Crosse. The gentleman who was so kind was Larry. He is a railway worker out of La Crosse and was headed home for the day. Something I hadn't realized before he picked me up as he explained it; there are no towns directly on the highway from Winona into La Crosse. This meant I would have had to stay on the side of the road somewhere in between. I am very thankful to Larry for stopping.

We spoke about railroad employment, life goals, adventure, and WI. He took good care of me and took me directly into downtown. He also explained there really wasn't a great place close to town, facilities, or food that would accommodate my trip, so I opted to go to downtown and figure it all out, as usual. He dropped me off at Riverside Park which was an excellent introduction to La Crosse, considering I have never been to WI in my life. Uncle John should be proud.

After he departed, I headed down Main Street and found nothing. I went thru town and then made my way back toward the river and ran into "Glory Days" a Green Bay Packers Pub. I got a bad first impression from the bartender. I planned to ask him about a place to stay, but he was hesitant to even serve me a beer. This all appears to be a common experience so far on this trip. Every time I cross a stateline, the first person I meet is apprehensive. I hope it gets better.

I left the pub and headed further toward the river and find a Marriot Courtyard Hotel. I checked in and looked forward to an entertaining evening that will hopefully change my opinion of La Crosse.