NFL Opening Day

I joined the United States Marine Corps 22 years ago today and since I was feeling really sore from the day before, I decided to celebrate by spending one more day in Stoughton, WI and took in the events of opening day of the National Football League.

A good time was had by all.

OREGON AND STOUGHTON, WI

I left Madison bound for Oregon, WI as I had previously planned and was feeling pretty good about my route. I wouldn't be on major highways any longer; I would be traveling on county roads. As I slowly made my way out of Madison along their lakefront bike trail, I gave a look back on the WI state capitol. It was a nice city and they maintained their downtown district impeccably with plenty of pubs and restaurants, but I never discovered what other entertainment their beautiful city might have provided. I did notice, however, a large number of people on the trail enjoying a beautiful day and maintaining their physical fitness. I don't know if it was because it was a weekend or due to the Iron Man Triathlon being in town. Whatever the reason, Madison does have a lot of beautiful people.

3 miles down the road, I ran into a lot of people wearing red shirts emblazoned with "Wisconsin" somewhere on them. I was getting hungry since I hadn't eaten breakfast before I left town and there were no cafes on my route through Madison. So, I stopped into the first restaurant I saw, The Coliseum Restaurant. I entered and found out why the streets were full of people wearing red; The University of Wisconsin was playing Fresno State (WAC rivalry) in Madison. It was noon and I ordered a reuben sandwich and watched the game up until halftime. Then it was time to move on. WI won the game in double overtime (13-10).

The road looked familiar, but staying on county roads did feel a lot safer and the shoulders of the road were very walkable. With today's destination only another 12 miles away I was feeling really good. This was all about to change.

As I continue my walk into Oregon, I was very surprised that no one had stopped along this route to ask if I needed a ride, if I were alright, or what I was doing. This had happened on numerous occasions thru SD and MN.

Upon arrival, I notice a nice downtown and a small café. I stop in for dinner at around 5:00 pm. There is group of friends sitting nearby, so I ask if they know of any place I can set up my camp. They stated they weren't necessarily from there. Michelle was from a small town outside of Oregon and Scott and Kirsten had just moved to La Crosse from upstate NY. They did their best, offered maps, and actually called friends to see what they could provide, but all to no avail. I thanked them, they departed, I finished my meal and decided it was time to try another tactic.

I went to the local watering hole just down the street, entered, received a LOT of terrible looks from the bartender and everyone else (all dressed in red) and didn't receive any better information. Now I have had to resort to the final option; I usually use the cafes, restaurants, and pubs to get information and then have a result, but not this time. I receive information from the bartender about where the police station is. I take this info and head that direction.

As I approach City Hall, I see the city fire dept and about 5 men are standing outside discussing "the weather." I politely interrupt, introduce myself, and ask them for info. They are very hesitant and are looking at me as if I am a serial killer. Only one offers information, but as the conversation progresses, they find out I am a retired Marine and they all then relax. Well, their advice isn't any better. They recommend heading into Stoughton which is "only" 9 miles away. I thank them and head back down the road, tired, but having eaten, I am in pretty good shape if not happy considering the route to Stoughton was supposed to be completed tomorrow.

Again, no one pauses to assist (I really didn't expect it, but it has happened over the trip) and I increase my speed because dusk is drawing near. I departed Madison at 11:00 am, paused at noon for lunch for an hour, then walked another 3 hours to arrive in Oregon at 5:00 pm (14 miles.) I started out for Stoughton at 6:00 pm and arrived at 8:00 pm after an additional 9 miles. My normal rate of speed is a steady 3 miles an hour with stops every hour to rest and change socks. During this last leg, I had increased my speed to 4 miles an hour and made only one stop to rest. Needless to say, I arrived in Stoughton late and exhausted. It was my first 20 plus mile day and it truly felt like the hikes I used to do as a US Marine. I don't want to have to repeat a leg similar to this again.

I checked into the Comfort Inn and went straight to the hot tub. I feel better now and all is well. Tomorrow is another day of excitement the type of which only WI can deliver.

MADISON, WI

Pictures are here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109899&id=672758511

I received a ride from a good man named Daniel. He was from Minneapolis and was on his way to visit his son in Madison. He offered me a ride all the way into Madison (appx 120 miles); I had already walked 6 miles just to get out of La Crosse and then another 3 down the hwy when he picked me up. I initially asked to be dropped off at Coon Valley which was still 10 miles away. He offered me a bottle of milk tea, which I accepted, and then Coon Valley came and went due to our conversation. We talked about life, luck, politics, socialism, society, and our youth (he hitchhiked across the US on several occasions). It was an enlightening conversation.

The next drop off point I requested was any town near "The House on the Rock."

http://www.thehouseontherock.com/
This would prove more difficult than I had expected. The house itself is 9 miles out of the way of anything. This includes food and lodging. So, he then recommended I simply go into Madison and he would drop me off in downtown. I would then figure it out from there.

Once in town, I thanked Daniel for his kindness and the tea and I was off to discover Madison. I was instantly greeted by the Capitol building and took time to look on my GPS to see where I was. Madison is laid out similar to the US Capitol. I perpendicular square that works it's way outward on spokes which are the streets. It was very easy to get disoriented. Add to this the confusing intersections and numerous sidestreets. I found my way to The Madison Hostel and dropped my gear. http://www.madisonhostel.org/ I then cleaned up, took another sight seeing tour and then it was time for dinner. I had seen a local brew pub, The Great Dane, on my walk and gave it a try. http://www.greatdanepub.com/ They had alright fish and chips, but excellent India Pale Ale. I had my fill and it was time to call it a nite.

Prior to my leaving, I took note of the people around me, watched them and their antics, and had to confirm my suspicions with my bartenders, Johnny and Katie, and also a nice local guy, Mike. They stated the dynamic of Madison was based on food and drink and has a changing demographic due to the short lived tenancy of professionals in the area, could be termed transitory occupation. Anyway, this all appears to create an aloofness and pretense of a majority of the people in town.

I decide I don't care much for Madison; I don't care much for most of the large towns/cities I have visited. They all end of costing me a lot of money. I much prefer the small towns and have made a point to plan my trip and stop every 10-12 miles at the towns in between. Up to this point, I have been following highways, but WI isn't laid out quite like that. I hope it is a good decision and makes for a pleasant walk. I am tired of all the traffic on the main roads.

Here is my planned route:
Madison
Oregon
Stoughton
Edgerton
Janesville
Beloit
Rockford, IL

This route will take me 6 days and still leaves Chicago 85 miles away.

Madison, thanks for the experience.

WISCONSIN

LA CROSSE SIGHTS

Photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109481&id=672758511&saved#/album.php?aid=109481&id=672758511

I have finally made it across MN and now am into the 3rd state of my journey, appx 400 miles later. To celebrate, I took to the streets of historic downtown La Crosse and, as usual, was pleasantly surprised by the sights, sounds, and the hospitality of the locals.

First stop was to The Wine Guyz shop. http://www.wineguyz.com/ They served hors d'oeuvres, but I declined and decided to enjoy a glass of red wine prior to my evening meal which I had no idea where I was going to get. The wine is served and I have an opportunity to meet the owner, Dan. We talk about my trip, his shop, and where to eat in the town of La Crosse. As we discuss this, several nice ladies across from me overhear our conversation and offer me a glass of their wine. I initially decline, but they stated they were driving and didn't have enough to take home. I then accepted; anything to help someone out. After a brief conversation with all, I decide to eat at Piggy's. Don't let the name fool you.

I enter Piggy's restaurant and am completely shocked and surprised by the décor and ambience which was very luxuriant. http://www.piggys.com/ I head up the staircase for dinner and am met by Colin. He seats me next to a window overlooking the street and I work my way thru the menu. The filet mignon was recommended and I was not disappointed. It was honestly the BEST steak I have ever eaten. Until this point, Assagio's in Kailua, HI had served me the best; that was a 10 year standing record which now starts over with Piggy's version of filet mignon. Thanks to Colin for the recommendation and the information for a place to get a beer. He recommends Bodega Pub and Grill and to look for Alicia, their bartender.

I head further into downtown and find Bodega's on 4th St. Keep in mind this is one of the oldest and best maintained downtowns I have seen so far on this trip. It beats Red Wing only because it is almost 3 times the size. I head inside, belly up to the bar and meet Alicia. She greets me with the menu of over 400 beers! I enjoy a few and then proceed to meet many friends and enjoy their conversations about travel, school, education, books, and movies. Jeff and PJ were very interesting and I enjoyed their input.

I depart and head back to my hotel, but before I get home, I have one more task at hand. Several men are screaming at each other in the street and their "girlfriends" are in a panic. I thought it was a normal fight until they started saying they were going to kill each other, literally. I walked past, they tried to get me engaged, I proceeded on and walked to the closest street corner to get my bearings while calling 911. The young lady on the phone was patient and took all my information. Within seconds 3 police cars were instantly patrolling the area. She allowed me to get off the phone and I went to the hotel for the nite. Enough excitement for this part of my trip.

Thanks to all the fine people I have met in La Crosse. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay.

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.

MORE FRIENDS

"May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

May the rains fall soft upon your fields, And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand."

The Labor Day holiday wasn't over and I spent the evening at Slippery's Pub with Zac and Ashley. They had to continue on their vacation and after a dinner of walleye and skillet potatoes, it was time for my new friends to depart. Again, I appreciate our friendship and I thanked them for all they had done for me. Mahalo Nui Loa!

Shortly after their departure, a young couple approach me and offer to buy me a shot. I accept and they explain they overheard my conversation about my adventure and felt compelled to meet me. I was so glad they did!

I join Jon, Nat, and Sarah for the evening. Oh, they also have a dog and her name is Riley. We sit and visit thru the evening and they offer me a boat ride to their campsite on the river. Again, I can't say no. Jon walked with me over to Wally's RV park where I had already set up and as I load my backpack, Jon simply picks up my tent with everything inside and states that it will all fit in the boat "as is."

We meet the girls outside the pub and head to the dock. Jon has already placed the tent in the center of the boat. We board and are off into the dark and up the river to their site. Once we arrive, we establish my site, improve on theirs and start a fire for the nite. I then break out my ukulele, engage in fantastic conversation, and thoroughly enjoy s'mores!

Bed time came late and we ALL refuse to look at the time. We crawl into our tents for the nite. As morning comes, we awake and they reemphasiz their offer to get me further down the river. I find it difficult to refuse all of the good friends I have met and their kind offers, so again I accept.

They get me as far as Winona, MN and then we say our farewells. Thanks to Jon, Nat, and Sarah (say hello to Riley for me.) I had a great time with you!