Last night I setup camp on the side of Como Falls in the dark. In fact, it was pitch black, the moon obscured by clouds and no lamp posts anywhere in the park.
I could hear the falls, but had no idea what they looked like. Well, this is what my tent opened to in the morning.
Absolutely stunning, what a treat. Fantastic suggestion by the folks in Hokah.
Lisa, from the Main Street Saloon in Hokah, also recommended a food truck in La Crosse to eat lunch. The only issue was they opened at 11:30, and I was only ten miles from the town.
Heading towards town, I crossed the Mississippi River from Minnesota into Wisconsin!
I think is only fitting that I cross the Mississippi River on Day 100!
After killing an hour at the local library, I pedaled across town and ordered tacos from the Apothik Food Truck.
I was torn between the tacos and the ramen; tacos won.
Even within ten minutes of opening, all the tables surrounding the truck on the lawn were already taken. I sat down against a brick wall next to my bike and enjoyed the tacos.
So. Delicious.
A group of employees from a local shop joined me, one of them interested in the bike. Also an avid cyclist, he told me his story; moving from Chicago, building up a commuter bike and riding around the city.
Before leaving, he suggested a bike friendly coffee shop a few blocks away, but I opted against stopping - already 12:30 with less than ten miles to show for the day.
I followed the Mississippi River south for a little over an hour and turned east.
While on a desolate county road, I saw this sculpture on the side of the road. It reminded me of the decorated Christmas tree I saw in Idaho, but couldn't snap a good photo to share. This time I succeeded.
I spent the bulk of my ride on this road, nothing but fields and barns. But that is ok. I much prefer riding in the country to the endless stop lights in a well populated city - no matter how much I complain about corn fields.
Eventually, I ended up in a town called Viroqua. Someone (and I cannot remember who), said that Viroqua had an incredible food co-op. It was almost dinner time anyways. The co-op reminded me of a smaller Whole Foods, with a fantastic prepared food section.
Dinner was some sliced melon, garlic pasta salad and dark chocolate, all enjoyed in the town's massive park.
With a few hours of daylight left to ride, I pedaled to Viola - heart of the Kickapoo.
I had absolutely no idea what that meant. A quick Google search later yielded that the Kickapoo is a Native American tribe that occupied the area a couple hundred years ago. The word in their language translates to stands here and there.
Every day is a learning experience.
Joe