Last week we made way over and up just north of Onalaska, WI and south of Winona, MN to visit more bluffs country along the mighty Mississippi. Apparently we had been enjoying this part of the world called “Driftless” where it was not flattened by glacial movement and an entirely different landscape can be found than the rest of the Midwest. It’s LOVELY!

The south entrance to the park takes you through adorable downtown historic Trempealeau, WI, past a row of enviable riverside properties, and then down a mile of lovely park drive to the campground on the north side of the park. It was lush and dense and beautiful and …

it was raining.

It might have only rained twice, but if so, one time was for half the trip and the 2nd was for the rest.

It is so tempting to complain about our muggy, hot, and powerless days there as we need solar to survive and solar was not to be had. The bugs were plentiful, your hair never dried after a shower, and things were either muddy or sandy or both.

We really enjoyed walking down to the marshlands for some amazing moments of watching beavers, eagles, cranes, catfish and a few things we didn’t recognize. I love me some biodiversity.

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To cool down I recommend stopping for a cold brew Peace Coffee at the Driftless Bike N’ Bean on Main Street, Trempealeau and follow up next door in their train car for a scoop of the best mint ice cream I maybe have ever had… IN MY LIFE.

There are no pictures of the ice cream. It was eaten sacredly with the respect it deserved.

This place is beautiful even in the rain and I hope to visit it again.

We had to do laundry on our way out, as everything was… well… as sticky and stinky and salty as we were all week. Camping is not for the faint of heart, or nose. Trempealeau Laundromat is walking distance from the ice cream, and had insanely clean facilities, if a bit tight.

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We had a fairly short drive to our next Harvest Host stop at Justin Trails Resort in Sparta, WI. We weren’t sure what to expect there, but one of the owners promised pizza and a homecooked breakfast, so we were IN!! http://www.justintrails.com

This is a family run bed and breakfast/cabin/teepee/vardo rental resort tucked into some gorgeous countryside with miles of lovely hilly hiking… and 2 professionally designed disc golf courses that we’ve been told are exceptional. We just know the walk was lovely and the sunset divine, and that experience was enough to make us half consider disc golf as a hobby.

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We are now parked in the smallest park we have visited thus far, Mill Bluff State Park in Camp Douglas, WI. Today we are tightening all the screws in the motorhome and eating a travel sized watermelon. Tomorrow we’ll climb over 200 stairs and hopefully live to tell you about it.