There are no interstate highways in Driftless Wisconsin, which is to say the roads allow a leisurely pace with frequent stops along the way to admire the landscape; secluded valleys with richly forested hillsides and ridge-top vistas that beg for a photo.Highway 82 snakes down the coulee from the top of the ridge to the Mississippi River, passing through one-street towns with white-steepled churches with area history chronicled in their graveyards. There’s actually a town named “Retreat” on County Road N, a road that loops through town and back to the highway in a scenic diversion.
Highway 82 meets the Mississippi River near DeSoto, where you can head north along the Great River Road, a National Scenic Byway, and enjoy one of the most picturesque drives in America. Stop at Lock and Dam 8 at Genoa and watch a river barge “lock through,” a slow-motion dance that gives you an appreciation for a river pilot’s precision.
A few miles from the Dam, the Genoa Fish Hatchery offers self-guided tours of its facility, which manages 23 species of fish, including trout, northern pike, and walleye. It’s no coincidence that birds take a liking to fish as well. The Mississippi River at Genoa boasts some of the best bird watching in the area according to the Audubon Society. Watch for Bald Eagles, Great Egrets, Solitary Sandpipers, and Green Herons.
East of the Mississippi, secluded tours along Rustic Road 55 and 56 take you along routes with whimsical names such as Tunnelville Road and Dutch Hollow Road. Not to be outdone by Fulton County, Indiana – the self-proclaimed round-bard capital of the world – Vernon County lays claim to 15 round barns further east near Ontario, Mt. Tabor and Trippville.
The rural roads of northern Vernon County offer a glimpse of an old-world culture surviving and flourishing in today’s world. Amish buggies are a common sight along the road and Amish farms and craft shops dot the landscape. “Down a Country Road” near Cashton offers Amish crafts such as furniture, quilts, rugs, baskets; homemade jams, jellies, and honey; as well as Amish tours by reservation.
So hit the road. You can take one of our suggested itineraries or create your own tour of your particular interests. But be prepared to take the long way around.
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