Traveling in the back seat of a 1963 yellow Corvair provided a whole different perspective of Driftless Wisconsin. Winding north along Highway 27, skimming the top of the world like an amusement ride, the landscapes visible from the depths of the back seat flew by the window in rapid frames. Unless Dad was chewing tobacco with the window down, in which case it was best to keep a low profile.
Today, from a front seat point of view, Vernon County spreads out to the horizon like a crumpled rug festooned with tasseled cornfields. Tobacco is no longer the crop of choice, but the people are still hardy and hard working. Like the landscape, the culture of Driftless Wisconsin diverges, and each twist of the road brings new places to visit and people to meet.
Westby still celebrates its Scandinavian heritage. People flock from the fields and nearby communities for the annual Syttende Mai celebration – Norwegian Independence Day – each May. Borgen’s Café, where I sat wide-eyed as a child listening to farmer’s exchange greetings in Norwegian punctuated by laughter – still serves its traditional fare for breakfast and lunch. “Meatballs & Gravy with Lefse, feisty Norwegian chicken sandwich, and homemade pie” – more kinds than a reasonable person can count in any language – sets the table for an authentic old-world experience.
Viroqua blends both new and old-world, as second and third generation farmers coming to town for shopping are greeted by many new-generation entrepreneurs. Visitors will find a thriving “Main Street” Community – one of the first downtown revitalization programs in Wisconsin – populated with the traditional store front along with such imaginative offerings as VIVA Art Gallery, displaying the inspirational creations of Driftless area artists.
If it’s personal inspiration you’re after, take a ride out County Y through some inspiring landscapes to Vernon Vineyards, where you can sample wine while taking in the view of Newton Valley and the Bad Axe River.
So forgive me if I wax nostalgic. You can build your own memories from scratch in Vernon County, among the land and people that inhabited my childhood on Sunday afternoons.
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