Waterville, Minnesota to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

Day 67: 29 July 2021

We’re on the road to Wisconsin!

While we’re eternally grateful it’s not has hot and humid today as it was the past few days, it is still warm and the air’s heavy—and smoky! The smoke from the forest fires in Canada has drifted down here to Prairie du Chien, WI and the sun was a fluorescent orange ball in the sky tonight as it was setting. 

We treated Dr Donna Anne Higgins to dinner at the Blackhawk, on Blackhawk Ave in “the ‘Chien”. Blackhawk was a Sauk Indian Chief with a role in the War of 1812; his autobiography was the first by any Native American (“Blackhawk, Embracing the Traditions of his Nation”, published 1833 in Cincinnati).

Our campground for three nights is the driveway of the Higgins’ family riverside cottage. The river is the Mississippi; Donna told us we’re on the “backwater” part of the river…the mighty Mississippi is not an understatement. It’s a HUGE river! This area is part of the flyway and we have seen eagles, swans and pelicans so far….

The view upstream from the deck of the river “cottage”.

The “scenic view” from just south of La Crosse. As has been the story our whole trip, the water is way down this year.

The BAT mobile has 7400 towing miles on it for this trip. Next stop after Prairie du Chien is the Indiana Dunes, then home. Both of us are antsy to get back.

One of Dr Higgins’ exam rooms at her office. See those wildlife portraits on the wall? Those are all shots taken and printed by Dr Higgins! “Something to look at while I do exams!”

Tomorrow we will explore the Mississippi River by a boat tour out of Iowa, then hopefully, meet Donna’s Mom, who was too shy to stop by today when she saw all the commotion of us backing the RoadHouse into position.