The diner is tiny and cramped, the staff is sassy, and they serve Garbage. But during peak times, the line of people waiting to eat at Frank’s Diner extends out the door of this downtown Kenosha eatery. What makes it so attractive? The ambiance of the historic diner car, the sassiness of the staff and the popular delicious and plentiful breakfast specialty they call Franks Garbage Plate.
It may be a little hard to find since it’s a couple of blocks off of Danville’s square, but the Bread Basket Cafe & Bakery is worth looking for. The welcoming staff of this family business make you feel as comfortable as the warm buttery yellow walls and stone fireplace of the old renovated house that serves as the cafe. And their mission, “…to provide a bite of something local, fresh, and simply decadent,” couldn’t describe the food better. Read more
A pilgrimage is described differently depending on who you ask. Some say it is any journey to a religious place; some add it must be a long journey. Others describe it as visiting a sacred place with the purpose of reflection and prayer. I recently visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, by today’s travel standards a far cry from a long journey coming from Illinois. I didn’t originally consider myself on a pilgrimage, but by definition, that’s exactly what it was, for in the serene wooded surroundings devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe, I found myself in deep reflection and devotion. Read more
“There won’t be someone chasing you with a chain saw on this tour. This is the real deal,” said Len Adams, head tour guide for Alton Hauntings Tours, during his pre-tour talk. Read more
You picture Abraham Lincoln descending the sweeping curved staircase, stovepipe hat in hand, following his speech orated from the hotel balcony in 1856. Or perhaps you imagine townspeople greeting General Ulysses S. Grant at Grant’s welcome home reception following the Civil War. The DeSoto House Hotel in Galena, Illinois, was truly a grand establishment in the mid-1800s. The five story hotel was the center of both social and political events. Then with a fire and a boiler explosion ten years apart and an economic decline when railroads replaced steamboats, the DeSoto House fell into disrepair.
Fast forward to today. The hotel is fully restored. The top two floors were removed years ago and private baths added to all rooms. But reminders of the hotel’s glory days remain, like the sweeping lobby staircase and some of the guests who apparently never completely left.
Read more
It’s a scene reminiscent of the Mark Twain era. The bright white riverboat, powered by cherry red paddlewheels, pushes upstream along the Mighty Mississippi. Blue heron or egrets may wade along the shoreline, while bald eagles perch high up in the trees. You can become part of this scene when you take a narrated sightseeing tour or a meal cruise on the La Crosse Queen, one of only a few authentic Mississippi River paddlewheel riverboats in operation today.
Board the boat at Riverside Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and take a seat either on the open-air upper deck or on the enclosed lower deck. The lower deck is where meals are served on the brunch, lunch and dinner cruises and where you can purchase beverages (including adult beverages) on the sightseeing tours.
Your tour guide narrates the sightseeing trip, explaining what makes the riverboat authentic, pointing out wildlife along the shore, explaining the river’s history and geography, and throwing in a few corny jokes.
As you cruise upstream, you’ll pass through a railroad swing bridge, most likely see barges navigating the river, and on the longer cruises, experience going through the locks. Depending on which meal cruise you choose, the trip may be narrated or you may be entertained with music.
Purchase tickets at the boat dock at the north end of Riverside Park next to the Hiawatha statue. Meal cruises require advance reservations. La Crosse Queen Cruises run from May through October. For further details, including schedule, visit the La Crosse Queen Cruises web site.
Enjoy this post? Click the Subscribe2 button to the left to be notified whenever I publish another post on MidwestWanderer.com. (Be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.) Visit the Midwest Wanderer Facebook Page, and check out my Examiner.com page, too, where I’ve had over 75 articles published.
