Today was a driving day, a LOT of driving. Had we gone directly, it would have been 270 miles. But we opted for backroads, increasing both the distance and the appeal.
Rather than recount every small town we passed through, I’ll simply say the scenery was bucolic. Farms looked well-kept and prosperous, some fields freshly plowed, others left fallow and an intense spring green. For the most part we traveled on two-lane roads and rarely saw another car.
I had hoped to visit Dr. Evermore’s Forevertron, but it appears to have been dismantled. Then we passed through Spring Green, home of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. I had been there before, Judy had not. But at this time of year, it is only open three days a week, and Monday isn’t one of them. They’ve also made it impossible to enter the grounds unless you are on a tour. So much for attractions along the route.
At the western edge of Wisconsin, we joined the Great River Road and headed north along the Mississippi. It’s a gorgeous drive, even before spring fully arrives. We stopped a few times to stretch our legs and take in the view without the filter of a windshield. One sight, however, was non-negotiable: the World’s Largest Six-Pack in La Crosse.
The weather report had predicted severe weather—thunderstorms, hail, and a possible tornado—to arrive around 7pm. We were hoping to arrive at our hotel before it started. However, the storm started early while we were on the Great River Road. The sky darkened and a torrential rain created a curtain, erasing the scenery. There was nowhere to pull over, so we proceeded slowly, fingers crossed there wouldn’t be hail, or worse yet a tornado.
After about 30 minutes of the relentless rain, we could see the sky brightening in the distance. The rain stopped and we drove the final hour into Minneapolis under a weak sun. The rain didn’t start until after we were asleep.