Road Trip - Route 94 (Madison, Eau Claire: motel, school, university)

[HS_DUDE]

Hi there, in April I'll be taking a road trip from Portage to Minneapolis.

Looks like the best route is 94 straight through. Is there anything the least bit interesting along the way?

I hate driving, I bore easily. I was wondering if there was anywhere worth stopping and getting out to strech for a few. Not looking for "all day" types of stops, but something to spend a half hour to an hour to break up the trip.

Thanks in advance!

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by HS_DUDE

Hi there, in April I'll be taking a road trip from Portage to Minneapolis.

Looks like the best route is 94 straight through. Is there anything the least bit interesting along the way?

I hate driving, I bore easily. I was wondering if there was anywhere worth stopping and getting out to strech for a few. Not looking for "all day" types of stops, but something to spend a half hour to an hour to break up the trip.

Thanks in advance!

It might take longer than a half hour because of the travel time but if you're into beer you could head up to Chippewa Falls and tour the Leinenkugel brewery.

[brewtown98zmf]

If your headed from Portage,WI to Minneapolis, I would stop at Mirror Lake State Park (exit 92-Baraboo), if its warm enuf . Very close to Portage ,WI though . Mirror Lake is one of the most scenic in the state, be sure to check out the boat landing and the picnic area and actual beach as it is a large park. There are short trails that have great views of the lake, tall pines, and balanced rock , to get the circulation going. Besides Mirror Lake , there is the Ho Chunk Casino on Hwy 12 as well, at the same freeway exit.

The town of Wisconsin Dells is full of huge indoor water parks, outdoor water parks, and attractions for the kids, but will be in slow season til school lets out in June, so much will be closed.Good motel rates in April though.

Closer toward Minneapolis, Mill Bluff State Park ( exit #55 at Camp Douglas) has some interesting tall scenic rock formations a hundred feet high , within a stone's throw of the freeway , (and ,unfortunately, the freeway noise). Good stop for a half hour rest break though, off hwy 12 between exits 55 and 48.

If you have alot more time than usual, say a few hours, take I-90 to La Crosse and take Wis Hwy 35 north along the river to Minneapolis. You said you only had an extra half hour and you would need alot more time than that to do this, but its a very highy scenic road,(for the midwest) from Perot State Park and the Winona, MN bridge, all the way up to the St Paul area. Huge river bluffs and rock formations along this road. Check google map ,this diversion would probably cost you at least an extra 2 or 3 hours. Do not miss the lock observation platforms at Lock and Dam #4 at Alma, or Lock and Dam #3 at Hagler City. You can see barges moveing thru the locks at these lock and dam units.

If your leaveing from Portage ,IN or Portage MI, much further east, there is a good distant view of the Wisconsin state capitol building at Olin Park in Madison . From this park, you will see the capitol building on the other side of Lake Mendota. The park is next door to the Sheraton Inn and across the street from the Alliant Energy Center. To get there, exit I-90 at exit #142 and take US12/US 18 WEST for 4 miles, and exit of John Nolen Dr, then proceed just a few hundred feet north on John Nolen Dr toward the Alliant Energy Center and watch for Olin Park on your right.

On April 16, the first farmers market of the year is scheduled right at the state capitol square, in downtown Madison. It's Madison's first outdoor festival and alot of fun if the weather is nice, with bagpipe bands ,food and live music. But parking can be a problem in downtown Madison, and there may be poltical protests, so I would avoid.

Back on I-94 up toward Eau Claire, headed toward Minneapolis , the town of Black River Falls has alot of places to stop for a bite to eat.

Eau Claire is a much larger town and alot more traffic, and not a very restful diversion, its also a few miles off I-94 as well. Ive gotten lost trying to check this town out. Its a nice valley town with a good sized university, but if you dont know where your going you can get lost once you get off the main drags and strip malls. Chippewa Falls is also a nice town but its at least 15 miles away from I-94.

[HS_DUDE]

Wow, thanks for the tips brewtown. Sorry I should have clarified Portage WI!

I'm going to look into your suggestions.

[Stone1]

Just another thought if you don't mind taking a little longer, go from Portage to LaCrosse then follow the River Road up to Minneapolis. The WI side and MN side are nice to driver up along the river. Redwing MN looks like it has a few block of walking around stuff to do but I have never shopped there so not sure what type of goodies you would find. Each little town along the way, on either side of the river seems to have something to look at and good food too.

[drawk04]

stone1's idea is better than everyone elses. The brewery stops would be worth while but then you'd be drinking and driving, bad idea. If you ever get a chance, Monroe has some stellar breweries and they all do free tours, and you can get pretty plastered for next to nothing tasting all their products. There is also a really really cool Amish store that has Amish pies, specialty meat products from area farms, and other nifty things, just a few miles out of town on 69 heading south towards the Illinois border.

[Stone1]

In addition to the breweries, some of the small towns have wineries too; come to think of it HS Dude you better make this a 2 day trip!

[stockwiz]

people go fairly fast on that stretch so you should be able to make good time. That's really not that far a drive. I do from Brookings, SD to the Dells and from there to Ozaukee County at least once a year if not twice. 550 miles to Ozaukee county, about 450 to the Dells. That part of WI is certainly more interesting then anywhere along I-90 in MN is.

[Wisco_#1]

I would stop at Eau Claire (bout Hour 15 from TC). Has a huge mall and, as someone mentioned, you can drive up to Chippewa Falls for a leines tour.