Play Day in LaCrosse!

We had a great time in LaCrosse. We wandered over to "Grounded", the coffee shop that Vicky recommended. She spent a lot of time there on a previous ride through LaCrosse. Todd, the owner, was delighted to meet Janet Bee, __ and me. He told us we couldn't sit by ourselves, and introduced us to some locals. We had so much fun talking with them, and I was delighted to learn that the women were members of a Turtle Club. This rose from them deciding that they didn't want to wear purple when they got old. They want to be turtles instead. They have a whole list of great turtle attributes. Turtles aren't afraid to stick their neck out when necessary, they have a hard exterior, but a soft interior....and so on. Anyway, I am now an honorary member of the LaCrosse Turtle Club. Pretty cool, huh?

Todd got really excited when I told him I live in the Black Hills. Turns out Todd thinks Wall, South Dakota, is one of the greatest places in the world. His family goes way back with the Husteds, the family that founded Wall Drug. He has been trying to convince his wife, Deb, that it is a worthy vacation destination. I promised Deb that if she agrees to go to Wall with Todd I will pick her up and take her on a tour of the Hills.

LaCrosse is very close to the Trempeleau Trail, a packed limestone trail, and it is a very biker-friendly town. It is also a very attractive town. Most of the old buildings are in great shape and the downtown is "bustling". I especially liked that big fish! Of course, LaCrosse is a college town, which helps support the little cafes and shops.

I may have already told you about Stephanie, who manages to find some of the best places, primarily because she makes sure to meet the locals. Well, she wasn't in LaCrosse more than a few minutes before she managed to get all 30 of us invited to a party at the Wine Guyz. Naturally, a few of us showed up. We were also celebrating Jan from Washington's birthday, and since Jan and her sister Pat (from Minnesota) like a glass of wine in the evening, I got her a Wine Guyz ball cap for her birthday.

In the morning, Janet and I went right back to Grounded for coffee, and we were greeted like old friends. And later on, after visiting the clock shop and wandering the streets, I was hungry, so back I went to Grounded. In town less than 24 hours and already a regular. I had a massage and a pedicure, so I felt very good at the end of this day!

Happy trails,

Dusty