Visiting La Crosse, WI on the Great River Road

What to See in La Crosse

La Crosse (pop. 51,567) was named by fur traders who witnessed local Winnebago people playing the game. It’s an attractive place, but you wouldn’t know that coming into town from the north; thanks to the town’s location astride the I-90 freeway, miles of food-gas-lodging establishments compete for attention. Successfully run the gauntlet and your reward will be finding the century-old downtown, the tidy residential neighborhoods, and the leafy University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus. Slap Spartacus on the theater marquee and the whole place could easily be mistaken for a giant Eisenhower-era time capsule.

The biggest sight to see in La Crosse is the World’s Largest Six-Pack (1111 S. 3rd St.), right on the GRR on the south side of downtown. La Crosse-based Heileman was widely recognized around the upper Midwest for its Old Style brand beer, and its brewery was famous for its giant fermentation tanks painted to look like the world’s largest six-pack. Alas, about 10 years ago Heileman’s brewery was bought out by a multinational company, which immediately whitewashed over what had long been a cherished local landmark. Then a local company, City Brewing, took over operations and brought back the big Six-Pack, which, when full, holds enough beer to fill more than seven million real-life cans.

The best overview of La Crosse is 2 mi (3.2 km) east of downtown at the end of Main Street: Grandad Bluff, a lofty 600 ft (182 m) over the city, gives a grand view of the Mississippi and the two states along its opposite shore. In leafy Riverside Park, a 20-ton, 25-ft-tall (7.6-m) statue of Hiawatha greets river traffic with his arms crossed.

Food and Accommodations in La Crosse

La Crosse food tends toward the hearty and all-American. For good ol’ drive-in burgers, chili dogs, root beers, and milkshakes, nothing beats Rudy’s Drive-in (608/782-2200, 10am-10pm daily ), northeast of downtown at 10th and La Crosse Streets, where roller-skating carhops feed you, weather permitting. Rudy’s sponsors classic car “Cruise Nite” every Tuesday June-September.

The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor (207 Pearl St., 608/782-6655), a polished-to-perfection confectionery, offers such indulgences as fluorescent Blue Moon ice cream, while Frank Sinatra croons in the background. More grown-up pleasures, in the shape of nearly 400 bottled beers (plus a dozen microbrews on draft), Wi-Fi, and popcorn await you at the awesome Bodega Brew Pub (122 S. 4th St., 608/782-0677), two blocks away. Travelers seeking something wholesome, fresh, and filling should head to the deli of the People’s Food Co-op (315 S. 5th Ave., 608/784-5798), between Cass and King Streets.

For accommodations, look to I-90 for the national chains, while downtown holds the historic Charmant Hotel (101 State St., 608/519-8800, $125 and up).