A Weekend In Wisconsin - Day 2
When you leave Fennimore on the morning of your second day, head west on **Highway 18. Shortly before arriving at Patch Grove, there is a Roadside Marker about the Military Road built between Green Bay and Prairie du Chien. It was built by the army and was the first road across Wisconsin.
If you choose to go off the highway, and if the weather is dry, take Military Road to Hicklin Hollow Road. Hicklin Hollow is a non-surfaced road, but with a little imagination you might be able to envision the countryside much as it looked when the first travelers came through this area.
If you prefer to stay on the Highway, continue down the hill on 18, cross the Wisconsin River Bridge into Crawford County and visit historic Prairie du Chien.
Prairie du Chien offers enough historic, scenic and interesting things to do you could spend your entire weekend right here. Some of the most popular attractions are:
Fort Crawford Medical Museum - This museum consists of three buildings, the Prairie du Chien Museum, the Fort Hospital, and the Office.
The Office has Visitor Registration, a Gift Shop, and the Medical Library.
The Fort Hospital contains the restored portion of Fort (hospital), an 1850 Doctor's Office, a Refurbished Pharmacy, Dioramas on the Progress of Surgery, a 1900's Dental Office, History of Forts, Medical Instruments, a Hospital Ward Room Display, and a History of Military Medicine.
The Prairie du Chien Museum contains a Black Hawk Exhibit, Treaty of 1825 Exhibit, Clam Exhibit, Native American Artifact Display, The Iron Lung, The Transparent Twins, and a Fossil Exhibit.
Villa Louis Historical Mansion on St. Feriole Island - Fur trader Hercules Dousman came to Prairie du Chien in 1826 when it was only a frontier trading outpost and military site. Dousman amassed a fortune in the fur trade and other frontier investments, enough that his family built a splendid Victorian Manor on the bank of the Mississippi River. This renovated mansion is open for tours operated by the State Historical Society.
Cabela's is a 40,000 square foot retail store, offering outdoor gear and clothing in their well known style. In addition to viewing a large percentage of Cabela's inventory, visitors can take a look at taxidermy mounts posed in natural settings, from giant black bears pawing on a tree to whitetail deer simulating that early morning territorial scrape. A huge 8,000 gallon aquarium is a draw for children of all ages.
Latest Articles