News and Notes from The Great River Road
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Selena Diggs
Editor
(608) 267-2094 office
Selena.diggs (at) dot.wi.gov

Ken Harwood
Publisher

Happy Holidays!

This Weeks Articles for 12/11/2025 ...

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Lansing bridge to be demolished DECEMBER 18th!

LANSING, Iowa —

The bridge connecting Iowa and Wisconsin in Lansing will be demolished on:

Thursday, Dec. 18 between 9am and noon.

Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) on the project.

Crews need to demolition the bridge to construct a new crossing, which will open in 2027.

The current bridge has been closed since October.

Iowa DOT says these impacts will be likely:

A clear zone will be marked and enforced by the project contractor to protect anyone from debris, and the contractor will directly contact all impacted property owners to mitigate any impacts from the implosion.
The car ferry service will be suspended, with the last service offered on the evening of Wednesday, December 17, and resumed on the morning of Sunday, December 21
.
Iowa 26 will be closed for a short period on the morning of December 18, as portions of the road are located inside the clear zone.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have already closed the Mississippi River to commercial traffic prior to the implosion. The river will also be closed to recreational boat traffic inside of the clear zone.

You can push the button to blow up the bridge!

See link for details...

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Lets make the 2026 Great River Road website and visitors guide the best ever!

As we continue moving forward with the JEM Grant and development of the new Wisconsin Great River Road website, we now need your help gathering current and accurate information for the site.

Please share the following with your partners and local businesses so they can submit the information needed to be included on the new website:

Business Submission Form

Submit business information here:
Business Submission Form

Form closes March 6th.

Event Submission Form

Submit any events taking place April 29^th 2026 or later here:
Event Submission Form

Events happening this winter or early spring should still be added to the current website.
This event form will also close on March 6th.

Let me know if you need anything else or would like this formatted differently.

Thank you!

Finally, Can you please email any copy updates or new information or photos of your area for the Visitor Guide to Tracy no later than January 1^st 2026.

Tracy Fishnick
WI Mississippi River Parkway Commission
Chair, Marketing Committee

www.WIGreatRIverRoad.org

tourism@cassvillevlgwi.gov

Office: 608-725-2383

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Black Hawk / Lansing Bridge
Project Updates and Notes

New DOT Poster

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Beedle`s Bar and Restaurant

Beedle`s Bar and Restaurant is a family owned and operated establishment in Centerville, WI (actually W24966 WI-54, Galesville, WI on your map app) comfortable & relaxed in a fun inviting atmosphere. Unequaled service with entrees like Prime Rib, Jumbo Shrimp, Tenderloin Tips, Dusted Lake Perch, Ahi Tuna, Scallops & Salmon with Seafood combination dinners all started with a Salad and Homemade Soups.

Love fresh beer battered appetizers, homemade desserts? Stop in and start with an amazing old fashion, martini or our own mixologist cocktail list and of course tap micro brew! We have a mission to make the best cocktails in town with meals that will bring you back again & again. Mon: Closed, Tuesday: Closed, Wed - Fri: 5pm-9pm, Sat: 4pm-9pm, Sun: 4pm-8pm???...

"We`re not your grandparents` supper club, but we are old school."

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Great River Road Interpretive Center at the Potosi Brewing Co.

Great River Road Interpretive Center

A current network of 70 museums and historic sites in all 10 river states have been selected to showcase and connect the historic stories of the Mississippi River.

The Great River Road, one of America’s Scenic Byways, houses Potosi Brewing Company, an Interpretive Center and welcoming stop for visitors traveling along Wisconsin’s corridor of the Great River Road. Here stories of the Mississippi River come alive and guests can learn more about river history as well as find brochures and other travel information about places and events in the Tri-State area. Those traveling away from home can also take a break to check their email on internet kiosks or visit websites to learn more about other area attractions...

...From the early days when product was delivered by horse drawn wagons and by steamboat on the Mississippi, to the use of rail, cars, and delivery trucks, your visit shows the process of getting supplies to the brewery and product to consumers.

A historical destination for the entire family!

See All the centers here...

Wisconsin Mississippi River Interpretive Centers

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The Great River Road

MAP		Discover Wisconsin Great River Road Video

Here`s to Being Here: Great River Road \| Sights to See Along the Mississippi

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Wisconsin Towns Where Time Stands Still

Wisconsin is a Midwestern state endowed with stupendous natural beauty, a unique cultural heritage, and boundless opportunities in the great outdoors. However, the state’s history is often underrated yet shines brightly in some of its enduring towns. Tucked away in quiet corners, whispered through weathered storefronts, and preserved in communities that seem untouched by time, these destinations offer a unique glimpse of Wisconsin`s history through the years.

Whether spread across rolling farmland, nestled along serene rivers, or sitting on the Great Lake`s shoreline, these towns offer more than nostalgia. They are living snapshots of bygone eras, where old-world architecture and rustic streets remain lovingly intact. From Cedarburg to Mineral Point, here are Wisconsin towns where time stands still...

...Prairie du Chien

Prairie du Chien is a historic town situated on the confluence of the Mississippi River and Wisconsin River, whose strategic location made it a critical hub for the fur trade for over two centuries. Initially settled by European settlers in the 1600s, it was the only site in the state that hosted a battle during the War of 1812. The town`s dynamic heritage comes to life through a handful of historical markers, including St. Feriole Island Park. This landmark location spans 240 acres, featuring a Victorian mansion and offering access to the waters of the Mississippi River for fishing, boating, and paddling adventures.

The Prairie du Chien Country Club welcomes easygoing golf sessions on a challenging 18-hole course surrounded by incredible natural scenes. After a long and exhausting day, tourists can unwind and relax their minds with a pint of draft beer or a cocktail at the rustic Fort Mulligan`s Grillpub...

...Alma

Alma is a picturesque village on the Mississippi River, settled by Swiss immigrants in the 1840s, followed by Norwegian and German settlers later on. It derives its name from a battle in Russia and preserves part of its local heritage at the Castlerock Museum. This quirky museum is riddled with arms and armor from different parts of Europe. Alma has a vibrant arts community, with the Big River Theatre serving as the cultural hub in town. This modest local theater hosts a diverse lineup of performances, including musicals, plays, and concerts by budding performers.
Meanwhile, the surrounding river scenery entices visitors with stunning views and enjoyable moments. Residents and tourists alike often converge at Buena Vista Park, situated on a 500-foot bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, which features a mix of picnic areas and hiking paths..

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Wisconsin Mississippi River Interpretive Centers

Genoa National Fish Hatchery and Great River Road Interpretive Center

Great River Road Visitor and Learning Center

Fort Crawford Museum

Stonefield Historic Site

Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Visitor Center

The Potosi Brewing Company

Villa Louis

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Scenic Byway Drives Tourism, Links River Communities

It’s not only the Mississippi River that winds nearly 3,000 miles from Lake Itasca, Minn., to the Gulf in Louisiana. The Great River Road follows all along it.

The road, a federally designated national scenic byway and “All-American Road,” was the topic of an America’s Watershed Initiative lunch and learn webinar November 12. Guest speaker Susanne Thiede-Barnet, focused on how the Great River Road drives tourism, supports local economies and helps to preserve the cultural and natural heritage of river communities.

“The Great River Road is more than a road,” she said. “It’s a living corridor. It ties together communities, ecosystems and stories from Minnesota to Louisiana.”...

...Full Story Here

Bald Eagle Day returns to Ferryville on March 3

Mark your calendars now for Saturday, March 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come and enjoy an outstanding day of seeing Bald Eagles and other raptors at the Third Annual Bald Eagle Watching Day in Ferryville at the Community Center located on Highway 35, ‘The Great River Road.’

Bald Eagle Watching Day is sponsored by the Ferryville Tourism Council and is free to the public. Activities are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public will not only have exciting opportunities to see and learn about bald eagles, but also enjoy refreshments in the Community Center. This year, there will be children’s craft activities throughout the event. Ferryville, located right on the Mississippi River, is an ideal place to host Bald Eagle Day as it supports a close-by nesting site located between Hobbs Hollow Road and Kettle Hollow Road on Highway 35. Eagles can be seen in the nest along the Mississippi River as you pass by on Highway 35.

Fantastic live bald eagle programs will be presented at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. featuring eagles from the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota. Learn how the bald eagles have returned to this area in increasing numbers and what you can do to support this effort to help eagles flourish...

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Our Visitor Guide Sponsors. Please check them out!

All of our sponsors!
Comming Soon...

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Scar or solution? Driftless area worries about high-voltage power line

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Dec. 11, 2025, 5:02 a.m. CT

GENOA - Many people in Wisconsin`s Driftless region abide by a shared ethos: love for their small communities, respect for the land and a desire to live away from disruption.

In their eyes, a high-voltage power line proposed to cut through the area could put all that in jeopardy.

The MariBell Transmission Project, developed by La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative and the transmission utility company GridLiance, would stretch about 140 miles from Marion, Minnesota, to Bell Center, Wisconsin. It would be the state`s first 765-kilovolt line, which supporters call the backbone of any electrical grid because of the amount of power it can carry. The project has a $900 million price tag...

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Tourism Sites and Event Calendars

Grant County
Events Calendar

Visitor Guide

Wisconsin Great
River Road
Facebook Page

Crawford County
Events Calendar

Visitor Guide

La Crosse County
Events Calendar

Visitor Guide

Trempealeau County
Events Calendar

Visitor Guide

Buffalo County
Events Calendar

Pepin County
Events Calendar

Visitor Guide

Pierce County
Events Calendar

Google Map

Vernon County
Events Calendar

Visitor Guide

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Happy Holidays!

This Weeks Articles for 12/11/2025 ...

The bridge connecting Iowa and Wisconsin in Lansing will be demolished on:

Thursday, Dec. 18 between 9am and noon.

Business Submission Form

Event Submission Form

...Prairie du Chien

...Alma

All of our sponsors! Comming Soon...

Great River Road Resources

Other Tourism Sites

All of our sponsors!
Comming Soon...