Fountain City, WI Dock Installed

It's been a long summer with high water this year preventing a lot of small communities from being able to put in their docks for boat commuters. This has had a huge impact on their local businesses because they rely on all us boaters to stop and shop. We just learned that Fountain City,WI has just put in their dock that is located right in the center of town. The season here in the Upper Mississippi River Valley is starting to wind down with the start of schools coming but there is still a lot of great weather to be enjoyed in September and early October. Fountain City is one of our favorite cruise stops so we encourage all boaters to take advantage of this opportunity and stop by, it's an easy walk to town to enjoy restaurants like the Wingdam Saloon and Grill and the Golden Frog Restaurant. According to the news report Fountain City officials are looking into putting in a piling system which would make installing a dock easier no matter what the Mississippi River levels reach up to. They plan to seek a grant to help pay for it but the officials realize it is something that has to be done to help keep the local businesses going because they rely heavily on our boating adventures.
There is still time to take that boating adventure and head to Fountain City,WI, check out the links to the restaurants to get an idea of what they are all about.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we cruise to and explore more destinations and provide adventures, information and resources.

Football Redneck Style

 Another nice October Fall Day was upon us and it was time for another Green Bay Packer Football game. We set up our TV, antenna(redneck style), chairs, snacks, and umbrella, let the game begin. We were joined by some friends for the game and it was a little cool but sunny making it a comfortable day. We even had some other visitors come and join us for the first time, Woody the Wood Duck and Malfoyd the Mallard.

Woody and Malfoyd

They only stayed long enough for a few chips and then were on their way. They also noted how we had our antenna set up to watch the game. We don't have satellite or cable hookup so we need to use rabbit ear antennas and with the new digital signal it can be difficult to get a strong signal so we need to come up with ways to get a good signal for a specific channel. As you can see in our photo of our football party we had to set up our antenna redneck style.

Green Bay vs. Miami

The instructions for a proper redneck antenna set up are:  Rabbit ears, old plastic bucket, long enough coaxial cable, and a homemade umbrella stand. First put bucket upside down on umbrella stand and then balance rabbit ears on bucket and adjust antenna until you get a strong enough signal to watch and hear the entire game. CAUTION: If you have two dogs like us be always aware that during an exciting play dogs will get excited too and run around causing antenna system to fly everywhere and a fast and precise set up will be needed. After the main game ends and you want to watch another game on another channel arrangements will have to be taken at that time.
After an afternoon of football we retired to the indoors of the houseboat and ordered pizza to be delivered and enjoyed a cool, Fall evening only houseboaters could enjoy.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we cruise and explore more destinations and provide more information, adventures and resources. Please Don't Move Firewood and Help Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers.

National Eagle Center, Wabasha,MN

It was another great weekend to cruise the Upper Mississippi River Valley and this time we cruised to Wabasha,MN and stopped at the National Eagle Center. We have mentioned this place in our previous blogs but never actually took the tour. They have a nice dock to park at making it easy to walk up to the building. There is a small admission fee to get in. The first thing we did was to go see the live eagles they have on display.

The first one we visited was named Was'aka, he was their first male eagle and was found in Jacksonville, Florida. He had a tumor on his left eye which has been removed but leaving him blind. His original name was "Ari" but was changed by voting visitors to Was'aka which means "strength" in Dakota Indian language.

The next one we visited was named Donald, he was hit by a car in California and his wing was broken in two places and couldn't be properly mended so he became a member of the Eagle Center. He was named for the Donald Weesner Foundation which paid for his transportation to the Eagle Center. The next eagle was named Harriet, she was hit by a car in Wisconsin and had several surgeries to repair her heavily damaged left side, some of her wing had to be removed and she has arthritis and muscle damage which is why she is at the Eagle Center. She was named by a first grader.

The next eagle we visited was named Angel, she was a fledgling that was hanging out on the ground and broke a bone in her wing and had severe muscle damage, she survived by living off fish scraps dropped by nearby heron nests. She had surgery to try to repair her wing but the muscle damage was too much so she came to the Eagle Center and was named by a fourth grader.
Houseboating Excursions and friends got the pleasure on having our photo taken with an eagle named Angel. The size and beauty of these birds up close is truly amazing. The grip of their talons is more than 400psi, the machine they have to compare Troy's grip registered at 80psi, we will just say Hi when greeting an eagle no need to shake hand-to-talon.

On display was an eagle mask which is influenced by Native American sculpture from the Pacific Northwest and carved from a large white cedar log. The top of the eagle's head is painted in the form of Mississippi River channels with symbols of local flora and fauna. The white cedar is considered a spiritual wood and the smoke is seen favorable to the heavens and the eagle is the messenger of the spirit world.

This photo of a golden eagle sat on top of an unknown steamboat but is a symbol of pride, protection, and bringer of good fortune.

The silver eagle represents a Bicentennial Eagle sculpted by an artist, A. Giannelli, and donated by a couple that loved to visit  the Eagle Center.

The photo of the two eagles represents courtship and not fighting, the male and female grab their talons together and cartwheel down to almost hitting the ground and then fly up and do it again building a strong bond and engage in playful flirtation.

The photo of the circle cage represents the size of an average eagle nest. The Bald Eagle holds the world record of the biggest nest ever built, 20ft. deep, 9.5ft. wide. and weighing 3 tons.

For all you Harley-Davidson riders they also are offering a chance to win one of America's pride and joy motorcycle.

There is also a large balcony outside to view the Mississippi River and watch a commercial barge come up river and if you use their supplied telescopes you can even see some wild eagles hanging out in the area. There is so many more things to see and information classes to sit in on, that the National Eagle Center is a must see for the entire family when visiting the Upper Mississippi River Valley, you will not be disappointed.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we cruise and explore more destinations and provide more information, adventures,and resources. Please Don't Move Firewood and Help Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers.

Sands on the Riverfront 2010

             Sands on the Riverfront is a weekend festival held at Riverside Park in La Crosse,WI. Its an annual event that is a friendly competition of sand sculpting and it benefits people with disabilities at a organization called Riverfront. This organization helps over 2,300 individuals with disabilities by giving them the support they need to find jobs and earn paychecks to live independently and to make friends and enjoy recreational activities. While your are walking around looking at the sand sculptures there are people roaming around selling sand dollars which is a form of currency that you use to vote for your favorite sand sculptures, play a game, in a game tent they have set up, and ride a Big E train provided by the" The Big e!" The Big Event Company. All the proceeds go to helping out the people of Riverfront. This year's theme was called: Adventure in Candyland, as you notice all the scupltures look like candy objects. The sand sculpting always starts on a Friday about 8:30am and ends at 4:00pm and you can vote on which one you like the best and they tag each sculpture with a winner of separate categories at 5:00pm. On Saturday this year they also featured a car show, NASP archery shoot, and Rollover Convincer. Riverside Park has a permanent stage that features different activities throughout the weekend. There were 5 artists with each having over 20 years of sculpting experience and they travel all over the world competing in sand and snow sculpting. The festival is sponsored by several local businesses in La Crosse,WI. This year the sculptures got hit with a strong storm about midway through but were able to save their work and it was a great show.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we cruise and explore more destinations and provide more information, adventures, and resources. Please Don't Move Firewood and Help Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers.

Annual Chili Cook-OFF

Every year the La Crosse,WI business community sponsors a Chili Cook-OFF contest with all the proceeds going to help the programs D.A.R.E., G.R.E.A.T. and Habitat For Humanity. Each business had it's own version of chili to sample and Houseboating Excursions was there to sample them all. You get about a 1/4 cup serving from each contestant and you also get a ballot to cast your vote for the one you like most. Some of the sponsors were Citizens State Bank, they had a Halloween Witch's Brew, Centurylink, had some sweet chili, the radio station 95.7 The Rock, had the celebrity deadpool chili, Dahl Ford, had great chili and a glass of beer to quench the thirst, Marcus Theaters, good chili, the radio station 94.7 Classic Rock, aired the event, a couple of sponsors were kind enough to share some of their recipes with us; Schilling Supply Company's Recipe: Garbage Pail Chili
2 pounds hamburger of your choice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) chili beans,drained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans,drained
1 can (28 oz) diced garlic tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) mushroom bits & pieces
1 jar (12 oz) picante sauce
1 can (10.5 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup tomato juice
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown hamburger. Drain. Put the hamburger into a large pot and add
the other ingredients. Season to taste. Cook for 3-4 hours. Serve with
condiments of your choice (i.e. sour cream, shredded cheese, oyster
crackers.)
Another recipe by Anytime Fitness: Guilt Free Chicken Chili ( ingredients serves 6)
1 can (10 oz) white chunk chicken
3 cups cooked white beans
1 can (14.5 oz) low-sodium diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Cayenne pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6 ounces baked tortilla chips(about 65 chips)
In a large soup pot, add the chicken, beans, tomatoes, and chicken
broth. Cover and simmer over medium heat.
Meanwhile, spray a nonstick frying pan with cooking spray. Add
the onions, peppers and garlic and saute until the vegetables are soft,
3 to 5 minutes.
Add the onion and pepper mixture to the soup pot. Stir in the chili
powder, cumin, oregano and, as desired, cayenne pepper. Simmer for about
10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft.
Ladle into warmed bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon cheese
and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Serve with baked chips on the side(about 10
chips with each serving of chili).
Options: To add more variety in flavor, color and texture, add several
different beans, including kidney, garbanzo or black beans, or
add more chopped vegetables, such as carrots and celery. If you
add these vegetables, increase the amount of chicken broth to
accommodate the added ingredients.Recipe courtesy of Mayo Clinic, a partner with Anytime Health.
This was the 18th Annual event that is always sponsored mainly by State Bank Financial. They also had a jalapeno pepper eating contest and a raffle for prizes. The weather was a crispy 40 degrees which made the chili more enjoyable. The event only lasts for 2 hours or until the chili is gone. It is a great time for the whole family to enjoy, help people in the local community, win some prizes and enjoy some great chili.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we continue to explore more events, cruise stops, and provide information.

OKTOBERFEST 2009

Houseboating Excursions stops at the largest fall festival in our area, La Crosse's Oktoberfest, in La Crosse,WI. This is an annual event that is in their 49th year. It starts out on a Friday with a small festmasters parade and the tapping of a Golden Keg of beer. Brats with sauerkraut is the traditional food of Oktoberfest. On the following Saturday there is a huge parade that lasts several hours and goes for a couple of miles. The streets on the parade route start getting lined up with chairs, tables, vehicles, and blankets as early as midnight Friday. There are floats and marching bands from all over the area. La Crosse's Oktoberfest is so big they have to split it into 2 different fest grounds, one located near the downtown area and the other is located on the northside of town. Each of the fest grounds have their own carnival rides, entertainment stage, food service, and beer tents. Oktoberfest goes for 9 days with different entertainment every night. The northside fest ground is accessible by boat from the Black River at Copeland Park. Our favorite day was Wednesday for Craft Beer Night, which has different brewmasters from the area displaying their own unique beer brands. A GREAT NIGHT!! On Thursday night there is a torch light parade, the bands and floats are all lit up with different lights and some are carrying torch lights, it is a smaller parade than the one on Saturday but interesting to see. There is always something going on for the whole family to enjoy.
Come follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we take you to another cruise stop and provide more information.

Cruise to Red Wing,MN

Our northern most cruise stop is Red Wing,MN. It is a beautiful journey up the Mississippi River from our home town of La Crosse,WI, the views of the bluffs and the wildlife, such as Eagle Watching, are spectacular and there are so many fun places to stop and see. When we arrived in Red Wing,MN we parked at one of two marinas located in town. We stayed at the Red Wing Marina which is the closest to downtown so we could walk and check out all the local shops and restaurants. The other marina called Ole Miss Marina is the largest marina in Red Wing and is located a little north of town.
From the Red Wing Marina we were able to walk to the Visitor's Center and get some information on things to see. At the Center, for those that don't want to do a lot of walking you can get tickets for a Trolley that will take you to many different stops such as the famous Red Wing Pottery, Sheldon Theatre, Barn Bluff, Bay Pointe Park, the St. James Hotel, and the Goodhue County History Museum. The city is full of beauty and rich history with so much to see you want to stay a couple of days to take it all in.
Across the Mississippi River on the Wisconsin side is the Harbor Restaurant, Bar, and Marina. They feature summer festivals along with their own bikini contest, a DJ, and live entertainment regularly.
If gambling is of interest to you, further north up the river is Treasure Island Casino and Marina.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we provide information and cruise to more stops from as far north as Red Wing,MN to as far south as Prairie Du Chein,WI.

Mississippi River Cruise Stop; Lake City,MN

Houseboating Excursions cruised the Mississippi River to the beautiful lake called Lake Pepin. We pulled into the Lake City Marina in Lake City,MN. This area offers some of the greatest boating in the Midwest, there are boats of all kinds. Lake Pepin is approximately 3 miles wide and 21 miles long. The one thing you will notice is the large amount of sailboats. On a beautiful, light windy day the lake is full of people sailboating, it is a spectacular sight to see. Lake City,MN is considered the "Pearl of the Mississippi" and is the birthplace of waterskiing. Lake City,MN has 2 marinas that offer overnight docking and refueling, Lake City Marina in the center of town and on the north end is Hansen's Harbor. They are both close enough to the city to walk and enjoy some shopping and their many restaurants such as the Nosh Restaurant, Chickadee Cottage Cafe, and Skyline on Pepin. For some evening live entertainment the Old Bank Bar is also close.
Lake City,MN has several different ways to enjoy the beauty of Lake Pepin by offering a modern day paddlewheel boat called the "Pearl of the Lake Paddleboat". It also offers tours on a 40-foot Taiwanese Sailing Yacht or take a houseboat cruise offered by Great River Houseboats.
Lake City,MN has many events going on during the boating season such as their 100-mile garage sale on the first weekend in May and Water Ski Days on the last weekend in June and many more for the whole family to enjoy.
Come follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley to another Mississippi River cruise stop and continue to provide more information.

Sands on the Riverfront

A cruise stop in La Crosse,WI features the Sands on the Riverfront event. It was located in Riverside Park along the Mississippi River. Here many sculpture artists gathered together for friendly competition at carving piles of wet sand into different characters of their choice. They picked a theme for the sculptures called AT The Movies. Each group of sculptures was sponsored by local businesses. The event had many family activities to do such as different air filled trampolines for the kids to play on, live entertainment at the park's band shell, food and drinks. Admission was free but was accepting donations for Riverfront, which is an organization that helps people with disabilities.
The main sponsors for the event were Centurytel, Mathy Construction Co. and Big Event Company. This is an annual event lasting for 2 days and generally taking place in mid-august.
Riverside Park has a concrete edge for boats to tie up to when cruising the Mississippi River to stop and relax at the park. It is the location of where 3 rivers come together; Mississippi River, Black River and the La Crosse River. You can recognize the park from the river by looking for the tall Indian statue.
Come follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we continue to explore more cruise stops.

A Gambling Cruise

A PINK ELEPHANT! No you haven't been drinking or have you? We took a Mississippi River cruise to Marquette,IA to do some riverboat gambling and some sightseeing. We pulled up to their dock and parked our houseboat on the channel side of the dock which offers us plenty of room and the dock has electrical for us to plug in to. The dock is run by Lady Luck Casino. They charged us $45.00 for the night which is pretty common at about $1.00 a foot. It came with a free bag of ice, a key for their showers and bathrooms. They offer pumpouts too for $10.00 and have gasoline available and diesel per 24hr.notice. The hours are Monday-Thursday Closed, Friday 12:00pm-8:00pm,Saturday 9:00am-7:00pm,Sunday 8:00am-6:00pm. The phone number is 563-873-3531. We parked for the night and ventured up to the casino for some gambling fun and to stop at the Calypso's Buffet for a bite to eat. Didn't win, but didn't lose much either, it was good fun.
We walked into town the next day which is maybe 1/8 mile from the dock and ate at the Marquette Cafe and Bar,which is open 7 days a week. We then ventured to the Eagles Landing Winery and checked out their winemaking process which uses grapes from their own vineyard. We enjoy wine very much so we had to try their free samples and brought home our favorite ones. There are also a few antique shops in the area to shop at.
For more Mississippi River Cruise destinations and adventures come follow us as we take you to another cruise stop and provide information about the Mississippi River.

Cruise to McGregor,IA

Our next cruise stop is at Mc Gregor,IA. We cruised down the Mississippi River enjoying the beautiful views the river valley has to offer. On our way we were able to see many bald eagles flying around getting fish, and as we approached closer just north of McGregor,IA, you can see one of the many peaks and summits in the area such as Effigy Mounds National Monument, Pike's Peak bluff. We pulled into the Mc Gregor Marina, which is located at the river mile marker 633.5 and they monitor channel 16, which is the main marine channel. They welcome boats of any size to transit or you can call 1-800-848-2413 to reserve a slip. They offer pontoon and fishing boat rentals along with a fishing guide service. They also have gas,pumpouts, and boat parts and service.
When you walk up the dock you come to a nice restaurant called Mr. McGregor's Beer and Bratz Garden which offers hot sandwiches, beer, soda, and ice cream. If you would like to take a short walk to town there are also many other restaurants such as McGregor Coffee Roasters, Old Man River Restaurant and Brewery and others with some having live entertainment.
If shopping is on the list, Mc Gregor has their own unique shopping mall that has 3 levels, 4 buildings, and 12 shops. It is right on Main St. with close proximity to the marina.
Another marina that is also located in McGregor,IA is Boatels Houseboat Rentals and Marina. There you can stop in and rent a houseboat and enjoy all the spectacular views and events that take place in the Upper Mississippi River Valley.
Please continue to follow and check our web site here at Houseboating Excursions in the River Valley as we take you to another Mississippi River Cruise Stop.

Cruise the Mississippi River to the Trempealeau Hotel

Houseboating Excursions in the River Valley took a Mississippi River cruise up to Trempealeau to visit and have lunch at the Trempealeau Hotel. We parked at the Sunset Bay Marina in Trempealeau. They are located on the east side of Lock and Dam No.6 in a small bay. They have a fee to stay the night and use their facilities of $1.00 a foot in boat length. You can make advanced reservations by calling their phone number at 1-800-627-4629. The marina has a bar, no food, gas,some supplies and can provide phone numbers to local restaurants and bar/grills that have a shuttle service to come to the marina and pick you up and bring you back.
We decided to walk to the Trempealeau Hotel which is about a 1/4 mile from the marina instead of calling for the hotel's shuttle service because you can view the bluffs and Mississippi River Valley as you walk. When you go inside the Tremealeau Hotel you will notice on your left a Wall of Fame which has pictures of past entertainers that played there. Entertainers like Survivor, Little River Band, Tokens, Molly Hatchet and The Marshall Tucker Band. The hotel has different seating arrangements like a screened-in porch with views of the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam No. 6. We stopped for lunch and had their famous Walnut Burger, which is very good and is amazingly made with no meat. The Tremealeau Hotel has free outdoor concerts on Thursday nights starting aroung 7:00pm as well as their regular fee required concerts they offer throught the houseboating season. You can find out about concert dates and who is playing by clicking on our link to their web site for more information. The Tremealeau Hotel has many different hotel rooms if you wish to stay there and some have jacuzzi's.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the River Valley as we make more Mississippi River cruise stops and adventures.

Houseboating the Mississippi River Valley

Houseboating on the Mississippi River is a unique and very enjoyable experience. It is much different than houseboating on a lake. The river valley is bordered mainly by river bluffs or to some by Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa mountain peaks and summits. The views are breathtaking. There's late spring when everything is turning green, the warm summers, and the colors of fall. You can see wildlife of all kinds from a small turtle to a large black bear. The fishing is always great and so are the stories about the big one that got away.

The best houseboating, in our opinion, is located between the cities of Prairie Du Chien,WI to the south, and Red Wing,MN to the north. This part of the Mississippi River Valley has many cities and towns located along it that offer access to tourism, entertainment, and restraunts. Some of them have marinas that offer gasoline, dock slips, pumpouts, supplies, and houseboat rentals. Some of them only have docks that are large enough to tie up to so you can venture into town. All of the cities and towns have their own festivals and fairs throughout the houseboating season.

The Mississippi River Valley has an abundance of sandbars for everyone to have such pleasures as campfires, swimming, camping with tents, fishing, or just anchoring to it and relax. Houseboating the Mississippi River Valley ia an unique and enjoyable experience for the whole family and friends. The scenery, wildlife, tourism and ability to travel to different destinations makes houseboating the river valley a pleasure for all.

Houseboating the Mississippi River Valley is easy to navigate with red and green markers, called buoys, show where the main channel is so there is little risk of hitting any obstructions under water. Houseboating the Mississippi River Valley offers an unique experience of being able to go through a Mississippi Lock and Dam which was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers starting in 1930. You can even watch a large commercial barge go through the locks and get an understanding of how the navigation system works on the Mississippi River. Come follow us as we will take you to many destinations and through many experiences.

4th of JULY

Houseboating Excursions in the River Valley hosted a 4th of July party for friends and family. Everyone had a great time on the houseboat with plenty of food and drinks for everyone. There were also other parties going on all around the marina. The weather was great. The fireworks started at 10 o'clock and lasted for about 20 minutes. The fireworks show was put on by the Skyrockers sponsored by Riverfest. The river was very busy that day with all the boat traffic, you could walk across the Mississippi River without touching the water. Houseboating Excursions in the River Valley hopes everyone had a safe and wonderful 4th of July.

A Day with the Dogs

A Day with the Dogs Today started out a normal day at the dock enjoying a relaxing time at the boat, when the dogs decided to go out and venture along the dock and got excited when they saw some ducks getting close and they decided to bark and run the dock when we heard a loud splash and only one of the two dogs returned. We discovered one had ran too fast and could'nt stop and into the river he went , now keep in mind these are two sheltie males, I had to reach down and pull the one out, who weighs 40 pounds, and he looked like a wet mop and it didn't even phase him he wanted to get back to barking, no ducks allowed on his dock.The fishing has been slow, but we continue to help the DNR out by catching a lot of 4-5 pound dog fish and disposing of them for fertilizer.

6/6/09

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