Highways:
...more to come, including the U.S. Highways in Wisconsin!
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"From the river split to lighthouses on the lakefront"
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View of the St. Croix and Mississippi from Muddy Waters Bar. Wisconsin is on the near side; the Mississippi continues to the top right into Minnesota. The St. Croix River flows into the Mississippi at this point and begins forming the boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin. |
From Prescott, heading north on Broad Street/Highway 35 will bring you to the technical start of State Highway 29, about one mile north of downtown. Once you hit 29, you're instantly (as of 2006, at least) in open countryside. The road, multiplexed with Highway 35 for the 11 miles into River Falls, winds around, up and down hills and valleys that characterize the area close to the St. Croix River.
Can you believe there are two Kinnickinnics??
I guess it stands to reason: Wisconsin has more than one Fox River, more than one Wolf River... but more than one Kinnickinnic River? Indeed. One is in Milwaukee, draining the city's south side into Lake Michigan. The other flows through western Wisconsin into the St. Croix. Kinnickinnic State Park, located along the latter, offers swimming, boat mooring, fishing, cross-country skiing, panoramic views and good bird-watching. Incidentally, the word "Kinnickinnic" comes from the Ojibwa, meaning "what is mixed." Seems that Kinnickinnic deals with mixing various plant material, including tobacco. Highway 29 offers access to the river and park between Prescott and River Falls.
| Snaking through the hills on Highway 29 between Spring Valley and Menomonie. |  |
College towns
Next up on Highway 29 is River Falls (pop. 12,560), "The City on the Kinni", as it calls itself. River Falls is home to UW-River Falls and serves as the summer practice facility for the Kansas City Chiefs. Highway 35 branches off and heads north at this point; Highway 29 continues its push east. After a short joining with U.S. Highway 63, State Highway 29 goes into Spring Valley (pop. 1,189), home of Crystal Cave, "Wisconsin's Longest Showcave!", as it says.
Spring Valley is clearly a valley - as you cross the Eau Galle River, you can see the bluffs and ridges on either side. Swimmers frequent the Eau Galle Dam and Recreation Area, home to the largest earthen dam in the Midwest.
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Beyond Spring Valley, you enter Menomonie (pop. 14,937), which flanks the Red Cedar River. Home to another state campus, UW-Stout, Menomonie's downtown runs along State Highways 29 and 25, which combine for a short distance. Highway 29 winds extensively thru Menomonie, combining with US12 on the town's east side past the Stout campus. |
 The old tower rising above the UW-Stout campus. |
Heading east from Menomonie and past the Hoffman Hills Recreation Area, Highway 29 parallels I-94, which runs just about 1-2 miles to the north, over to Elk Mound, when the two routes cross. At this junction, which features a store called Private Pleasures (I'm guessing it's an adult store; I didn't stop in, honest), Highway 29 begins its voyage as a 4-lane expressway, which it continues as all the way to Green Bay.
The upgrades to Highway 29 have been going on for almost two decades and the result is a new, smooth, fast highway that lets you jet across the middle of the state with ease. It's more interesting, of course, to stop and check things out, so that's why I recommend stopping off in some of the towns the upgraded Highway 29 now whizzes past.
Chippewa Falls (pop. 12,925) is Eau Claire's northern counterpart and calls itself "Gateway to the North Woods." A drive on the old 29, now known as "Business 29", takes you through the city on Seymour Cray Blvd, named after the famous engineer who took supercomputers to a whole new level in the latter half of the 20th century. From Minneapolis-based CDC to his own company, Cray Research (you may have heard of the Cray-2 supercomputer, for example), Seymour Cray played a key role in making computers what they are today. He died in 1996, and Highway 29's Business route through Chippewa Falls carries his name in memoriam.
Of course, a major stop for many in Chippewa Falls is the Leinenkugel Brewing Company, famous for beers like Leinie's Red, Honey Weiss, Berry Weiss, Big Butt Doppelbock (ya hear that, Sir Mix-A-Lot??), Sunset Wheat and the new Summer Shandy. Tours are available year-round, every day except major holidays. Check the tour link or call (888) LEINIES for details.
Chippewa Falls is known to giddy female movie-goers worldwide as the hometown of Jack Dawson, Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the movie epic Titanic. The famous hole in the script deals with Lake Wissota, which actually did not exist prior to 1916, when work on a dam created the now-famous body of water.
At Chippewa Falls, Highway 29 hits a junction with U.S. Highway 53, now on a newly-built freeway bypass that connects to Duluth-Superior, Rice Lake and Spooner to the north and provides access to I-94 for destinations to the south. Of course, since we're "touring" Highway 29, we'll keep heading east.
As you pass Lake Wissota east of Chippewa Falls, Highway 29 continues its path as a major 4-lane expressway. The "old" 29 parallels this road just to the north as County X, which runs you right through the center of towns like Cadott, Boyd, Stanley and Thorp. The new 29 provides exits to each of these towns. Cadott, at the junction with Highway 27 (Exit 91), features the Wisconsin Veterans Tribute.
Thorp is a town at the crossing with Highway 73. To get some grub, you can stop at the creatively-named Thorpedo Restaurant, just north of Highway 29. Between Thorp and Withee, Highway 29 crosses the Black River, which begins in the Chequamegon National Forest a little bit north of there and flows through Black River Falls on its way to the Mississippi.
On the Clark-Marathon County line at the junction with Highway 13 is Abbotsford (pop. 2,000), known as "Wisconsin's First City". It's "first" in terms of the alphabet, by the way, not in population or age (those distinctions go to Milwaukee and Green Bay, respectively). The downtown drive on Highway 13 is a good example of a Wisconsin main street.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, THE CENTER OF TWO HEMISPHERES??
Well, yes, you can be. Following the County M turnoff from Highway 29, approximately at mile marker 149, you can go about 5 miles north, take a right on County U and then left at the Geological marker sign, onto Meridian Road. The meridian of which it speaks is the 90th Meridian, halfway between the Prime Meridian (London) and the Int'l Date Line. In other words, you're at the central point of the Western Hemisphere.
But that's not all.
At the Geological (shouldn't it be a "geographical"?) Marker, about ¼ mile north on Meridian Road, you're also at the 45th Parallel, which is halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. So right there in the middle of the cornfields, you're at the center of both the Western and Northern Hemispheres. Stand there and feel the self-absorption!
| And there you are, the center of two hemispheres. And a lot of corn in the summer. |  |
A stone's throw from this center point is Poniatowski (pronounced, as I discovered, without the first "i"), a tiny hamlet featuring a few houses and a bar. In T&C's Pub, I found a friendly, if not tipsy, crowd that generously treated me to a Pabst for joining the "45x90 Club", which is the informal group you join when visiting the Center of Two Hemispheres.
Making your way back to Highway 29 on either County M or H, you can make quick time to Wausau, with a nice view of Rib Mountain guiding you in. Rib Mountain (elevation 1,924 feet) is an imposing ridge that dominates the surrounding landscape and provides area residents with great winter skiing right nearby. The hill is one billion years old, but doesn't look a day over 600 million. It's the second-highest peak in the state (the highest being Timms Hill, about forty miles to the northwest) and the hill highest when compared to the average surrounding terrain, which explains why it can be seen for miles and miles around.
Wausau (pop. 38.426) itself is the center of the Wausau-Stevens Point metro area and functions as a larger city than it really is. You can bypass the city by following Highway 29, which takes you west and south of the main city but lets you see its fastest-growing areas, or go through the city itself on Business 29. To follow 29's old route, follow Elm Street east instead of joining Highway 29 & I-39. Elm Street will bring you downtown; then, follow Grand (also Business U.S. 51) south through the city.
Wausau is perhaps most famous for Wausau Insurance, but also provides numerous amenities. Recreation abounds: the Wisconsin River splits the city and widens into a lake at times and provides great canoeing and kayaking; Rib Mountain offers skiing, hiking and mountain biking; and numerous restaurants abound for aspiring competitive eaters.
Wausau hosts a professional baseball team, the Wausau Woodchucks of the Northwoods League. Also worth a stop is the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum (715-845-7010), featuring numerous works of art its world-renowned "Birds In Art" exhibit. It's also worth noting Wausau lies in the midst of an area that grows a lot of Panax quinquefolius, also known as American Ginseng. The area's large Hmong population, as well as the plant's popularity around the world - especially Asia - contributes to the demand and significance of this product.
"Old" 29 rejoins the current Highway 29 south of Wausau at Exit 171. From Wausau and its eastern suburbs of Rothschild, Weston and Ringle, Highway 29 is expressway all the way east to Green Bay. Bicycle enthusiasts may note that the Mountain-Bay Trail, a rail-to-trail conversion that runs the span between Wausau and Green Bay, parallels this stretch of 29 just a few miles north.
Further east, you reach Shawano (pop. 8.298), the main city between Green Bay and Wausau. Shawano is perched on Shawano Lake and offers the most amenities on this stretch. Highway 29 officially bypasses the city to the south on a freeway bypass - which is only fitting, since the name "Shawano" is Native American Menomonee for "to the south." You can follow Business 29 into town and go through its center. Being the main city between Wausau and Green Bay, it's also the main city along the Mountain-Bay Trail. A former railroad depot in town has been retrofitted to Joe BikeLer's Bike Shop (620 South Main Street, 715-526-2216) and offers everything from bicycles to a coffee bar. It's just south of Business 29 along adjacent Highway 22. Weekends from 8am to 4pm, the Trailside Farmers Market runs late May through October and features vendors offering crafts, produce, baked goods, ceramics and more.
If you follow the Highway 29 freeway bypass - which saves probably 10-15 minutes - check out the view as you cross the tree-lined Wolf River. Especially on the eastbound run, the view of the trees framing the river makes for a great picture. If only I'd had my camera ready at the time...
East of Shawano, Highway 47 combines with 29 to Bonduel and Highway 55 sticks around until Angelica. At Bonduel, check out Doc's Zoo & Muscle Car Museum (715-758-9080), which features a variety of 60's muscle cars, motorcycles, a classic 1930's Standard gas station, and a whole line of unique autos, including one of the 1958 Plymouth Fury cars used in the Stephen King classic "Christine". It's hard to miss; part of Doc's Harley-Davidson, Inc. of Shawano County, you'll notice Bo & Luke Duke's General Lee looking like it just leaped the building (yes, it's one of the actual General Lee cars used in filming "The Dukes of Hazzard."
 | The General Lee just after "leaping" over Doc's Zoo & Muscle Car Museum |
Just northwest of Green Bay, Highway 29 ducks into Brown County, and then Outagamie County for such a short time, you can see the Brown County sign ahead of you again. The signs themselves are small, but you literally cut the northeast corner of Outagamie within a few blocks.
On the west edge of Green Bay itself lies Pamperin Park. No, it was not named for the female-targeting pain medicine (that's Pamprin.) Pamperin Park is the largest park in Brown County, which holds the Green Bay Metro Area. The park offers a huge wooden children's playground area, a stone pavilion, fireplace, gardens and a picturesque suspension bridge. Pamperin serves as a nice recreational stop for relaxation or letting kids get their energy spent before resuming the journey.
 | Pamperin Park, just off Highway 29 on Green Bay's west side (click on picture for larger image.) |
Entering Green Bay (pop. 102,313), Highway 29 becomes Shawano Ave. and cuts through the heart of downtown. Nearing the Fox River, you'll stumble across an old-fashioned, neon-signed McDonald's, and a 24-hour Subway - the only one this author has seen.
For Lambeau Field seekers on this route, the "frozen tundra" lies about 3 miles south of Highway 29; you can cut south to it via Oneida Street or Military Avenue.
Brewery Alert! Green Bay calls itself "Titletown", so when some guys decided to start up a brewery there, it only made sense to call it the Titletown Brewing Company. Coincidentally - or perhaps not - Titletown Brewing started in December of 1996, right before the Packers' most recent Super Bowl victory. Located just north of Highway 29 on 200 Dousman Street (cut north on any cross street to access Dousman) in a classic old railroad station built in 1899, Titletown brews Packer-backer beverages such as the Johnny "Blood" Red and Canadeo Gold (what, no beers named after Favre?) as well as a great root beer called Sno-Cap, which uses Clyde the Penguin as its mascot. Trains, football, beer, food... definitely a good stop on the State Trunk Tour.
As Highway 29 enters downtown, it crosses the Fox River, one of the few northward-flowing rivers in North America. Here, bridges are lit up at night with condos, bars and shops springing up. At the intersection with Broadway, a Farmers Market offers produce and other items on Wednesday afternoons from June through September from 3pm-8pm.
East of the Fox River, blocks adjacent to Highway 29 feature an array of bars and restaurants. Places to party include Kittner's Pub, Hip Cats, Liquid 8, Confetti, Washington Street Pub, the Fox Harbor Pub & Grill, and Stir-Ups (Stir-Ups is a country bar - yes, think about it.) Green Bay's party crowd hangs out in this area, and it's not uncommon for Packers players to be seen, getting asked what it was like to play with Favre.
In downtown Green Bay, Highway 29 is also Walnut Street. You pass the handsome Brown County Courthouse at Jefferson Street, as well as the Neville Public Museum, which focuses on art, history and science for northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. There is also a Children's Museum, currently undergoing redevelopment.
 | The Brown County Courthouse, at Highway 29 (Walnut Street) and Jefferson Avenue. |
For train enthusiasts, Green Bay is the site of the National Railroad Museum (2285 S. Broadway, south of Highway 29), which features over 70 locomotives and train cars, including the world's largest steam locomotive, known as "Big Boy."
East of downtown Green Bay, a strip known as "Olde Main Street" offers a variety of shops. Around these points, Highway 29 meets up with Highway 54 and Highway 57 before heading out of town on what is also US Highway 141. This commercial strip was the main road to Milwaukee before I-43 was constructed.
Leaving Green Bay, 29 turns southeast heading out of Green Bay and crosses over I-43 on the way to Bellevue (pop. 13,836), a fast-growing village that turned 3 this year. From Bellevue, Highway becomes a two-lane road again and makes a beeline toward the remaining 22 miles to Lake Michigan.
On the way, it's mostly farmland. But you do go through Poland, in this case not the country but an unincorporated burg named after the country. It might be best to skip telling your Polish jokes here. However, if you want to share your theories about aliens from other planets, well, the UFO landing port (slogan: "We're not the only ones") in Poland is a good place to do it. Featured in RoadsideAmerica.Com, the port is owned by Bob Tohak and he maintains it in anticipation of aliens landing someday. And you thought immigration was a wild subject now!
 | The er, bustling area known as Poland, Wisconsin. |
Into Kewaunee County, you also hit little unincorporated Pilsen, named after Czech town where Pilsener beer was invented, so I think you know how to salute the place.
The final stop on Highway 29 is Kewaunee (pop. 2,833), where on this particular day I happened upon Troutfest, an annual event saluting - yes - trout! An Art Fair, motorcycle run, Venetian boat parade, fireworks, music, and a parade are all part of the festival. The final few blocks of Highway 29 in downtown were closed for the parade, actually, so I detoured through town and happened upon this:
 | From the "You'll Never Know What You'll Stumble Across" Department: spotted two blocks south of Highway 29 in Kewaunee. |
Yes, you never know what you'll find on the State Trunk Tour. Near Lake Michigan, Kewaunee is a hilly town and as I stood at the eastern end of Highway 29, at its downtown intersection with Highway 42, listening to a marching band playing Blink 182's "All The Small Things", I couldn't help but marvel at how fun the 300-mile trek across the state was, from the Mississippi River all the way to Lake Michigan.
 | Kewaunee Trout Fest parade-watchers await the show at the end of Highway 29, at the corner with Highway 42... |
| ...and when the parade passes by the end of Highway 29, they march on toward the Lake Michigan shore, visible in the background. |  |
Post-trip Summary:
Total miles on the trip: 300.7
Mileage in the Ford Escape Hybrid: 28.3 mpg
Upcoming events in places along Highway 29:
Summer Solstice Kick-off Celebration, Wausau, June 13, 2008
International Bayfest, Green Bay, June 13-15, 2008
Leinie Lodge Annual Family Reunion, Chippewa Falls, June 14, 2008
