"Up Wisconsin's West Coast"

Southern terminus: Grant County, at the Illinois state line in East Dubuque

Northern terminus: Douglas County, at the I-535/U.S. 53 bridge in Superior

Mileage: about 412 miles

Counties along the way: Grant, Crawford, Vernon, La Crosse, Trempealeau, Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, St. Croix, Polk, Burnett, Douglas

Sample towns along the way: Dickeyville, Lancaster, Prairie du Chien, La Crosse, Alma, Prescott, River Falls, Hudson, Siren, Superior

Bypass alternates at: Lancaster, La Crosse

Quickie Summary: State “Trunk” Highway 35 is Wisconsin's western backbone in most places, serving as the "Great River Road" along much of the Mississippi and a key connector route between western Wisconsin towns. It's usually the westernmost route in Wisconsin, and runs the length of the state from Illinois to Duluth, Minnesota. In fact, it's the longest route on Wisconsin's state trunk system.

Highway 35 enters from East Dubuque, Illinois on its 412-mile path to Superior.

The Drive (South To North): Highway 35 begins at the Illinois state line in East Dubuque, Illinois. It used to be the main route into Wisconsin from the Dubuque, Iowa area; now the U.S. 61/151 freeway takes care of that, and after a hookup with Highway 11, 35 jogs west onto the U.S. 61/151 Freeway as it comes in from Dubuque (find out more about Dubuque here!), and Highway 35 breaks off with U.S. 61 after a few miles on the freeway and heads into Dickeyville (pop. 1,043). Dickeyville is probably best known for the Dickeyville Grotto, one of the most noted and beautiful grottos in the country. The Grotto was built between 1925 and 1931 and religion, patriotism, stones, glass pieces, seashells and costume jewelry still mix in the grotto to this day.

Built in the 1920s with materials donated by parishoners, the Dickeyville Grotto was built to demonstrate the patriotism of Catholics - apparently in response to what some Protestants were saying at the time. A renovation in the mid-1990s restored many of the materials to their original splendor.

Following Highway 35 (still coupled with U.S. 61) out of Dickeyville, you're in Paris. Well, the town of Paris, but still...anyway, you're running along high ridges on occasion, with the bluffs lining the Mississippi to the west and a vast view to the east. In fact, to the east on a clear day along this stretch, the world's largest "M" is visible, a historic monument completed by UW-Platteville engineering students in 1937. It is constructed of rocks arranged 241 feet high and 214 feet wide and looks at the land from a 45-degree angle on Platte Mound, about 12 miles away. Ahead, though, is the "twin towns" of Tennyson (pop. 370) and Potosi (pop. 711), known as "Wisconsin's Catfish Capital."

The "M" outside Platteville is visible from Highway 35, over 12 miles away; approaching Tennyson and Potosi, Highway 133 takes the reins of the Great River Road for a while.

Past Tennyson, Highway 35/U.S. 61 winds past British Hollow and makes a beeline to Grant County's county seat, Lancaster (pop. 4,070). Known as the "City of the Dome" for its handsome Grant County Courthouse, Lancaster's town square brings together Highway 35, U.S. 61, and Highway 81 around a series of stores, a park, and the big green dome made of glass and copper. The park surrounding the courthouse features one of the oldest Civil War monuments in the nation. Near Lancaster is one of the first African-American communities in Wisconsin, founded in 1849. It's now called Pleasant Ridge and is outlined along with other area history at the local Cunningham Museum. A good overnight stop is Martha's Hot Mustard & Bed & Breakfast (7867 University Farm Rd., 608-723-4711), which is exactly as it sounds: a B&B that also makes hot mustards.

Highway 35 splits off U.S. 61 at Lancaster (they cross again in La Crosse, French for "The Crosse") and joins Highway 81 for 7 miles. Highway 81 then breaks off toward Cassville while 35 turns north again, is joined by Highway 133 again, and hits U.S. 18. Here, you approach the Wisconsin River and Wyalusing State Park. Wyalusing features beautiful, abrupt bluffs and cliffs overlooking the point where the Wisconsin River blends into the Mississippi. This is a prime spot for camping and hiking, just south of the PDC.

And "the PDC" on the State Trunk Tour is Prairie du Chien (pop. 6,018), Wisconsin's second oldest city (Green Bay is the oldest, in case you were wondering) contains five National Historic Landmarks. The Fox and Sauk tribes were here for hundreds of years prior to French explorers arriving and saying "voila!" Early establishment began in 1673, with the first trading posts developed in 1685 by French explorer Nicholas Perrot. Fur trade, along with Prairie du Chien's natural location near the Wisconsin River and Mississippi River confluence, guaranteed the small settlement would prosper for years to come. Prairie du Chien's history spans five centuries, including the only significant Wisconsin battle in the War of 1812. PDC's first fort, Fort Shelby, was built by Americans built captured by the British in the War. By 1816, it had been replaced with Fort Crawford. The Black Hawk War, which took place in 1832, featured a commanding officer in the form of Colonel Zachary Taylor, who later became 12th President of the United States. A lieutenant during the same time named Jefferson Davis not only married Zachary Taylor's daughter (named Sarah "Knoxie" Taylor, proving cutesy nicknames existed in the 19th century), he later became President of the Confederate States of America. Neither worked out well; the future President Taylor didn't approve and poor Sarah passed away from pneumonia only months after their 1835 marriage; his new country in the 1860s didn't last very long, either.

A statue of French explorer Father Marquette towers above the Wisconsin Welcome Center in Prairie du Chien, facing his university about 160 miles due exactly to the east. The view from the base looking up brings a whole different perspective.

The fur trade may have kept many warm, but it made a few millionaires on top of it. Local resident Hercules Dousman was the first millionaire in Wisconsin, and in 1871 his son H. Louis Dousman built Villa Louis, a National Historic Landmark on St. Feriole Island. The plot of land upon which Villa Louis stands once held Hercules Dousman's original house, as well as Fort Crawford and Fort Shelby. Today it's a museum operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society, the first historic site for the organization.

Did school ever feel like prison? Well, Prairie du Chien has a prison that was once a highly-regarded Jesuit boarding school. Campion Jesuit High School operated from 1880 to 1975 and counts among its alumni the likes of Vicente Fox, Mexican president from 2000 to 2006; George Wendt, Norm of Cheers fame, a number of movies and noted Superfan Bill Swerski; noted sportscaster George Blaha; former Wisconsin governor Patrick Lucey; and politician and prankster Dick Tuck (yes, his real name.) As long as we're name dropping, Pat Bowlen, owner of the Denver Broncos, was born in Prairie du Chien. The difference is, the community owns our NFL team!

A new carp-droppin' tradition. Perhaps the newest tradition in Prairie du Chien deals with New Years' Eve. In 2001, they started lowering a carp via crane to coincide with the ringing in of the new year. Similar to the apple in New York City or the peach in Georgia, residents count down the last minute or two of the year while the carp - a 20-pound female named "Lucky" for the 2007 New Years' - gets lowered via crane from about 110 feet high. Now called the "Droppin' of the Carp", it's certainly one-of-a-kind.

Prairie du Chien also has one of the few Cabela's in Wisconsin, right along Highway 35. From there northward, you're on the Great River Road, and you follow that great river pretty darn close - often hugging it - for quite a while.

A gap here - including La Crosse - will be filled shortly!

One of the many views along Highway 35 as it negotiates the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi near Maiden Rock. There's a reason many consider this section among the most beautiful drives in the Midwest.

Highway 35 heading north into Prescott. You get a long view of the Mississippi, including where it splits toward Minnesota with the St. Croix River becoming the new state line. The view changes significantly between afternoon and evening.

River Falls, Hudson, St. Croix Falls, Siren and Superior are on the way!

Upcoming events in places along Highway 35:
Potosi Grand Brewery Complex Opening, Potosi, June 16, 2008

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