Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Blowing Through La Crosse

When I went to school in La Crosse things like cars or even bikes weren't very common which considering the amount we drank was a good thing. When you needed a lift home—in my case a  two-and-a-half-hour drive by car, you did not want to take the bus—finding a car on the ride board with a heater wasn't a given, but finding a bar with an Old Style sign was.

Somewhere around Gotham I think (do you believe there's a Wayne Cemetary there?)

We'd keep ourselves warm by flirting and stopping at every bar along highway 14 with an Old Style sign. We were not responsible young adults.

Pepin, a charming place full of giant Adirondack chairs and these signs

It was in La Crosse where I met people from Up North-for-real and learned that you could fit a grill and an encouraging amount of coolers on a pontoon while navigating your way from bar to bar with virtually no sense of direction. 

♪ Over the river and across the bridge in the wrong direction we go ♫

I learned about Twins fans (as loyal as Cubs fans with a catchy club tune) and The Cities. And that if you crossed a bridge downtown you were in Minnesota where they mostly say "pop" instead of "soda." So why is it called Mini Soda?



I didn't graduate from there (shock) but I still dream about it. The few times I've gone back it strikes me how big it's gotten and how having never driven there I do not know where I'm going.

My sense of direction is much better on a pontoon full of sizzling meat and iced beer

Which is probably one of the reasons I overshot it, thinking, "Hmm, this looks familiar, but not good familiar."

Right church wrong pew, right river wrong state wrong side

I just realized there are no photos of La Crosse in this post. That's because I was too busy getting lost in rush hour traffic. Yes, they have rush hour traffic there. 

21 comments:

  1. That sign pole is pretty darn cool!

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  2. I wasn't very responsible in my youth either. I'm glad I survived.

    Love that sign. Colorful.

    Have a fabulous day. ♥

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    1. Little tourist towns love those signs, and they seem accurate. Ha, you wild child you.

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  3. Love those signs! Amazing how we survived our youth :)

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    1. It really is, LL, you have no idea the idiocy that should have done me in a hundred times over.

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  4. LOL! I believe pontoons are fueled by beer. At least the ones we see here are -- and they are mostly piloted by irresponsible senior citizens for the most part ;>). We are flying to Duluth next month for a family reunion. (I know that doesn't have much at all to do with your post except it is the same wrong state. I think.)

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    1. That gives me hope for some reason. I believe it—holy squawk Batman I think our bird neighbors are having a party or mating ritual or something, can you call in a noise complaint on birds—what was I saying? Duluth, I spent a great deal of my life thinking it was in Michigan. Have fun at your reunion, crazy weather in The Cities that seems to be blowing down here although I know Duluth is up there. Take a sweater, aren't you going back soon?

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    2. Minnesota on the way to Colorado on the way to Oregon. We travel weirdly.

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    3. Dang, that is a bit zig zag but once north west you're still heading west. I hope you don't hit any bad weather. This guy from the Cities in Pepin was saying he just shoveled 17 inches of snow, whatever "just" means.

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  5. Like you I wonder how I made it through at times....great story.

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  6. I'm enjoying your road trip. Ah, youth. It was fun but I am glad I'm no longer that.

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    1. Glad you are, Susie. It was fun, wasn't it?

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  7. Looks like a great adventure. I love that gorgeous sign. #keepingitreal

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    1. It's one of those touristy things I haven't gotten sick of, SM.

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  8. I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest Ьut yoᥙr blogs really
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    Cheers

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    Replies
    1. Ta, Anonymous, whoever you are. Cheers, thanks a lot (:

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  9. Hi Jeanna, youth is a time for fun & exploration, the responsabilities come intime. That little Old Style Bar somehow reminds me of South Africa, where drives to get anywhere seem to take forever and there are bars in all sorts of places. I love the sign in Pepin, just thinking if I could cajole the hubby into creating one (wood and paint aren't for me)... I've just sat watching the making of mini fizzy drink bottles! Who thought they could look so cute?

    Thank you for linking up with #keepingitreal

    xx

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    1. I do wish now I'd been a bit more responsible, Deb, but all water under the border bridge. South Africa you say? Does South Africa have giant mayflies and literally cry in their beer if they drop to sixth drunkest city? Note, 12 WI cities made the top 20. Does that sound braggy, see, still a child. I've got to say drives home seemed to take forever because they did because we stopped at every single bar with an Old Style sign, i.e., every single bar.
      That sounds like a great project, you've got to let me know if you do make one.

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