Mississippi Valley Conservancy is offering to the public a guided mushroom hike at its Romance Woods nature preserve. Sabrina Aspenson, co-founder and current president of the UW-La Crosse Mycology Club, will guide participants in foraging for mushrooms and how to safely identify edible and non-edible varieties. The hike will begin at 10:00 a.m.on Saturday, October 13, 2018. This hike is part of the Conservancy’s 2018 “Linked to the Land” series of outdoor experiences sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System.

Romance Woods includes 35 acres of scenic, diverse oak woodlands, rocky dolomite outcrops and an ephemeral stream. A former logging road runs the length of the property, providing an excellent trail for public use for hiking, snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing. The property also provides potential habitat for numerous non-game species such as Neotropical migratory birds, and other native animal and plant species.

Participants are encouraged to bring mushroom guidebooks, a basket or small paper bags for mushrooms, and a pocket knife.

Please RSVP to kfrise@mississippivalleyconservancy.org or call 784-3606 ext. 6

DIRECTIONS: From La Crosse – Head 15 miles south on Hwy 35/Great River Road to Genoa, WI. Take Hwy 56 west for 5 miles and turn left onto Newton Rd/Romance Rd, continue to follow Newton Rd and take a slight right onto N. Ridge Rd.

About Mississippi Valley Conservancy

Founded in 1997, Mississippi Valley Conservancy is a nationally accredited regional land trust that has permanently protected 20,055 acres of scenic lands in southwestern Wisconsin by working with private landowners, businesses and local communities on voluntary conservation projects. The focus of the Conservancy is to conserve the forests, prairies, wetlands, streams and farms that support native wildlife and enrich communities, for the health and well-being of current and future generations. Learn more about programs, services, events, volunteer opportunities, and membership at www.MississippiValleyConservancy.org.

Campus Activities Board sets fall concert

Performance to feature Quinn XCII, Marc E. Bassy

La Crosse, Wis. – UW-La Crosse’s fall concert will feature Quinn XCII and Marc E. Bassy. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, in the Recreational Eagle Center, 1601 Badger St.

Two disk jockey openers kick off the concert, followed by pop performers Quinn XCII and Bassy. A survey conducted with students last spring helped determine the act choices.

Tickets are $30 for students and $40 for others. For tickets visit www.uwlax.edu/cab or call 608.785.8873 

If you go—
Who: Quinn XCII and Marc E. Bassy
What: Fall concert
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14
Where: Recreational Eagle Center, 1601 Badger St.
Admission: $30 for students; $40 for others. Get tickets at www.uwlax.edu/cab or 608.785.8873

Media contact: Campus Activities Board – 608.785.8873

By: Sara Walters

A renowned chef, a passion for sustainable practices, and high-quality spirits. That’s what makes La Crosse Distilling Co. a unique new destination for La Crosse County visitors. Here are five things you should know about this now-open hot spot:

A different downtown experience

As the first of its kind in the city, La Crosse Distilling Co. is mixing things up for downtown visitors with its brand new, 10,000-square-foot facility. La Crosse has always catered to the beer fans with its popular breweries, but now fans of gin, vodka and whiskey will have a place to call home, as well. Bring your beer-drinking buddies along, local and regional brews will be available on tap.

Go for the drinks, stay for the food

Offering a rustic street-food menu for lunch and dinner, La Crosse Distilling Co. has a secret weapon in the kitchen, Executive Chef Jorge Guzman. Does the name sound familiar? That’s because Guzman has been featured on The Food Network and in Travel & Leisure, Time Magazine and Food & Wine. Previously the Executive Chef at Surly Brewing Company in Minneapolis, Guzman was a James Beard Best Chef Midwest 2016 nominee as well as a 2017 finalist. Inspired by his Mexican heritage and Mayan cuisine, the food industry has been singing Guzman’s praises, and soon, you will too.

Local ingredients for the win

Great drinks come from great ingredients, which is why La Crosse Distilling Co. has partnered with local operations for things like rye, wheat, corn, and white oak barrels. They even source the water locally from glacial aquifers. With its support of area farmers and its use of mostly local and regional organic ingredients, patrons will quite literally get a taste of La Crosse and the Driftless Area.

Behind the scenes is best

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to tour the distillery, learn about its use of geothermal energy, and even sample a few spirits. Tours are free and run 20-30 minutes, Thursday-Sunday. Spirit connoisseurs and environmentalists alike will be impressed with the handcrafted, field-to-glass approach process mostly powered by renewable geothermal energy. The distillery mills most of their ingredients onsite as well as distilling each and every product followed by refining, blending, aging and bottling all under one roof.

Sip those spirits

The distillery opened its’ doors in September of 2018 with a Limited Edition House Series High Rye Light Whiskey (which patrons can only purchase at the distillery) along with a line of clear spirits they’ve created called Fieldnotes Gin and Vodka (you can purchase in-house and at regional liquor stores). There’s plans to start barreling and aging whiskey and bourbon when the corn harvest comes in as well as creating other seasonal and limited edition spirits. Stop by for a visit to experience some of the area’s best bartenders creating their amazing craft cocktails, sip some spirits neat or buy a bottle to take home. It should also be noted that there’s some creative non-alcoholic cocktails for anyone in your crew that doesn’t imbibe. Believe it or not, future plans include brewing their own house beer as well.

Disclaimer: This is just my perspective on La Crosse County events, businesses and activities. I’m only one local opinion. Explore the rest of the site to learn more on those that I’ve missed.

Sara Walters is a writer, mom and marketing professional. She lives in La Crescent, MN with her husband and two daughters, Caroline and Maggie. Visit Sara’s website at creativecontentandconsulting.com.

First Recipients of IMBA’s New Trail Accelerator Grants Announced

National Education and Grant Programming will Accelerate Pace of Trail Building

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is pleased to award its first round of Trail Accelerator grants to three recipients. IMBA’s Trail Accelerator grant fund is a competitive grant offering for communities with visions for model trail systems that need extra support to realize that vision of more trails close to home. Awardees provide matching funds and receive professional trail planning and consultation services from IMBA Trail Solutions to launch trail development efforts, which can often help leverage more interest and investment for community trail projects.

“Communities all over the country have opportunities for great trails but, often, a trail project needs an initial boost to get started,” said Dave Wiens, IMBA Executive Director. “Catalyzing more trails in more communities is critical to our mission. Together we can accelerate so many trail projects, bringing us closer to our vision of everyone across the country having access to great trails.”

All three projects have the potential to transform nearby communities through trails, leading to increased local access and offering health benefits to residents, while having opportunities to expand into larger, destination-worthy trail systems.

Mountain Creek Park in Hixson, Tennessee — Mountain Creek Park will provide the first downhill trails in the Chattanooga region, offering new opportunities for local and regional riders. It will also become the first local recreation area to offer both mountain biking and climbing. The project is a collaboration among six recreation and conservation groups including SORBA-Chattanooga, the local mountain bike organization, that aims to increase access to the outdoors for the nearby Red Bank school system and surrounding low- and middle-income communities. The North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy has received $12,500 for an initial 10-mile trail plan.

De Queen Lake Trails in De Queen, Arkansas — De Queen Lake has 32 miles of shoreline, more than 100 campsites, 8700 acres of surrounding land and the vision to become a mountain bike destination. The community will soon have its first three-mile trail at the lake, and wants to follow that with a plan for more. The organizations involved, including the Army Corps of Engineers, see the trails as a way to address the region’s obesity challenge, as well as a venue to welcome De Queen’s minority population to mountain biking. Legacy Initiatives has received $18,000 for a community-wide assessment.

Grandma’s Gateway in La Crosse, Wisconsin — This project will turn an iconic regional landscape with no formal trail access into a community trail system, ripe with opportunities to connect to several nearby public lands. Developing Grandad Bluff Park into a multi-use trail system will provide neighborhood access, alleviate pedestrian road traffic and help clear out litter and invasive species. The closest school to new trailheads is a quarter-mile away. Outdoor Recreation Alliance of the 7 Rivers Region has received $15,000 for a trail concept plan.

IMBA thanks the Walton Family Foundation for underwriting the program and REI for its support. Look for dates on the next application period for Trail Accelerator grants later this fall. Learn more about criteria and eligibility for the grants on the grant webpage.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational association established in 1988. Its mission is to create, enhance and protect great places to ride mountain bikes. Learn more at imba.com.

Article Courtesy of Travel Wisconsin

There’s plenty of fun coming up this Labor Day weekend in Wisconsin, and despite recent flood damage, tourism is open for business. Clean up and repairs are ongoing, and the Department of Tourism and local tourism businesses encourage visitors not to cancel their Labor Day vacation plans.

Travelers should be prepared for detours and are encouraged to call ahead to individual tourism businesses or visitor centers for further information about local conditions. Road closures and detours are available at www.511wi.gov, and updated state park and trail conditions can be found on the Department of Natural Resources website. Local tourism organizations and chambers can provide additional information, and further details may be available on each destination’s website and social channels.

Safe travels!

Check out our Fishing Page Here.

Nationally-Recognized Chef Jorge Guzman Takes Talents to Western Wisconsin To Bring New Concepts to La Crosse’s Growing Restaurant Scene

Jorge Guzman named executive chef and partner at new La Crosse Distilling Co.; other restaurant concepts to be developed

La Crosse Distilling Co. today announced that nationally renowned chef Jorge Guzman has joined its team as executive chef and partner. Guzman, who was named a James Beard Best Chef Midwest finalist in 2017 and has been featured on The Food Network and in Travel & Leisure, Time Magazine and Food & Wine, is moving from Minneapolis to La Crosse with plans to play a big role in the Western-Wisconsin city’s growing restaurant scene.

His first endeavor will be with La Crosse Distilling Co., the city’s first distillery, which is slated to open in the coming weeks. Guzman will lead the distillery’s lunch and dinner tasting room with a rustic street food menu featuring regionally-sourced and made-from-scratch fare with an emphasis on authentic Mexican flavors and Wisconsin favorites.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Jorge to the La Crosse Distilling Co. team,” said LCDC Co-owner Nick Weber. “His passion for locally-sourced, sustainable and organic food aligns perfectly with our distillery’s farmer-forward approach. We can’t wait for our guests to experience the pairings of our handcrafted spirits with delicious food.”

Following the initial restaurant partnership, Weber and Guzman plan to open additional restaurant concepts in the city, which has seen a major revitalization in the past decade.

“I’m excited and humbled to be a part of such a special project,” says Guzman. “La Crosse is a city that is full of potential, and I’m looking forward to helping make a mark that will positively impact the community and its visitors.”

Guzman, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, has worked in award-winning restaurants across the country and most recently served as executive chef at Surly Brewing Company, overseeing the menu and dining program for the Beer Hall, Scheid Hall and Brewer’s Table since 2014. He was nominated as a semifinalist for James Beard Best Chef Midwest in 2016 and as a finalist in 2017. Guzman won the Minneapolis regional competition for Cochon555 in 2015 and was also named chef of the year by the Star Tribune and 2015 Top Chef by Food Service News.

About La Crosse Distilling Co.

Opening in summer 2018, La Crosse Distilling Co. is La Crosse’s first distillery. The 10,000 sq. ft. distillery will offer handcrafted, organic spirits, free tours and a tasting room serving specialty cocktails, lunch and dinner. Learn more at www.lacrossedistilling.co or on Facebook or Instagram.

Opening Friday, September 7, 2018

Fannin Counseling & Art Therapy’s (129 6th St S, La Crosse, across from the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman) fall exhibition, entitled Unaltared, will feature assemblage artist Robert Caldwell’s work in altar assemblage, opening Friday, September 7 and ending Friday, September 28. Mr. Caldwell will also be holding an altar assemblage workshop on Saturday, September 15, 2018.

Mr. Caldwell, of Viroqua, WI, has been creating “altars to the unknown” for more than 40 years. Using a wide variety of methods and objects, Caldwell creates his altars to “facilitate the unconscious in speaking the individuating message it has to offer.”  In creating each altar, Caldwell pays little attention to “traditional aesthetics.” In fact, he does not view his works as art at all:  “This is not art, and I do not identify as an artist. Each altar is a relic of a living, transformative event in my psyche whose exact purpose cannot be understood or defined.  I recommend this process to anyone who is longing for truth and experiential meaning.”

The September 15 workshop will provide the opportunity for the participants to individually explore how creating an intuitive personal altar can help bring clarity and resolution to a conflict. Individuals interested in the workshop should attend the exhibition opening on Friday, September 7, 2018, and sign up there, as space is limited.  You will be given a helpful instruction sheet regarding what to bring.  The cost is $10.

Unaltared runs concurrently with Where Are You From?, a group at exhibition running from Friday, September 7, 2018, to October 26, 2018. Participating artists were asked to create works exploring the places, people, memories, and events that have shaped their lives.Where Are You From? asks artists, “How did you become you?”

Unaltared will be followed up by individual exhibition from printmaker, poet, and mixed media artist Dewayne Wrencher, running October 5 – 26, 2018.

FIND OUT MORE

For more information on individual and group counseling, visit fannincounseling.com.

Melissa Fannin, MA, LPC, ATR
Fannin Counseling & Art Therapy
129 6th St S
La Crosse, WI 54601
info@fannincounseling.com
608-480-1676
www.fannincounseling.com