LaCrosse to Madison WI / Updated route maps, La Crosse to Ottawa.

6/26-6/27:  Took Amtrak from Havre to LaCrosse WI (25 hr train ride) to:

1. Avoid Williston ND.  The oil boom in ND means there are no hotel rooms available, and too many drunks on the road to make biking through the region reasonable.
2. Accelerate my progress to line up with my cousin's availability in Glen Arbor, MI (want to be there around 7/4).
3. Enable me to visit my friends Carl and Mary Ann in Madison WI.

After arriving in Lacrosse 4 hrs late (around 3:30 PM) on Tuesday 6/26, biked about 30 miles to Sparta.  Slept like a rock that night, since I only had about 3 to 4 hrs sleep on the train.

Thurs 6/27:, followed WI 71 and the Sparta to Elroy bike trail en route to Wisconsin Dells.  The Bike Trail is a sand and dirt trail using an old railroad right of way.  It includes tunnels to get over the hills.  The price you pay is having to ride on sand/dirt.    I used the trail only for the last of the hills  (1 of the 3 tunnels).  The tunnel was 1700 ft long with no light.   Since it's pretty hard to see where the trail is, it's necessary to walk it.

Wisconsin Dells:  It's theme park tourist attraction honky tonk on steroids!!!

6/28:  Arrived in Madison with the rain on Friday afternoon.  Will stay here through Sat. night.












New Route Maps for remainder of trip:
La Crosse To Milwaukee

Ferry across Lake Michigan from Milwaukee to Muskegon, MI.  Bike to Glen Arbor, then cross into Canada at Sarnia.  Continue to Niagara Falls to Rochester NY:



The remainder of the trip follows the route outlined in the May 30 post.