A River Life
La Crosse has a couple of defining geographical features that are iconic: the bluffs and the river. The Mississippi River is what allowed La Crosse to exist as it does. A small trading post founded by Nathan Myrick eventually blossomed into the city we know today. Without the river, there would be no trade.
The Mississippi is the American river. It divides the country geographically — as powerful a landmark as the Rocky Mountains — while also uniting it, connecting the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. It feels only fitting that an entrepreneurial American founded La Crosse at its banks.
While the days of river trade have dwindled, the Mississippi still holds a special place in the heart of this city.
I grew up in cornfields. Most of the towns back home are squarish in shape, expanding outward in all directions. La Crosse is nestled between bluffs and river, which explains the city's long, stretched-out character. There are streams and marshes that cut through town, making it impossible to drive in a straight line. The river adds enormous charm to these streets.
I have yet to take one of the city's river cruises — work has kept me away on weekends — but they remain high on my list. My dream is to one day have a dinner cruise on the Mississippi with Kristin.
The other day, the American Queen docked at Riverside Park. This is a massive cruise ship designed to look like a steamboat from over 100 years ago. All summer long it sails the river, stopping at various cities along the way, offering tours staffed by actors dressed head to toe in 19th-century garb. That sounds like a fantastic retirement plan.
From experience, I can say the Riverside Museum in Riverside Park is worth a visit. It offers great insight into the community and is full of artifacts from days of yore. It's affordable, and pairing a visit with a picnic in the park beforehand makes for a great afternoon.
In the summer, the river is packed — anglers, jet skis, barges, and cruise boats. On occasion I'm lucky enough to end up on someone's boat and partake in their joy. There is nothing quite like an afternoon on the river. Everyone is friendly, and the sandbars become temporary communities. With a boat, your swimming options open up endlessly. I look forward to the day I get a boat — even if it's only a kayak.
The river provides so much to La Crosse. It is the literal lifeblood of this city. You'd do well to spend time at the river, whether on the water or at a park. I'll leave you with Mark Twain:
"The face of the river, in time, became a wonderful book... which told its mind to me without reserve, delivering its most cherished secrets as clearly as if it had uttered them with a voice. And it was not a book to be read once and thrown aside, for it had a new story to tell every day." — Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi