In Search Of…Fall Colors

LA CROSSE, Wis. – It’s one of the most beautiful times of year. The hint of cooler weather ahead slowly begins to trickle in. The bright green colors of summer turn to vivid shades of red, orange and yellow. And our area happens to be one of the hot spots for taking in the season.

“The fall is very popular,” says La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Dave Clements. “It’s an important piece in what brings people here.” And visitors agree, “all the colors of the trees and the sunny warm days. It’s just a nice time of year.”

We are in a very small window of opportunity to view some of mother nature’s best work and people from all over come to do just that. “This obviously for us is an important part of the wrap up for what we consider the tourist season. It certainly puts heads in beds and people in restaurants and shopping.”

One of the greatest assets in our area is all the *different* ways you can take in the season. First, by car. “The drive along the great river road whether you go north and south is always beautiful,” say Clements.

“We drove up along the river to get to La Crosse which is a beautiful trip.”

If driving is not for you, you can always get a look from above. “You go up on the top of Grandad bluff and you look out over the city and you can look across to Minnesota and down to Iowa and you see the fall color and the river – people like that.”

Then there’s the river. “I had the day off today so we decided to do something special. So we decided to go on a boat ride.”

“You get to see a lot of things that you can’t see by car. There’s a lot of trees up in the bluffs as you get farther up river that are starting to have really nice color. It’s a whole new experience from taking the scenic drive this time of year.”

“The Mississippi has such a history that we thought, let’s go on the Mississippi, take a short cruise and just enjoy it.”

“The bluffs, the coulee’s, the river makes it very unique. That’s what brings people here and when they come. They’re in awe.”

So what ever way you want to take in the beauty of fall…don’t wait to long because very soon leaves will be gone. “Sometimes when you live here, you take things for granted. It’s sort of like, ‘you can’t see the forest through the trees.’ If you’ve got time on a Saturday or Sunday, go for a ride out in the country. What a great way to spend a few hours with your spouse or your partner or your children or grandchildren is to go for a ride and just enjoy the beauty.”

“It’s awesome. The weather couldn’t be nicer. It’s perfect.”

Now if you would like to track the fall colors in your area, check out www.travelwisconsin.com.

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