GETTING THERE: We flew to Chicago's O'Hare airport, rented a car, drove a couple of hours west and picked up the Great River Road essentially where Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin meet at the Mississippi River. Numerous airlines fly nonstop to O'Hare from Dulles or Reagan National; round-trip fares start at $136. Another option is to fly from D.C. to Minneapolis-St. Paul (from $278) or Dubuque, Iowa (from $297), with one stop.
WHERE TO STAY: On the southern end of our trip, we stayed at the Brisbois Motor Inn (Route 35 North, Prairie du Chien, Wis., 800- 356-5850, http://www.brisboismotorinn.com ), a clean, friendly motel where doubles start at $69 a night.
On the northern end, the Moondance Inn (1105 W. Fourth St., Red Wing, Minn., 866-388- 8145, http://www.moondanceinn.com ) is a gorgeous, spacious bed-and-breakfast with rooms from $110 to $199. Other promising layover towns along our route include Lansing, Iowa; La Crosse, Wis.; and Wabasha, Minn.
WHERE TO EAT: Fort Mulligan's Grill Pub (214 W. Blackhawk St., 608-326-0639) in Prairie du Chien, Wis., serves all-American food. Dinner for two, with wine, runs $50. Withey's Bar (309 Spring St., Lynxville, Wis., 608-874-4422) offered good coffee and pleasant conversation with the locals. Ferryville Cheese and More (Highway 35, Ferryville, Wis., 608-734-3121, http://www.ferryville.com/FerryvilleCheeseandMore.html ) had a nice selection of Wisconsin cheddars.
In Red Wing, Minn., we liked Jimmy's Pub (St. James Hotel, 406 Main St., 651-388-2846, http://www.st-james-hotel.com ), where pub food and drinks cost two of us $55, and the Staghead restaurant (219 Bush St., 651-388-6581), serving contemporary American cuisine, where we paid $80 for dinner and wine for two.
INFORMATION: Great River Road , http://www.wigreatriverroad.org or http://www.mississippiriverinfo.com ; Upper Mississippi River locks system, http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation ; Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, http://midwest.fws.gov/uppermississippiriver ; Great River Birding Trail, Audubon-Upper Mississippi River Campaign, 608-784-2992, http://www.audubon.org/campaign/umr ; Prairie du Chien , Wis., http://www.prairieduchien.org ; P&M Concessions, Blackhawk Park (De Soto, Wis.), for boat, pontoon and canoe rentals, camping and fishing, 608-648-3488; Alma, Wis., http://www.almawisconsin.com ; Red Wing River Boat Rides, 651-380-4205 or 651-592-3494; and Red Wing, Minn., http://www.redwing.org .
-- Bill O'Brian
