Along the Mississippi River runs the Great River Road. Established in 1938, it’s a 3,000-mile trail running through 10 states from Canada south to the Gulf of Mexico.
In many of the 10 states, tourism sectors developed along the Mississippi. In Wisconsin, its 250-mile stretch of the Great River Road is the state’s only National Scenic Byway and borders Minnesota. Also known as Highway 35, the byway passes through 33 river towns.
A road trip through these towns includes breathtaking views of bluffs along the world’s ninth-largest river, stops for delicious food and wine, and charming lodging at historic homes or on houseboats.
If you are interested in driving Wisconsin’s entire Great River Road, Travel Wisconsin has a five-day itinerary. Some of the highlights include visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in the Little House on the Prairie author’s hometown, cruising the Mississippi on a paddlewheel boat, cycling the Great River State Trail, and sleeping on the water.
Unfortunately, my time on the Great River Road was limited to less than 24 hours. Driving from Madison, I explored 20 miles of the byway before continuing onto Minnesota’s Twin Cities the next day.
Disclosure: I’d like to thank Travel Wisconsin and the Tritsch House for hosting me for my night’s stay in Alma. As always, all opinions shared in this post are my own. I was not otherwise compensated for this post.
My First Stop: Stockholm Pie & General Store
After eating a massive omelet at Mickies Dairy Bar and checking out of my hotel in Madison, I hit the road. A little more than four hours later, I arrived at Stockholm Pie & General Store rather ravenous.
It was around 3 p.m., so I had unfortunately missed lunch. Served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the menu features soup, sandwiches, and “lunch pies” — vegetable quiche and chicken pot pie.
But, that meant more room for pie! I don’t eat pie very often, so I ordered my two favorites — pecan and triple berry. Both were delightfully delicious. Served on paper plates, it’s not fancy. It’s just darn good.
Narrowing my selection to those two was tough. The menu features a dozen rotating flavors of fruit and nut pies plus eight cream pies. I don’t think the double lemon pie — named by the Gourmet and Epicurious staff as one of the 53 best things they ate in 2012 — was available by the slice that day, but it sure does look heavenly.
Whether you want to pair an Italian espresso or cup of organic tea with your slice or you just need a caffeine boost during your road trip, you won’t want to miss the espresso bar.
Besides pie and coffee, the general store carries Wisconsin wine, craft beer, cheese, jams, chocolates, and other local specialty food items. You can even create a mixed six-pack of Wisconsin beers, so you can take some New Glarus Spotted Cow home with you!
My Next Stop: The Great River Road Wine Trail
Speaking of Wisconsin beer and wine, I noticed a beautiful winery that looked like an Italian villa as I drove to Stockholm Pie. Since Villa Bellezza was on my route to my lodging, I decided to stop for a tasting.
Located in Pepin, the winery is part of the Great River Road Wine Trail — a 235-mile trail in the upper Mississippi River valley. The trail comprises 11 wineries that grow their own grapes locally. It’s a scientific feat, finding grapes that withstand the cold, snowy Midwest winter.
Villa Bellezza actually grows 35 percent of its own grapes and also uses grapes from vineyards within a two-hour radius. The four-year-old winery produces 6,500 cases per year and ages its wines in American and French oak barrels.
Meaning “beauty” in Italian, the name for Villa Bellezza was inspired by the area’s beautiful river bluffs and Lake Pepin. The owner, a retired energy-industry executive, was taught winemaking by an Italian couple. That influence shows in the stucco structure with its red-tile roof, and also in the vino itself.
For $5, I tasted three award-winning wines. If I had more time, I would have enjoyed sipping a glass of La Crescent — a medium-bodied semi-sweet white wine with a tropical fruit aroma and flavors of peach, mango, and nectarine — outside on the Piazza.
My Lodging: Tritsch House B&B
I stayed at the Tritsch House, a historic Queen Anne that has been beautifully restored as a bed and breakfast, in Alma. Staying in one of the quaint rooms decorated with period furniture and antiques was like stepping back in time to when this home was built in 1902.
Though it’s a historic home, the bed and breakfast offers modern amenities like Wi-Fi and large flat-screen TVs. There also is a gorgeous eight-foot Olhausen pool table in the parlor that guests are welcome to use. And, every morning a continental breakfast spread is available in the kitchen.
Each of the five guest rooms has a private bathroom. I stayed in one of the three rooms also outfitted with a double Jacuzzi tub. Soaking in that tub was so relaxing after a long day of driving.
My upstairs room also had a fantastic view of the Mississippi River from the bay window, but I enjoyed the view more from the upstairs porch.
Wondering where I bought that New Glarus beer?
It was part of the mixed six-pack of Wisconsin microbrews I picked up at Stockholm Pie and General Store. I bought warm beers because, though I had a cooler in my car, I wasn’t certain I’d drink them all on this road trip. In fact, as I write this post nearly two months after visiting Wisconsin, I still have a beer or two in my fridge.
One of the perks of staying at the Tritsch House was having access to a refrigerator and a full kitchen. Since I hadn’t put ice in my cooler yet, I tucked a couple beers and the cheese I bought in Stockholm into the fridge for a couple hours. I pulled it out later for a delicious, local, and not-so-healthy-or-balanced dinner.
If I Had More Time, I Would Have …
- Bought more cheese or stopped for a sandwich at Nelson Cheese Factory in Nelson.
- Watched the sunset near Maiden Rock Bluff, which a local told me looks golden at sunset.
- Wine and cider tasted at Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery.
- Eaten dinner at Harbor View Cafe in Pepin.
Resources For Your Wisconsin Great River Road Trip
Explore the map below!
Read More Midwest Travel Posts
- Travel Guide: Madison, Wisconsin
- 8 Must-Have Culinary Experiences in Wisconsin’s Door County
- Travel Guide: Roseville, Minnesota
- Bloomington, Indiana: Weekend Getaway Guide
- Things to Do in Saugatuck, Michigan
- Ann Arbor, Michigan: Weekend Getaway Guide
- Travel Guide: Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan
Have you driven the Great River Road?
What were your favorite stops? If you haven’t been yet, what would you like to see?
I was living in Madison for over a year and now I am so sad that I have missed the chance to visit here. Also, I loved your choice of places to stay. Great photos as well. Thank you for sharing
This whole trip looking absolutely stunning! And WOW, that pie!!
Yum! I can definitely get behind any trip that includes pie and beer from New Glarus. Have you ever visited their brewery and taproom? The hillside location is reason enough alone! The town of New Glarus is also absolutely adorable. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Megan! The beer from New Glarus is definitely worth a trip to visit the brewery. I actually stopped in New Glarus with that intention on my way to Madison. You are absolutely right. It is an adorable town! I had going to the brewery on my itinerary, but I-94 construction and Chicago traffic messed with my plans. I had to completely abandon plans to stop in Monroe, and I still didn’t make it to New Glarus before the brewery closed for the evening. Maybe I’ll head out to Green County again next spring.
Great post, Erin! It’s refreshing to see a travel writer discuss Wisconsin! Next time you’re here, I would definitely recommend stopping by the New Glarus Brewing Company’s brewery. Not only do they have some beers that you can’t find in stores, but the space itself is visually stunning. You can drive there in about 40 minutes from Madison or, when the weather is nice, make it the terminus of a scenic bike ride!
I had planned to stop at the brewery while I was in New Glarus actually. Unfortunately, I got stuck in traffic coming through Indiana and Illinois, so I didn’t have time on this trip. I’ll have to go back, for sure! I have more Wisconsin posts coming, Andrew. So, stay tuned!
Looks like a great place and the food looks awesome!
Awesome, for sure. I dream about that pecan pie.
If I would have had more time I would have…bought more cheese. That is why I love Erin! LOL 😉 My perfect answer.
Haha. That’s me, cheeseaholic.
I haven’t heard of the Great River Road, but it sounds like something I’d totally love and there are probably a ton of small towns to explore. I love pecan pie too!!! No wonder we get along. 🙂
Pecan pie is the best! I’d say wine is also a reason we get along so well. 😉 I think you’d like exploring the Great River Road. In Wisconsin alone, there are 33 river towns to explore! Obviously, Stockholm is a must-visit for the pecan pie.
Pie, wine, and a scenic drive? My friend, that is a perfect travel day.
I’d have to agree with you. Cheers!
I just love hearing about your trip to WI. Living in Madison, the only traveling around the state I did were to the Dells or Milwaukee area. I’ll have to remember these places for our next trip there!
I loved my trip through Wisconsin, Ashleigh. Such a great start in Madison. Found some gems along the Great River Road. Felt like I could live in Milwaukee. And, Door County completely stole my heart. I foresee more Wisconsin travel in my future!
I like when road trips offer a variety of natural scene, quirky stops and good eats. That pecan pie looks so good (I haven’t had one in a long time). Right now, I am a little bit pie obsessed since I had some great slices not long ago in a town in San Diego famous for them.
What a great weekend getaway idea! Those pies look so delicious, too! I think I’m going to start planning this trip for the upcoming long weekend in September. Thanks!
Definitely great for a weekend getaway in the Midwest or a stopping point between Wisconsin and the Twin Cities! Wherever you end up going for the long weekend, I hope you enjoy your trip!
I haven’t but I almost did take the ferry over into Wisconsin this weekend. It looks beautiful. The pie looks mouth-watering!
Wisconsin really is a pretty state. Much like our own, Crystal. Were you planning to take the ferry out of Ludington or Muskegon? The Muskegon ferry goes directly to Milwaukee, which I just visited in June. I have blog posts coming about things to do, places to stay, foods to eat, and all kinds of beverages to drink there!
We were going to take it out of Ludington.
If you decide to take the ferry to Wisconsin someday, I’d love to hear how your experience goes. I’ve got a conference next spring in Milwaukee to attend, so I might consider taking the ferry then.
yummy pie! and that villa looks like it’s in italy:) #weekend wanderlust
Thanks for stopping by my blog from the #WeekendWanderlust link-up, Tanja! Those pies were yummy indeed. I thought the same thing about Villa Bellezza! Cheers to weekend of wanderlust!
🙂
Always looking for reasons to do a road trip. Your article is pretty inspiring, definitely tempting!
Hi, Eileen! Thank you for the nice comment. You should take that RV of yours on the road across Wisconsin! Trust me, that pie will be worth the trip!
You may have only had 24 hours, but it looks like an amazing trip. You hit three of my favorite places – pie, wine, and B & B. Thanks for the info!
You’re welcome, Rachel! Tritsch House was my first B&B experience, but I’ll be staying at a couple more later this summer in Minnesota. It’s a different experience from staying at a hotel. Do you have any favorite B&Bs?
I agree with Liz, that pecan and triple berry pie looks fantastic. I had no idea there were wineries in Wisconsin – another reason to head to this area! The Villa Bellezza is stunning.
I have to agree, Gemma! Villa Bellezza looks like it is straight out of Italy. It really is a gorgeous sight from the road. Villa Bellezza produces award-winning wines, mostly whites and dry reds. I was impressed to stumble upon such a gem! If you like wine, there are five wineries along Wisconsin’s Great River Road and three of them are in this stretch from Alma north to Stockholm!
That pecan pie looks amazing! I recently was in Fennville, MI and they had a great pie place there (Crane’s Pie Pantry – have you heard of it?). The B&B looks really nice too.
That pecan pie was amazing, Liz. I think I may go to bed dreaming about it tonight. I actually just went to Fennville for the first time this past Sunday. I hope to post about my day trip there soon. I really didn’t know anything about Fennville until I visited. Growing up in Metro Detroit, I’m still learning a lot about West Michigan. We ate brunch at Salt of the Earth, which was fantastic. Did you eat there during your visit? We also checked out their dinner menu, and my friend said the pizza there is delicious. So, apparently I’ll have to go back to Fennville for pizza and pie!