Eau Claire-La Crosse-Eau Claire
Cycling Tour
Grandad's Bluff, LaCrosse, Wisconsin
Saturday, August
28th, 2004
Sunday, August 29th, 2004
The EC-La X-EC Cycling Tour is a two-day, fully supported ride from Eau Claire to La Crosse and then back
to Eau Claire. Participants lodge or camp overnight in La Crosse. Saturday and Sundays routes are
completely different. Each day we get a new perspective. Saturday’s distance is 98 miles and Sunday’s
is 93 miles. Both routes are equally challenging and awe-inspiring. The routes vary from rolling farmland to
quiet wooded roads meandering through coulee country to scenic vistas from ridge-tops along the Mississippi
River. The tour is fully supported including: baggage transport, cue sheets, maps, rest stops (fruit, bagels, etc)
mechanical support, and sag vehicle. Cost is $25 plus lodging or camping; meals are on your own. Space is
limited so register early.
Friday, August 27, 2004
Although participants may arrive on Saturday morning for the start of the tour, most will choose to stay in Eau Claire on Friday evening. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Econolodge motel at a cost of $61.86 (w/tax) per room (single or double occupancy- 2Q/NS), 4608 Royal Drive, Eau Claire, Wi. - 715-833-8818 (intersection of Golf Rd. & Hwy 93 - ¼ mile off I-94). There are several restaurants for dinner (Applebee’s, Olive Garden, Friday’s, etc.) near the Oakwood Mall, one mile east on Golf Road. In the past we have gone out to dinner, as a group at Mona Lisa’s a local favorite on Water St., near the university.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
The ride will start from the Econolodge motel. We will meet at 7:00 a.m. in the motel parking lot. Bags and gear will be loaded and maps and cue sheets will be distributed. The tour will begin at 8:00 a.m. sharp. The route from EC to La X is 98 memorable miles. It consists of rolling hills with short climbs to ridge-tops with spectacular views of the countryside and ending in the coulee region near La Crosse. There will be a minimum of four rest stops; one approximately every 20-25 miles. The roving sag/mechanical support vehicle will be following the group to assist riders with water bottles, energy bars, carrying jackets, mechanical problems, etc.
We will arrive in Onalaska on the north side of La Crosse between 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Accommodations for Saturday night will be at the Holiday Inn Express- 608-783-6555 (near the Valley View mall) or Blue-Bird Springs Recreational Area (camping)-608-781-2267 (on Smith Valley Road). A block of rooms has been reserved at a cost of $93.88 (w/ tax) per room at the Holiday Inn Express (single or double occupancy -2Q-NS), includes a good continental breakfast. Camping at Blue Bird Springs is $5 per person (group campsite w/ showers & electricity). There are several restaurants within walking distance of the motel for dinner (Ciatti’s, Olive Garden, Red Lobster & Chi Chi’s) or Blue Bird Springs sells hamburgers, etc. Usually we go out to eat as a group. After dinner, for those who are not ready to call it a day, there is the Valley View Mall next door to do a little shopping or to catch a movie.
Sunday, August 29, 2004
The journey back to Eau Claire starts at the Holiday Inn Express. We will meet at 7:00 a.m. in the motel parking lot. Bags and gear will be loaded and maps and cue sheets will be distributed. The tour will begin at 8:00 a.m. sharp. The route from La X to EC is 93 equally memorable miles. Day two will start with a relatively flat ride along the scenic Mississippi river to our first rest stop at Perrot State Park. After leaving the park we will wind our way over a couple of ridges that offer the riders spectacular views of “God’s Country”. Then it’s back into the rolling farmlands of Buffalo and southern Eau Claire counties. We end our tour where we began at the Econolodge motel. Riders may shower at the Eau Claire Athletic Club (close to the motel)..
Riders interested in sharing motel expenses with
another single rider
may contact the event organizer.
View/Print Registration Form
Event Organizer:
| Tom Mackaben | nebakcam@charter.net | (715) 344-5118 | |