Tuesday, June 22: Gather Tuesday evening in Mineral Point, WI, to meet your fellow riders, pick up your rider packets and hear what’s in store for the next five days. Come early or stay late to enjoy the many attractions in this charming community settled by Cornish miners from England known for its historic sites and artisans. Watch a potter at work at Brewery Creek Pottery or explore Shake Rag Alley, the Railroad Museum, historic Pendarvis, the Brewery Creek Brewery or some of the many artisan galleries and gift shops. Or, visit Taliesin, the world-renowned American Players Theatre or the Wright-inspired House on the Rock in nearby Spring Green. Overnight at the Quality Inn in Mineral Point.
Wednesday, June 23: Mineral Point - New Glarus. Explore quiet backroads en route to Blue Mounds and the ‘trollway’ of Mount Horeb, with optional stops at Little Norway and the Grumpy Troll Brewery. Once in New Glarus (America’s ‘Little Switzerland), stop at the New Glarus Brewery--home of Spotted Cow ale, visit the Swiss Historical Village or stop at the bakery, chocolate shop, winery, meat market, etc. In the evening, enjoy authentic Swiss cuisine at the New Glarus Hotel & Restaurant where we’ll have our own private Swiss entertainment followed by live Swiss music and dancing. Overnight at the Chalet Landhaus Inn in New Glarus.
Thursday, June 24: New Glarus - Galena. Today's ride takes us along more beautiful backroads and across the state line to lovely Galena, IL. Along the way, we'll stop at one of the many local cheese factories in the area to see how cheese is made. Once in Galena, named one of "America's Distrinctive Dozen Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and consistently voted by Midwest Living readers as "Best Main Street in the Midwest", explore the many points of interest of the area, then join us for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the lovely DeSoto House in the heart of downtown Galena.
Route Information
One of the many galleries on this year's tour.
Sunday, Jun 27: Monroe - Mineral Point. Today's ride finds us meandering the countryside on some of our favorite country lanes, with a midway stop at Yellowstone Lake State Park for an optional lunch or ice cream cone on their patio overlooking beautiful Yellowstone Lake. From here, it’s back to Mineral Point, the tours end. Showers provided.
Saturday, June 26: Galena - Monroe. After a full breakfast, including made-to-order omelettes in the Courtyard Restaurant, it's back to Wisconsin to visit historic Shullsburg. Explore the historic main street, visit Shullsburg Creamery or tour the Badger Mine & Museum containing artifacts from the town's 179-year history showing how life was in Wisconsin's early mining communities. From there, it's on to Monroe, the Swiss Cheese Capital of America, where you can visit the Green County Welcome and Historic Cheesemaking Center or the Alp & Dell Cheese Store at the Roth Kase Cheese Factory, winner of over 100 regional, national and international awards in the 140 years they’ve been hand-crafting European-style and American original cheese. After all, this IS the Cheese Capital of the U.S. and you know the saying…”When in Rome….” Afterwards, enjoy a sweet treat at Chocolate Temptation or walk around the historic downtown square with its many shops and eateries, including Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern, home to a huge selection of award winning cheeses and local beers. Later that afternoon, join the group for a tour of Minhas Brewery - the second oldest brewery in the nation, then quench your thirst with some samples of their microbrews or root beer. No trip to Wisconsin would be complete without experiencing a good old-fashioned fish fry, so we've arranged one for the group. Overnight at the Super 8 in Monroe.
Friday, June 25: Galena - Galena. Enjoy a day off or go for an optional ride---the choice is yours! Endless options abound in this historic town named by Forbes Traveler as one of the 10 prettiest towns in America. Visit any of the 90+ boutique shops, coffee houses, restaurants, art galleries, specialty shops, and historic attractions which charmingly occupy picturesque mid–19th century storefronts. Enjoy the quiet outdoors with a stroll through the lush Linmar Gardens--3 ½ acres of artfully planted perennials and annuals interspersed with walkways, gazebos and waterfalls, followed by a picnic lunch. Tour the Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site, go for a hot air balloon ride, wind along the river on a kayak or canoe, or tour the town on an historic trolley tour. Evening entertainment options include Irish dancing, live entertainment by local artists, horse-drawn carriage rides, and live theatre. Dinner is on your own tonight, allowing you to choose from the many options available.
Bicycle Tour
Beautiful Wisconsin, ranked #2 in the nation by the League of American Bicyclists for bicycling.
Chin-drippin' peaches---YUM!!!
