Roadtripping through the Driftless Area (Part 2)

From hidden caves to round barns, you’ll find no shortage of interesting attractions in this unique geographic area.

Last week we began an imaginary road trip through the Driftless Area, which spreads across four states and covers 24,000 square miles. That’s a lot of room for interesting stuff—two posts worth!

So welcome to Part 2. Today we’ll travel through the towns that dot the area, stop at some local attractions, and visit a community that’s mastered a no-frills lifestyle reflected in its craftwork. All are worth visiting.

Viroqua: Food Co-op Capital
This little village in Wisconsin, population 4,400, is a food destination that gets its distinction by being the home of Organic Valley, a powerhouse farming cooperative that started here and has grown into a national brand.

The cooperative approach influences much of the food culture in Viroqua, and visitors flock there to experience it. One noteworthy example, the Food Enterprise Center, allows small food businesses with names like Wonderstate Coffee and Wisco Pop! to share a commercial kitchen, packaging lines, dining areas, and more. Additionally, close to 3,500 of Viroqua’s residents (80 percent!) hold memberships Viroqua Food Coop, a market/deli that tries to source fresh food within a radius of 100 miles.

Vernon County: Round Barns
There are currently only 17 round barns left in and around Vernon County, Wisonsin, but that’s probably 17 more than you knew existed, right? Most of them are relics, dairy barns that went out of favor in the 1930’s when it became apparent that electric milking systems and other dairy machinery fit better in square enclosures. If you take a drive to Spring Green, you can visit a lodge that boasts a refurbished round barn, though it’s far from the first barn conversion in the area’s history.

Forestville: Mystery Cave Ghost Town
The Minnesota Driftless, known to locals as Minnesota Bluff Country, is where you’ll find a little town named, Forestville. Well, it’s a ghost town, really, but a well-maintained one, thanks the Minnesota Historical Society.

Probably the coolest thing about Forestville is that it’s the gateway to the Mystery Cave State Park, and its over 13 miles of underground passages. The caves are indicative of the uniqueness of the Driftless Area landscape. There’s outside hiking and riding, too. You can even rent a cabin in the park for an overnight stay before you get back behind the wheel.

Cashton: Heart of the Amish Country
The traditional, low-tech Amish culture is known for its unique way of living and excellent craftsmanship, and the community that lives in and around the town of Cashton, Wisconsin is no exception.

A unique tourist industry has grown up around Cashton, which is a colorful place to visit. Amish craftsmen, farmers, woodworkers and growers are busy throughout the year. Furniture is built for immediate sale, made available at local shops, or created custom to order. In the spring, summer and fall, flowers and vegetables are widely available on farms throughout the region. And several Amish bakeries with cookies, cakes, breads and pies dot the countryside.

These four examples barely do justice to the road-tripping potential of the Driftless Area, but we also want to take the time to highlight a few gas stations and convenience stores in the area, ready and waiting to keep your travels on schedule and free of incident:

• Family-owned Melrose 1 Stop, of Melrose, Minnesota, provides a fuel delivery service, commercial equipment sales, and mechanical repair services, in addition to food and other store merchandise.
• The Wisconsin-based Kwik-Trip chain has a very visible presence in the Driftless Area, and helps power Wisconsin’s state-wide economy.
• Pierce’s West Express is a part of a tiny, family-owned c-store organization with a 90-year tradition in its hometown of Baraboo, Wisconsin.
• Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard brings a quaint convenience presence to Iowa’s share of the Driftless Area.
• SSCS customer Circle K just announced the expansion of 60 stores into Wisconsin, indicating the ongoing retail potential of the area.

Wherever you are, whatever your c-store’s market niche may be, SSCS is there to provide the technology to help you keep your road-tripping consumers satisfied and on the road, where they belong. Our technology can adapt to a market as unique and varied as the Driftless Area, while boosting your operation’s efficiency and profitability. If you’d like to know more details, please give us a call at (800) 972-7727.