Diego is a very food driven dog who will work hard for treats.
One trip around the 1/3 mile Dog Loop and 60 pound Diego, Amanda and Jason were very successful.

Chris and Amanda brought Scout, a 55 pound female lab to learn to skijor.
Teaching the dog and skiers works best with three people.
A skier in front that the dog wants to follow or ski near, the dog followed by
the skier the dog is pulling and another skier to coordinate the dog and skiers.
We are happy to report that one trip around the Dog Loop and Amanda had a great
return ride.  The out ski is slightly uphill causing Scout to work harder than she was willing to work causing some barking.

Heidi and George remembered “Haw” and “Gee” and stayed in front of me today in our first skijor run this season.  It was great fun on the 3/4 mile Dog Loop we have groomed for skijoring or walking with your dog.  It is separate from the groomed trails for skate skiing and striding.

The Great River Road, Highway 35, is nearby.
All Monroe County town roads are paved for wonderful wanderings on a sunny day.
We have an extra garage for indoor parking.

The Soda Fountain at Ginny’s Cupboard is a great place for a salad, soup or sandwiches. Of course, the soda fountain options are outstanding. This great little restaurant is on North Water St. in downtown Sparta, Wisconsin, just six miles from Justin Trails Resort.

The Lodge provides guests with relaxed dining in cozy booths, tables for two or a large table for your group. The rustic interior of The Lodge features hand-hewn beams and ceiling boards from the original barn on the property. The restaurant is built around an exhibition kitchen that evokes a warm, easy feeling characteristic of Justin Trails Resort.  Dining is provided for groups of 8 or more by advance reservation.

Sparta (15 Minutes)

Angelini’s Pizzeria & Ristoranate
Italian dinners & homemade  pizza, bar & private dining
Casual
142 N. Water St., Sparta, WI
608-269-6394
www.angelinis.com
Delivery  to Justin Trails Resort $7

Ginny’s Cupboard
1957 soda fountain, coffee bar
Soups, sandwiches, salads & bakery
127 N. Water St., Sparta, WI
608-269-6669
www.ginnyscupboard.com

El Cabrito
Authentic Mexican food
Very casual
223 N. Black River St., Sparta, WI
608-269-5998

Slice of Chicago
Pizza, carry outs available
Very casual
507 W. Wisconsin St., Sparta, WI
608-269-2181

Evergreen’s Supper Club
Steak, salad bar
Casual
1095 Apollo Rd., Black River Falls, WI
608-272-3202

Terry’s Hideout
Great Burgers
Very casual
10041 County Hwy. XX, Cashton, WI
608-269-9953

Leon Country Tavern
Burgers, fries, pizza
Very Casual
20470 State Hwy. 27, Sparta, WI
608-269-9941

Cashton (20 Minutes)

Badger Crossing Pub & Eatery
Supper club with salad bar
909 Front St., Cashton, WI
608-654-5706

Tomah (30Minutes)

Burnstad’s European Restaurant
Steak, Veggies, Desserts
Casual
701 E. Clifton St., Tomah, WI
608-372-4040
http://www.burnstads.com/menu.asp

Westby (30 Minutes)

Old Towne Inn
American supper club with salad bar
Casual
100 E. Old Town Rd., Westby, WI
608-634-3991

La Farge (45 minutes)

The Blue Goose Ice Cream & Pizza Parlor
Ice cream & fresh ingredient pizza
Very casual
S2106 24 Valley Rd., La Farge, WI
608-625-4335
bluegoosepizza.com

Onalaska (40 Minutes)

Traditions
Gourmet fresh ingredients
Dressy
201 Main St., Onalaska, WI
608-783-0200

Coon Valley (45 Minutes)

DiSciascio’s
Authentic Italian
Reservations requested
Casual slacks                                                                                                                                                                           110 Central Ave., Coon Valley, WI
608-452-3182

The Stockyard Grill & Saloon
Gourmet
Reservations requested
Dressy Casual
202 Central Ave., Coon Valley, Wi
608-452-3181

La Crosse (45 Minutes)

The Waterfront Restaurant &Tavern

Steak, seafood and fresh produce
Dressy casual
328 S. Front St. La Crosse, WI
608-782-5400

Freighthouse
Steak,Seafood                                                                                                                                                                          Dressy Casual
107 Vine St., La Crosse, WI
608-784-6211

Piggy’s Restaurant & Blues Lounge
Gourmet, hickory smoked beef & pork, vegetarian options
climate controlled wine cellar
Dressy
501 Front St. South, La Crosse, WI
608-784-4877

Culina Mariana at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Rustic European style breads, signature soups & salads, savory sandwiches & homemade desserts
608-788-8400
Hwy 14/61 south of La Crosse,WI                                                                                                                                           http://www.guadalupeshrine.org/CulinaMariana

Fayze’s
Steaks and sandwiches, great bread & bakery items
Casual                                                                                                                                                                                     135 4th St., La Crosse, WI
608-784-9548

Buzzard Billy’s
New Orleans’s Style  Jamaican & American
Casual
222 Pearl St., La Crosse, WI
608-796-2277

Onalaska (30 minutes)

Traditions Traditional & adventurous food
www.traditionsdining.com
Mary Cody, chef. open Tues.-Sat.
201 Main St., Onalaska, WI
608-783-0200

Trempealeau (1 Hour)

Trempealeau Hotel
Traditional & Veggie
Very Casual
11332 Main St., Trempealeau, WI
608-534-6898
www.trempealeauhotel.com

Ed Sullivan’s Supper Club
Irish
Dressy Casual
W25709 Sullivan Rd., Trempealeau, WI
608-534-7775

Justin Trails Resort’s mission is to honor the land, environment and create a healing refuge for recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation for our guests.  We support rural, sustainable tourism by promoting local vendors who live and provide guests with recreation, food and lodging in the hills and valleys of southwest Wisconsin also known as the Driftless region.  Justin Trails was established in 1985.

Sparta / Tomah Golf Courses:

Sparta· River Run
Call 608-269-3022·

Tomah· Hiawatha Golf Course
Call 608-372-5589·

Holiday Lodge Golf Resort
Call 608-372-9314

West Salem·Golf Course:

Maple Grove Country Club – click here
Call 608-786-1500·

Black River Falls Golf Course:

Skyline Golf Course – click here
Call 715-284-2613

La Crosse Golf Courses:

Click here to view La Crosse
Golf Courses
Fox Hollow
Call 608-786-4653·

Hillview Golf Course
Call 608-788-2072

Walsh’s Golf Course
Call 608-781-0838

Irish Hills Golf Course & Driving Range – click here

Sustainability is an important concept that we have taken seriously all of our life. Our home was built by Don’s grandparents in 1920. We have carefully remodeled to add amenities that guests expect, but we have maintained the small footprint. We added innkeeper quarters in the lower level and a sun room on the west side of the house. Following are some of the sustainable practices we adhere to:

THE BUILDINGS

• wood floors of local hickory, pine, oak and original maple with low VOC water base finish
• new energy efficient windows throughout all buildings
• Rock wool insulation from the 50’s provides high R value insulation in the foursquare house
• original cedar and pine siding maintained with paint on all buildings
• Trane Energy efficient furnace and AC in 2001
• scribed log cabins that utilize all of the local log (not milled to perfection) built by a local builder with large overhanging roof and ceiling fans
• recycled the machine shed into the office/lodge/restaurant/pro shop by a local builder
• owners recycled the chicken coop into the Comfort Coop for small meetings, upscale camping,  dressing area for brides
• recycled the dairy barn basement into Don’s woodworking shop by owner & “handy person special” guests
• recycled the Granary, an original farm building into The Cottage guest lodging by local builders
• logs cut into boards flooring for the loft  of the 1919 post and beam barn constructed from lumber sawn from the property for Don’s grandfather
  

SPORTS

• promote and support human powered sports on our land: hiking, disc golf courses, mountain biking, snowshoeing, snow tubing (without a tow rope) and cross-country skiing
• provide two llamas, two Siberian huskies and several cats for companionable recreation for guests and ourselves

THE LAND

• native plant landscaping including vegetables for personal and guest use
• member of two Food Coops to provide organically grown food for personal and guest use
• two large silver maples and a huge white pine provide shade around the buildings
• shovel and sweep the snow off walkways (no noisy, gas polluting snow blower or leaf blower)
• feed the birds, maintain barn swallows and bats for insect control
• maintain strip cropping begun in 1970 to prevent erosion on highly erodible land
• no-till plant corn/soybeans 1980-2008 to prevent soil erosion
• 48 acres certified organic contracted to organic farmer
  
• selective timber harvest with professional forester to provide homes for wildlife and scenic trails
• support and participate in the purchase of electricity from renewable sources
• Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) Grant from WI Dept. of Natural Resources to restore oak savanna
• EQUIP program with Natural Resources Conservation Service to restore 15 acres of prairie
  

INNKEEPING

• micro fiber towels which dry quickly
  
• whirlpool top load washer for low water use with warm wash and cold rinse
  
• cards offering reuse of sheets and towels
• commercial dishwasher completes its cycle in 90 seconds with 2 gallons of water per load
  
• bulk purchasing of flour, oats, nuts, spices, sunflower seeds, coffee
• private sewage treatment plant that does not use chemicals
  

Avalanceh Looms Farm Store & Weave Workshop www.avalancelooms.com

Susan Johnson weaves beautiful textiles.  608-634-3636 

Lusk Scandia Woodworks
Mike & Becky Lusk
N906 County Road PI
Coon Valley, WI 54623
608-452-3472 www.luskscandiawoodworks.com
Visit our workshop featuring a wide selection of hand-crafted items. Becky, a Vesterheim Gold Medalist Wood-carver, creates Norwegian Folk Art such as figure carvings, ale bowls, kolorsing and acanthus carvings. Mike offers a wide range of woodworking including shelves, cabinetry, tables, boxes and other wooden items. Custom orders welcome. Our shop also offers the rosemaling of Vesterheim Gold Medalist, Jean Giese, and the award winning quilting of Tammy Barclay.
Open Monday, Thursday-Saturday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

RounTree Country Retreats
S7073 Aikins Rd.
Readstown, WI 54652
608-629-5132Geri and Hugh Harper offer meeting space for quilters and scrapbookers as well as lodging in a family farmhouse.  “Rountree Quest Country Retreat is located on our “family farm”. We raise organic chickens and enjoy our pets, the goats, pheasants, dogs and cats.”

Main Street Station
Public Market
215 S. Main Street
Viroqua, WI 54665
608-637-1912
www.viroquamainststation.com
“The market is anchored with seven brand new stores. On Main Street, there is Rainbow Oasis, a smoothie and coffee cafe – the only place on the planet (so far, at least) where you can get Sibby’s Organic ice cream hand-dipped, La De Da’s unique gifts and wine (they have a Merlot, for those who don’t like Merlot), and Slippers dance studio, disco ball and all. Inside, you can find Southwestern Designs – like Sundance, but better, Raven’s Cyclery (don’t toss your old bike, Raven can make it fly faster than when you bought it!), VIVA local fine artists’ collective, and the food store of the genuine orient, at Oriental Goodies.”

Norskedalen
Nature and Heritage
Center, Inc.
P. O. Box 235
Coon Valley, WI 54623
tel 608-452-3424
fax 608-452-3157
www.norskedalen.org
Located 3 miles north of Coon Valley, WI, on County Hwy. PI. Enjoy hiking on the scenic nature trails; touring a restored 1890’s log farmstead; viewing exhibits featuring the natural and cultural heritages of our area; and browsing in our gift shop. Open: Year-round-Summer Hours (April 15 – Oct. 31) Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday 12 – 4 p.m. Winter Hours (November 1-April 14) Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday closed. Sunday 12 – 4 p.m. Nominal admission fee.

Inspirations at Dovetail Farm

29553 Nevada Rd.                                                                                                                Cashton, WI54619                                                                                                                                                                                                                  www.dovetailfarm.com                                                                                                                     dovetailfarm@centurytel.net

Welcome to Inspirations at Dovetail Farm!  You are welcome to browse the crafts, antiques and woodworking in the log cabin or just sit on the prch and enjoy the view.  Located in the heart of the largest Amish settlement in Wisconsin.

LTS Studio in Historic downtown Sparta, WI

 Viroqua Main Street Market on Hwy. 14/61

 Becky Lusk, Scandia Woodworks

Scenic Drives
Donna Justin’s personal favorite drive on a sunny day anytime of year is I-90 crossing the Mississippi River near La Crosse, WI continuing past Lock and Dam # 6 at Dresbach to State Highway 61 north toward Winona, MN. The mighty Mississippi River creates islands and sandbars for resident eagles and migratory birds to rest. The background of bluffs with rock outcroppings among the hardwood forest on the Wisconsin and Minnesota side is a site more beautiful than the Amazon River. There are a couple of pull-off viewing areas for bird watching and photographers.

Any time of year is great for drive through the coulees. Drive Mallard Road south to State Highway 33 past a residence with 5 spring fed ponds. In May continue through the narrow valley with a moist, shady, hillside of mature trees. To the east, view the large, white flowered -Trillium, smell the columbine, and notice the May Apples unfurl their large leaves. June brings ferns unfurling.

During a country drive in Monroe County in July, Castor beans, 6 feet tall with large white flowers dot the roadside. Wild blue/purple phlox and wild old-fashioned roses can be spotted in areas with a grove of trees that may be an abandoned homestead.

Mother Nature shows the detail of the hills and valleys on a winter drive. A topless convertible or a motorcycle is a wonderful conveyance on winding country roads through this Driftless Area.

Nearby in Vernon and La Crosse County are several roads designated for travelers to enjoy the special beauty of that area.  www.greatriverroad.org.

While enjoying pet friendly bed and breakfast there is a mulitude of public land for hiking. 

There are four major blocks of land with thousands of acres all with specific geological interest: Black River Falls State Forest in Jackson County the edge of Glacial Lake Wisconsin, Wildcat Mountain State Park in Vernon County, part of the Ocooch Mountain, Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge and Perrot State Park both in Trempealeau County on the Mississippi River. It is possible to spend weeks discovering all the treasures in these public lands. This is an undiscovered part of Wisconsin. The Refuge has only 60,000 visitors in a year.

Wild Cat Mountain State Park is located in the bluff area with steep rock outcroppings of the Ocooch Mountains, and Kickapoo River, the “crookedest” river flowing through the park with trails for hiking or horseback riding. A State Park day or season pass is required.

The county roads wind through miles of hills, rivers, farms, and quaint towns. Many Amish people with their horse and buggy life style live in this area. The night sky is very clear, and one can view many more stars on Wildcat Mountain than at other parks. Satellites and the Milky Way are very visible, showing up as a pretty pale blue band across the night sky.

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge is free and open to the public with a viewing area to watch migrating birds on the Mississippi River, an interpretive center and the Great River Bicycle Trail runs through the Refuge.

The Refuge was established in 1936. It lies within the Mississippi River Valley in west-central Wisconsin. Land was isolated from the Mississippi and Trempealeau rivers by levees built in 1911 to provide refuge for a variety of habitats including sand prairies and marshes. The Refuge is an important area for waterfowl and other migratory birds and provides habitat for bald eagles, osprey, black terns and pelicans.

Perrot State Park at Trempealeau includes an island mountain and miles of trails for hiking. The Great River State Bicycle Trail runs through a small part of the park. A State Park day or season pass is required.

There is a great description of the geology of the area in which Trempealeau National wildlife Refuge and Perrot State Park. | Click here for more info |

Hixon forest in La Crosse offers bluffside hiking.
|

Norskedalen offers hiking on this non-profit Norwegian Immigrant settlement.
| Click here for more info |

The Black River State Forest was established in 1957 which includes approximately 67,000 acres in Jackson County. The area is unique among the state forests mainly because of its geological features. The Forest lies on the edge of the glaciated central plain east of the rough coulee region or driftless area of Wisconsin. If you hike the nature trail to the top of Castle Mound, one can observe what was once the bed of glacial Lake Wisconsin. Unglaciated buttes, sandstone hills, and castellated bluffs such as Castle Mound dot the vast forest landscape. Black River State Forest is at the edge of the Wisconsin glacier. A State Park day or season pass is required.