Hudson, WI

A lunch stop in Hudson, WI - the last town before crossing the St. Croix River into Minnesota. Our riverside meal at Pier 500 included cheese curds, salads and refreshing beverages. And maybe some interesting soup? It was a Tuesday so according to their menu it may have been "wild mushroom brandy cream".

The Local Store

After dinner we popped into The Local Store which was located right next to our hotel. It was full of local merchandise and local literature. This visit to Eau Claire confirmed my impression that Wisconsin on the whole is a relatively progressive state.

The Informalist

One of the better meals of the whole trip was dinner at The Informalist - the smartly designed restaurant in the Lismore Hotel. I suppose if we ever did a repeat visit to Eau Claire, we would consider staying at this hotel, a "boutiquified" Hilton.

Eau Claire, WI - part 2

Another very "solid" downtown.

Eau Claire, WI

 

Eau Claire - which means "clear water" in French - has a nice, revitalized downtown, seen here along with Phoenix Park and some bridges across the Eau Claire River.

Oxbow Hotel

In Eau Claire, WI we stayed at the Oxbow, a stylish boutique hotel. Or maybe a quirky boutique hotel. For one night, it worked. It was walking distance to the heart of downtown.

Noodles & Co.

We stopped for lunch in Wausau, WI and tried the Noodles & Company chain for the first time. It was good! I think we had their version of Pad Thai.