Like many of my baby boomer brethren,
most of my efforts during my college days seemed devoted to anything but preparing myself for the world of work. I was free to dabble in all kinds of alternative activities and philosophies and spent some time pouring through Carlos Castenada’s then popular novels. Dog-eared copies of books like The Teachings of Don Juan, A Separate Reality and Journey to Ixtlan poked out of a lot of backpacks in the early ‘70s, and though I was intrigued with them then, about the only thing that stuck with me was the idea of a “power spot.” According to Don Juan, the “Man of Knowledge” in the novels, everyone has a power spot, unique to him or her, and once discovered, it affords a rejuvenation of energy and clarity of vision. The highlight of my spring semesters
back then was escaping the college grind to spend weekends on my sister’s farm down in the heart of southwest Wisconsin’s Drift- less Area. I’d spend foggy mornings down in the hollows, wading one of the countless, cool-running spring creeks to pluck out a few brown trout and some fresh watercress, and later I’d hike (more like “climb”) into the lush, near vertically-sloped coulees
searching for morel mushrooms. I remem- ber thinking this just might be my own power spot. Once I had scraped up enough cash for a used, red and white Honda CB350 and began spending afternoons threading my way through the squiggly state, county, and township roads, this new dimension confirmed the mystic power Wisconsin’s so-called “Coulee Country” held for me. Last spring when Editor Bill Wiegand
asked me to spend a few days poking around this same area as an advance man for a scheduled weekend Getaway in the Driftless Area, I couldn’t load my panniers fast enough. My first day out, I headed directly to
Black River Falls, site of a fall Getaway, Sep- tember 30 through October 2. The recep- tion Friday evening will be held at the Best Western Arrowhead Lodge
and Suites
where Sue Rihn, the organizer for the event, will be orienting riders on off-road and pavement riding opportunities and points of interest. (see the list of links at the end of this article for more information about events and places mentioned). In the imme- diate area, riders might want to visit the award-winning Sand Creek Brewing Com- pany, Wisconsin’s third largest craft beer
Sand Creek Brewing.
brewery. Tours start at 3:30 on Friday (tap room open 3-10 p.m.), and the tap room is open noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Visitors
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