Three majestic rivers and the beautiful bluffs surrounding them make La Crosse County the perfect outdoor recreation area. You can kayak, fish, or just cruise the Mississippi, and Hixon Forest is full of trails for hiking and biking. Work on your short game at our area golf courses, or visit in winter for some of the region’s best downhill and cross-country skiing.

Explore La Crosse

Erik and Randi purchase Smith’s Bike Shop in 2016, which means that 2026 is our 10th Anniversary! Join us as we celebrate the way we know best; a bike ride and a party. Come out for a ride, for a hang out, for food, and most definitely fun!

To celebrate 10 years, we’re bringing back a La Crosse classic – the 10×100. A century route with 10 full bluff climbs. Don’t worry, there will be a 5×50 option as well as a fun ice cream ride to Myrick.

Smith's Bike Shop 10th Anniversary 10 x 100

Click on the hotel specials tab to see all of the Travel Tuesday deals in the La Crosse Region!

Travel Tuesday Deals!

Unlike traditional bass fishing tournaments where anglers weigh in five bass at the end of the day, the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Big Bass Tour allows amateur anglers from all skill levels to win multiple cash payouts each day during the hourly weigh-ins. Each tournament day features seven hourly weigh-ins that pay ten cash payouts each hour.

That means each three-day event offers a total of 210 hourly cash payouts, and a four-day event offers 280 hourly cash payouts.  The angler with the overall biggest bass of the event will also win the Grand Prize of $20,000.

Entry fees are per angler; you may have up to three (3) anglers per boat.  You don't have to register together to fish together.

Junior Division: Participants 12 and under will compete for a top-three payback. The entry fee for the entire event is $75 (regardless of the number of days fished). Anglers 13 and over will compete for full payouts and pay full entry fees.

Big Bass Tour 2026

The Apple Capital of Minnesota, La Crescent, along with the entire La Crosse, Wisconsin region, proudly hosts the USA Cycling Gravel National Championships.  The 2026 Gravel National Championship offers open-entry opportunities for junior, adult, masters, and para-cycling athletes.

The Elite/Open category is open to riders age 19+ and comes with a prize purse for the top five finishers in the men’s and women’s categories as well as automatic selection to the UCI Gravel World Championships for the top three.

For many of the remaining championship events, categories are determined by the rider’s age + gender. If a rider wants to complete in a distance outside of their designated age + gender category, they may register for the Adventure Ride distance of their choice. All Adventure Rides are participation-only and are not factored into national championship awards or placements.

September 10 & 11, 2026 – Registration / Expo and Pre-Gravel Race Activities and Events
September 12, 2026 – Gravel Race Day / Expo / Finish Line Party


USA Cycling Gravel Nationals 2026  locally Championed by Explore MN

We are fortunate enough to have some of the best gravel riding in the Midwest and have put together four routes to show off the local terrain. As with all of our rides, we offer a little bit of everything and welcome EVERYONE from novice riders to the most seasoned racers. The focus of the ride is to bring like-minded individuals together for a great ride, but we will have professional timing so if you want to race we will have you covered too! Routes that will satisfy all of your gravely desires, and a post-ride gathering with food, drink, and hangs with new friends.

We will introduce an awesome new venue in Hokah Minnesota, a rustic farm nestled in a scenic coulee. While the ride is about riding with other rad people like yourself, rest assured a portion of your entry fee will go to a local entity that could use a little financial help. If we can have a super fun time while helping others, that is what will make this a successful event. We will also be using local businesses to feed and hydrate us. Hokah is a super cool little town, and we would love to help keep our money local.

All routes will leave and finish at the farm. The gravel is approximately two miles from the start line, and one mile of that is a paved climb, once you are on the ridge, the dust shall start flying! All routes will descend this paved section upon return to the finish line.

This year, we are excited to announce that we will be adding a 5k trail run! The farm has miles of trails cut, so we thought lets utilize them! There is a good climb behind the barn that opens into a pasture on the top of the bluff. From there you will meander through wooded undulating terrain before returning to the start finish line at the barn. A good way to spend the day for families, or while your partner is out on the ride. We will be timing this event, so bring your race face, or not, all are welcome. When you are finished, chill out and enjoy some food and drink with some new friends.

Old Fashioned Gravel 2026

The Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference (UMISC) is a biennial conference that addresses all taxa of invasive species. In 2026, UMISC will celebrate 20 years of connecting the invasive species management, research, and policy community. The goal of UMISC is to strengthen management of invasive species, especially prevention, control, and containment. There have been great strides in invasive species research, prevention, and management, but much work still must be done. The conference provides numerous opportunities to network with professionals, land managers, researchers, nonprofits, and others. 

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