Photo Album: La Crosse

La Crosse? Isn't that a sport?

Yes, but it's also a city in Wisconsin. You didn't know that? Come on.

La Crosse is home to the headquarters of Kwik Trip, the Mayo Clinic, and countless other organizations of minor importance. Seated along the Mississippi River and dangerously close to the state of Minnesota (ewwww), it's less of a tourist destination and more of a midwestern commercial hub. Suffice to say, it wasn't very high on my bucket list of travel destinations.

But I wasn't here to do "tourist-y things", like gorging myself on fried chicken from Kwik Trip, or self-diagnosing myself with an incurable chronic illness at the Mayo Clinic. Rather, I was here to attend a friend's wedding. And my camera was along for the ride.

Don't ask me how I got these pictures

Before presenting this collection of photos, I'd like to begin with a thought experiment. Let's say, hypothetically, that a man visiting Wisconsin had some time to kill before his friend's wedding began. So he (hypothetically) takes an Uber to a local hiking trailhead, and discovers some unbelievably photogenic train tracks.

Would it be a crime if this man walked along the tracks with his camera for a rustic photo shoot? Possibly. But let's be real: letting a perfect opportunity like this go to waste would be the real crime.

Hypothetically, the man who took these pictures used a slower shutter speed to capture the motion blur of the trains zipping along the track. Getting the composition right is inherently difficult when the subject is a moving target, so there were likely dozens of outtakes for each of these photos. But I wouldn't know; this is all hypothetical.

As a law-abiding citizen, I generally find graffiti distasteful. The hooligans responsible for tagging these trains should be prosecuted for defacement of private property, as well as trespassing (the more serious offense). But even so, I can't deny the graffiti's artistic value. The bright colors contrast beautifully with the dull scenery, producing something akin to a punk rock album.

The next few images of stationary trains are boring by comparison, but they are not without merit. They just tell a different story. A train in motion has kinetic energy, moving towards some exciting new future or outcome. These photos instead show a train in waiting, with boundless potential energy. It's hard to describe, but these photos feel "heavier".

With all of that being said: if anyone asks, just tell them these photos were generated with AI.

The Lodge

During my trip to La Crosse, I enjoyed a pleasant stay at the nearby "Stoney Creek Hotel". I was drawn to this inn for its similarities to "The Great Northern", the hotel where FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper stays in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington. It reminded me also of the "Overlook Hotel" from the Shining, one of my favorite horror films.

Lodges seem to be a mainstay in the psychological horror/thriller genre. Why do we associate terror and discomfort with something so cozy? Hunting lodges and ski lodges are intended to provide a sanctuary from the elements, creating a barrier that divides the safe from the unsafe. Fraternal lodges serve a similar purpose, allowing congregants to insulate themselves from the outside world.

In this sense, these lodges exist on the threshold between chaos and order. Just enough familiarity for us to understand our comfortable surroundings, but joined with a strange feeling that we can't quite discern or even describe. This is felt most when these places are empty, without people to fill their large spaces. It's the same feeling created by the "liminal spaces" photos of dead malls and empty office hallways, which have become increasingly popular on the Internet.

Long story short: I am deeply fascinated by these liminal spaces, in particular the haunted lodge trope. I specifically stayed at the Stoney Creek Hotel so I could capture the eeriness of my favorite horror media. My ultrawide lens was perfect for the occasion.

While some of these photos lean more on the "cozy" side, the hallway shots tended to quite unnerving by comparison. Slinking around the hotel with my camera, fearing the possibility of someone spotting me and questioning my motives, added to the tense atmosphere and helped fuel my creative inspiration.

My favorite two photos from this haunt came from a thin carpeted stairwell connecting the lobby to the basement. Standing at the bottom and top respectively, these two cursed photos were born, telling the story of a not-so-intrepid explorer trying to escape a phantom's pursuit.

This next image is certainly the strangest of the bunch. A meeting room full of mirrors, empty chairs, and a female mannequin torso in the back. I am disappointed by this photo, because it just doesn't capture the "I shouldn't be here" feeling that I was experiencing upon entering.

I used a mirror to insert myself into the scene. Just looking at this picture gives me an out-of-body experience. It's like the photo is taken from the perspective of a person sitting in the chair, yet the chair appears empty when reviewing its reflection.

Aside from a few nice snaps, these indoor pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. They still serve as quaint keepsakes of my cozy (and slightly eerie) stay at Stoney Creek.

A Bluff, a Bar, and a Bridge

The day after the wedding, I joined the groom and another friend for a jaunt through the city of La Crosse.

First stop: Grandad Bluff, featuring an iconic view that overlooks the entire city.

Not sure if it was the dreary April weather or just bad camera settings, but my ultrawide angle lens did not quite capture the impressive panoramic view we enjoyed atop this bluff.

Next was a fun trek through downtown La Crosse, home to many bars and breweries for the local college students to enjoy.

As soon as I walked past that "BUZZARD BILLYS" sign, I knew exactly what kind of photo I wanted. And it turned out perfectly... so good that my friend suggested that I should walk inside the bar and sell the photo to the owner. That might've been sarcasm.

There wasn't much to do or see downtown, so I only took a few photos worth sharing.

The bluff was alright, and the bars were meh, but the best part of La Crosse was the bridge. Specifically, the Mississippi River Bridge, also known as "The Big Blue Bridge". We approached the bridge from a distance, walking along the river.

The overcast weather made it difficult to appreciate the bridge's intense blue color. Thankfully, the weather improved as we approached.

Ascending the bridge, with my friends' silhouettes outlined against the overcast sky, created some nice contrast in these shots. Intensely cinematic, like a movie poster. Throwing in the Dutch angle on the vertical photo was a fun personal touch that I don't regret.

As the Wisconsin drivers passed us by, I remembered the train photos from the day prior, and dropped my shutter speed accordingly. This photo was a lucky gem, buried underneath dozens of poorly framed outtakes. Everything about it screams "midwestern angst." I can easily see the "PARENTAL ADVISORY EXPLICIT CONTENT" label appearing on the picture's bottom right.

Eventually, we made it to the sandy shore on the other side of the river.

Here, we discovered a small beach house, seemingly abandoned. A picnic table and kicked-over trash can sat in the otherwise empty room, serving an unknown purpose. You can't tell from the photo, but a gate prevented us from entering. Thankfully, there was a small gap that just large enough for my lens to fit through.

It was time to ascend the bridge again and walk back into the city. I discovered that even the bridge's underside proved to be photogenic. It appeared oppressively large, while elegantly twisting its way across the frame. Like a massive snake.

Back on the bridge again, our journey was almost finished. I captured a few final moments of our fun jaunt through La Crosse.

Ending with twin water towers, greeting drivers crossing the Mississippi River from Minnesota.

What did I learn from La Crosse?

1. If someone accuses you of trespassing on train tracks, deny all of the allegations and then counter accuse.
2. Empty indoor spaces like hotels or lodges can be surprisingly eerie. Perfect for taking "liminal space" photos.
3. Every angle of a bridge is worth capturing on camera.

Thank you for reading!