Its appearance reminds you of small town U.S.A., but look a little deeper and you'll find some hidden gems.

"We do have a lot of people that come here to get a view of the Minnesota bluffs and also the scenery around the lake,” said Jean Lunde, the Onalaska tourism director.

Onalaska bills itself as the sun fish capitol of the world and it's no wonder fishing is one of the popular past times for locals and tourists alike.

If pedaling is more your speed try the Great River State Trail, established in 1988.

"It does connect to three other state trails, so it does give you a little over 101 miles of continual state trail biking."

And if you need to take a break, Onalaska has that covered. The Omni-Center is a 28,000 square foot arena that is used for community events, hosting everything from a wedding to the traditional Sunfish Days festival.

"We have the Prospector's Gold Show, which is from Las Vegas, but we have that here. As well as gun shows, home and garden shows, art and craft shows, a lot of activities for people to come and participate in."

If you're looking to throw a little history lesson into the mix, it's not out of the question. The museum boasts exhibits that span thousands of years of area history.

"We do have the Onalaska Historical Museum, which is great facility to come and visit and they do end up switching out their museum quite often."

Don't forget your wallet. Onalaska has the largest shopping district in a nine county area.

You won't be hungry. Grab a bite to eat at one of more than 40 restaurants, many which plate up like mom made.

"I do believe just the friendliness of the people and the activities are going to bring people back.”