Eau Claire sports tour: Where Major League players and Olympians got their start

Eau Claire is much more than the place where ski-jumping Olympians, NASCAR drivers, Hall of Fame players, and Major League Baseball players like Hank Aaron got their start. On this 75-minute driving tour from the Eau Claire Soccer Park to the Hobbs Municipal Ice Center, I’ll tell you all about the famous sports stars with a connection to the city.

Along the way, you’ll pass several sporting venues, including Carson Park Baseball Stadium, Mt. Washington Ski Jump, and John & Fay Menard YMCA Tennis Center. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit a number of Eau Claire’s non-sport related attractions, like the Chippewa Valley Museum, Phoenix Park, and the Wisconsin Logging Museum. On this tour, you won’t just hear about the sportsmen and women with ties to Eau Claire, you’ll also hear interesting stories involving Sports Illustrated, The Simpsons TV show, and even the beginning of football's forward pass.

You can also look forward to:

• Learning about the Nordic lawn game, kubbs, and other unique sporting tournaments that Eau Claire's hosted
• Discovering which local businessman’s son was a great NASCAR driver
• Finding out which famous player Hank Aaron was almost teammates with
• Hearing about Tom Meindel and Eau Claire's connection to the Milwaukee Brewer logo
• Driving through the start and finish line of what’s been called “the best small city marathon in the nation”

Whether you’re an avid sports aficionado or a lover of quirky history, this driving tour is sure to introduce you to another side of Eau Claire.