I just moved to the area and I am looking for someplace I can go out and enjoy myself a little bit. Everything I have seen so far is just urban hell/highways/destroyed roads. Any help would be appreciated.
Otherwise I know a lot of people head over the boarder to WI. They have "better" motorcycling roads. If you haven't done the 61/35 loop along the MN/WI boarder, it's definitely something to ride once it gets warm or in the fall with all the colors.
It depends on what kind of ride you're looking for... An hour or two? Afternoon? Day-trip/overnighter?
For shorter rides there's really not much close to town and virtually nothing west. Most of the good riding is east into Wisconsin and south along either the St. Croix or Mississippi rivers. For day trips, etc. you can head south out of the La Crosse area and find great roads all the way to Dubuque and beyond.