Doing the Dells

I don’t think I have stated it explicitly, but when we decided to tour the East Coast we set our sights on visiting all 48 lower states. With a family reunion scheduled for the 4th of July in Arkansas, that gave us the opportunity to pick-up the Great Lake States as we made our way back to the Midwest. A lot had to go right for the 48-state plan to work out. Would we tire of traveling, especially when moving so often? Would the motorhome hold up for such an aggressive trek? Would life intervene in some unexpected way? I don’t want to jinx us, so I’ll answer those questions from the cozy confines of our sticks and bricks home upon our return. In the meantime, I’ll catch you up on our latest travels.

Chicago was the last big-ticket item on our travel wish list. We had no idea where we would go in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Oklahoma (the last three states we needed to hit 48). Lots of options existed, but precious little time. When looking at possibilities in Wisconsin, I stumbled across Wisconsin Dells, a place that bills itself the “Waterpark Capital of the World.” How can you not go there, especially when it is June? Plus, it fit nicely on a route that would take us through southern Minnesota.Off to the Dells!

Honestly, I don’t know why this place exists, much less how it developed into a vacation hotspot. The Dells sits in the middle of Wisconsin among rolling hills and green valleys (or did you guess that already given its name?). Water slides dot the landscape, as do hotels with enormous indoor water parks. I’ll admit, it is a nice place to visit with a quaint downtown and vacationey feel. But life here centers on the water parks.

When in Rome…

We could not resist the draw of “America’s Largest Waterpark.”

We lined up early and spent a day at Noah’s Ark.

Perfect weather and lots of ride choices made for a great time.

More traditional offerings like the 4-person raft ride down Congo Bongo are always fun.

A few unique rides thrilled as well. The park bills Black Anaconda as the world’s longest water coaster. If you like water repeatedly shot up your nose, this is the ride for you.

Kowabunga looked like a traditional 4-person raft ride with a straight shot downhill. But it surprised us all with good air time going over the last hump.

Dark Voyage thrilled with a completely enclosed tube ride. It was dark in there for what seemed like a very long time.

Fun times were had by the younger crowd at the challenge course.

The wave pool delighted.

And you can’t forget the Lazy River. I particularly enjoyed the river because it had a much faster current than other artificial rivers I have floated.

M and L also enjoyed an afternoon at Mt. Olympus water park while M3 rested and I took care of some maintenance issues. I’ve chastised them for not taking any pictures.

Fortunately, the campground also had a nice pool and water feature. We nearly had the place to ourselves as we goofed off and played some water volleyball.