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Wisconsin Dells Is A Fun Family Vacation Destination
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin is a fun destination for a family
vacation, and with a little research and advance planning the
trip doesn't have to make your wallet cry out in pain.
Wisconsin Dells (and the area is really two towns: Wisconsin
Dells and Lake Delton) has been a popular summer vacation
destination for people who live in the Midwest since the late
1800's. In recent years, several indoor water parks have been
built making Wisconsin Dells a popular year around vacation
destination, not only for people who live in the Midwest but for
people from around the world.
What first drew tourists to the Wisconsin Dells area? It was the
scenery. The Wisconsin River meanders through the Wisconsin
Dells area and has beautiful sandstone rock formations. A trip
to Wisconsin Dells wouldn't be complete without a boat tour of
those rock formations.
There are two basic choices of tours; either boat tour or a
"duck" tour which also includes some sightseeing on the land. If
you have small children, they'll enjoy the "duck" tour the most.
If you take a boat tour, you'll have a couple of options. You'll
be able to take an "upper Dells" tour, a "lower Dells" tour, or
both. The upper Dells boat tour lasts about 2 hours and the
lower Dells boat tour lasts about 1 hour. The upper Dells tour
includes a few shore stops to look at some outstanding landmarks
(http://www.wisconsindellstoday.com/dells/wisconsindellsboatt
ours).
The "duck" tour is a combination land and water tour. It's a
really fun way to see some of the beautiful scenery on the land
and water. And the tour is a big hit with kids of all ages! My
family takes a trip to Wisconsin Dells nearly every year and we
go on the Duck tour almost every trip because we find it so much
fun. The "duck" vehicles used for the tours are amphibious
vehicles used in WWII that have been revamped. The tour starts
out on dry land. During the tour you'll be taken down streets of
Wisconsin Dells; through lovely wooded areas where wildlife is
often seen (we usually see white-tail deer) and then it's on to
the really fun part of the trip.
The duck driver drives into the water with a big splash - well;
usually with a big splash. The driver will ask the customers if
they want to go into the water slow or fast because fast gets
some of the people wet. On every tour I've been on the fast trip
into the water has won the vote and it is fun! After the twists
and turns of the wooded trails (some of them steep and narrow,
but always safe) the water part of the trip is a nice change of
pace. After being in the water for a while and seeing some of
the breathtaking sandstone rock formations, your driver takes
you back onto dry land and your fun tour is complete. During the
entire tour your driver entertains you with a funny and
informative narrative.
Even though our family loves going on the Duck tour when we go
to Wisconsin Dells, if they have a choice of only one activity
to do, going to a water park wins hands down. There are over 20
water parks in Wisconsin Dells. There are outdoor water parks;
indoor water parks; and combination indoor/outdoor water parks.
So no matter what time of the year you want to splash in the
water and have fun you can do it in Wisconsin Dells.
Our family usually takes a summer trip to Wisconsin Dells. And
with mid-summer temperatures in the 90's, and even occasionally
in the 100's, splashing in the water is very refreshing. Our
family's favorite outdoor water park is Noah's Ark. It's
currently the largest outdoor water park in Wisconsin Dells. You
can easily spend an entire day there and not get bored. I have a
few tips for you though if you do go to Noah's Ark (or any of
the water parks in Wisconsin Dells) to help keep your costs down
and to make the trip as enjoyable as possible.
1) If at all possible, don't buy your admission tickets at the
front gate the day you want to go to the park. You'll pay full
price and there are lots of ways to find discounted tickets. If
you live in the Midwest check with your local Parks and
Recreation Department to see if they have discounted tickets
available. Also check with your place of employment to see if
they offer discounted tickets. An Internet search may also give
you sources for discounted tickets. Another option is to go into
downtown Wisconsin Dells or Lake Delton before you go to Noah's
Ark and stop at one of the ticket booths there. You can almost
always purchase discounted tickets there,
especially if you are
planning to do more than one activity while you are in Wisconsin
Dells. For example if you are planning to go to a water park,
take a duck tour, go to a water show, and go to one of the
amusement parks to ride on the roller coasters and go-karts you
can get some pretty good discounts by buying all your tickets at
the same time.
2) Take waterproof sunscreen. You're going to be in and out of
the water all day so make sure you have waterproof sunscreen in
order to avoid having to constantly reapply your sunscreen
throughout the day.
3) Take towels. It may seem like a silly item to list but it's
surprising how many people forget to take a towel. You can
purchase beach towels inside the water parks but they are
expensive.
3) Consider renting a locker in the park. There are locker
rentals available in the park for a nominal fee. I always rent a
locker and put dry clothes for my family in the locker along
with the things I don't want to carry around all day, such as my
sunscreen. At the end of the day we retrieve those dry clothes
and change into
4) Take plastic bags for your wet swimsuits and towels.
5) Take a small waterproof container for extra money. Get one
that attaches to your wrist or hangs around your neck. If you
don't have one or don't know where to buy one, you can purchase
one inexpensively at one of the stores inside the water park.
6) Bring your own lunch. There are several covered picnic areas
inside the water park available free of charge for your use
although it's likely some of them will be unavailable on any
given day because they will be reserved for groups who are at
the park. Even if you don't want to pack a cooler at home, bring
along the empty cooler and pick up your lunch items from a store
the day before. Although there is good food available inside the
water park, it is expensive and will quickly put a big dent in
your pocketbook.
7) Bring water shoes. Sandals are okay too but you want ones
that are water friendly which typically means flip-flops and
those can easily fall off your feet when you're on some of the
rides. I don't advise going barefoot. The park is paved and if
it's a sunny day the pavement gets very hot.
8) Go on rides early in the day and late in the day. That's when
the lines are the shortest. The lines are really long in the
middle of the day. Have your picnic lunch at that time, do a
little browsing in the water park stores, and take a short rest
before heading back on the rides.
Going on the ducks or a boat tour and going to a water park
aren't the only activities to do in the Wisconsin Dells area.
You could stay busy for weeks (if your pocketbook could handle
it) doing all the activities available to you. You could go
horseback riding; go-carting; riding on roller coasters;
shopping; take in the Tommy Bartlet water show; play miniature
golf; play regular golf on one of the golf courses; rent a boat
and go fishing (you'll need to purchase a Wisconsin fishing
license); rent a canoe and go canoeing; enjoy a movie at the
drive-in movie theater; rent a jet-ski; visit the railway
museum; visit the history center; play paintball; or do any of
the dozens of other available activities. You could even take a
short drive to Baraboo and watch the Al Ringling circus. There
are literally hundreds of things to do in the Wisconsin Dells
area.
I have one more thing to keep in mind as you are planning your
trip to Wisconsin Dells. August is the busiest month in
Wisconsin Dells. How busy? Consider this: Lake Delton and
Wisconsin Dells have a combined year-round population of around
5,000 people. During the weekends in August, the population in
the Lake Delton/Wisconsin Dells area can swell to more than
200,000 people. Lines at the attractions will be the longest in
August and the hotels will be booked solid (I don't mean to
scare you though. Our family usually goes in August even though
we know it's going to be busy and we have a great time). Book
your hotel early or consider going there at another time during
the summer. June isn't as busy but the weather may not be as
warm either which means it could be a little chilly if you're
going to be visiting one of the outdoor water parks.
About the author:
Dorrie Ruplinger is a featured writer for http://www.wisconsindel
lstoday.com. Visit the web site for more information on Wisconsin Dells attractions.
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