I wanted to relax and wind down. My children wanted to wind up with an activity-filled trip. So, like Super Moms everywhere, I accomplished the impossible and made everyone happy … with a little help from Wisconsin Dells. I’ve divided my column into two articles: “Winding Up” and “Winding Down” in Wisconsin Dells.
The Dells is like one big amusement park. My kids (Ethan – 13 and Autumn – 10) were determined to see and do as much as possible. We visited Ripley’s Believe It or Not®, where Autumn pushed on a chandelier – making it swing to scare the people below us. Ethan, being a 13-year old boy, loved every eerie, weird, and gross thing in the museum. I was most awed by the car parked on the side of the building about 20 feet in the air. I was especially impressed because it was a Corvette.
We enjoyed a little family competition on the Go-Kart track before stopping in at the Dells 4D Theater for some experiential movie watching. We were misted, poked, and shook. Ethan said the most fun was hearing the startled cries and comments from people who entered the theater after us. I agreed.
My family is competitive. I like to think it’s at the healthy level and not the “beyond reason” level. But, that was sorely tested at Wizard Quest.
This is a newly-created interactive activity. It’s like a scavenger hunt inside a creative world of enchantment. There are four realms. Each is a huge room filled with first-class scenery and props. We chose to explore the Earth realm first. It was a two-story high room filled with secret passages, slides, and trick mirrors – which Ross bumped into on several occasions.
I won’t tell you if we solved all the clues within the 90-minute allotted time. But, I will tell you that Ross wouldn’t leave until we had found the four wizards. Ethan, Autumn, and Ross decided this was their favorite activity in the Dells. For me, it’s hard to compete with the spa (see “Winding Down” post) or hiking.
The Kalahari Resort is home to the largest indoor water park in the United States. Ethan and Autumn weren’t concerned with bragging rights of the water parks, all they cared about was how much fun they were having.
Their favorite activity was the Kalahari Surfari. Officially named the FlowRider®, it produces five-foot waves to simulate the surf. In fact, 50,000 gallons of water flow under you each minute. That’s a lot of water pressure. You could learn to surf, but Ethan and Autumn opted to ride the Knee Boards.
Our whole family likes roller coasters. At Kalahari, they “just add water” to give us the Master Blaster, a 575-foot uphill water roller coaster ride. Wheee!
The best part about this waterpark? It’s free – when you stay at the Kalahari Resort.
When the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory says it’s an Interactive Science Center, they aren’t kidding. There were so many hands-on displays and fun experiments to play with, I didn’t think I’d get the kids past the first few exhibits. After encouraging them to move along after playing with the puzzles, the trivia game, and the basketball challenge, we finally made it to the space travel exhibit.
There was an original trainer for The International Space Station, along with many other fascinating tributes to space travel. This is where my husband, Ross, stalled. I had to drag him from the exhibit.
My favorite part of the Exploratory was that every activity had an explanation of how or why it worked. After three days of fun activities purely for the sake of fun, it was nice to see my children enjoying something educational.
Wait. Did I say that was my favorite part? Oops. Education wins second place. First place goes to the soccer simulator. You see, I beat my husband. Yes, all 6’1” of him couldn’t block as many goals as just 5’ of me. Perhaps it’s childish, but I’m still relishing in the glory of my victory.
In addition to all the commercial activities, Wisconsin Dells also provides some beautiful nature. Just a few minutes outside the Dells, we were a world away at Devil’s Lake State Park.
We scoffed when we saw that the trail map suggested 45 minutes for the 4/10 mile Balanced Rock Trail. About half-way through the straight up climb, we realized why it took so long. But the view of Devil’s Lake was encouraging as we continued upward. At the top of the cliff, we were able to look down on the treetops into the forest below. I love being able to look at things from a different perspective. And, looking at the tops of trees from above is certainly unique. These particular trees were arrayed in hues of yellow, orange, and red – and every shade in between.
Ethan climbed at least twice as far as the rest of us because he shunned our path in lieu of blazing his own trail. He climbed over and around the boulders on the cliff face. He did stop occasionally and deign to peer over to check on our progress. Being the naturally slightly over-protective mom, I did occasionally admonish him to be careful and reminded him that if he broke his leg, his soccer coach would strangle him.
When we returned to the parking lot, I looked up … and up … and up to the top of the cliff. Wow. Did we really climb all the way up there?
Kelly’s Comments (If you go …)
Waterpark (at Kalahari Resort). Included with your stay at the Resort: indoor & outdoor waterpark and indoor theme park. This is the best place to stay in the Dells! www.KalahariResorts.com/wi/
Tommy Bartlett Exploratory (Interactive Science Center). www.TommyBartlett.com 608.254.2525
Devil’s Lake State Park. www.WIParks.net
Concept Attractions. They offer a combo ticket that includes: Wizard Quest, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!®, and Dells 4D Theater. www.ConceptAttractions.com