The Wisconsin Dells is the most magical place. It’s super kitschy and touristy but it’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscape you will ever see. You need to experience it, trust me. Especially if you’re into camping and hiking, oh and of course, water parks! It’s the water park capital of the world. There are over twenty! Do yourself a favor and look into it for your next vacation spot. It will be worth it.
When you grow up on a river as iconic as the Mississippi River, something gets into your soul. You crave boat rides on brown water, through marshes, and backwaters. You feel the power and strength of the water and also a sense of calm and comfort. At least that’s how I feel. I decided for my first activity while back in Wisco I was going to take a boat tour. I chose the Upper Dells boat tour and it went beyond my expectations. It’s awesome! The main reason I chose to do the Upper Dells was because of Witch’s Gulch. It’s a slot canyon and I’d never been to one so I wanted to check it out.
The weather could not have been more corporative. Bluebird skies, a nice breeze, wasn’t insanely humid. The boats are pretty comfy too. There is an upper and lower deck, I chose the lower deck since a whisper of sunlight on my pale skin will turn it bright red faster than immediately. I snagged a window seat and took a zillion and half photos and videos of everything I could. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and pretty funny. We had two main stops, Witch’s Gulch and Stand Rock-home of the famous dog leap. There is a fair bit of walking during these stops and I’m not most athletic version of myself but I managed just fine and was proud of my body for making up the steeper parts of the hiking path after Stand Rock. There are also concessions at both places if you want refreshments. I’ll do a little photo dump of the tour below because really there’s not much more to say.
After the tour I asked one of the guides where their favorite place to eat was and she recommended Summer House Grill and Bar. I was able to enjoy a great burger on a covered patio that over looks the water. It was lovely. After that I headed over to my next Airbnb stay. Another farm and I was hoping this was going to go better than the last one.
It was amazing. The hosts were so sweet and Dorothy showed me to my room, made sure I knew where everything was and left me alone after that. It was perfect. This trip was already starting to be reflective and this was the first time I was renting a room in someone’s home so I didn’t know how social I needed to be. They were busy with other things and I sat myself out on the porch and watched the sun set over the valley. It was peaceful and perfect. My bed was clean and cosy, and since I was the only guest I had the whole upstairs to myself. My room was a former master suite so I had a couch and tv/lounge area to relax in before getting a really good night’s sleep. In the morning I got a fresh breakfast that was so so good and then Dorothy was able to give me a tour of the farm in the UTV! If you’re interested in booking, check out their site here. It was the perfect way to start Day Three of this adventure. The next stop was Viroqua to find and visit the graves of my ancestors before heading to the main destination, La Crosse.
Until Next Time,
Sarah