Baraboo, WI (The Dells) - July 13 - 18, 2006
After several days admiring Madison and enjoying the bike paths, we headed north to Baraboo and the Wisconsin Dells. The Dells have a kind of carnival atmosphere. We were not quite ready for the kitschy, touristy shops and hawkers everywhere. The Dells, once made famous for its scenic beauty by photographer H. H. Bennett, the inventor of stop action photography, is now better known for its elaborate water parks. Additionally, this family vacation destination offers several golf courses, the Barnum and Bailey Circus and Museum, water sports and boating on the lake and river, hiking in two nearby state parks, evening entertainment, a casino, shopping and dining options - all of which attract lots and lots of people.
While in the area we took a boat cruise on the lake and enjoyed a refreshing day at Noah's Ark Water Park, which claims to be the largest water park in the world. We were happy to see we weren't the only AWOKs (Adults Without Kids) in the park. Susan, the hyper-acrophobe, actually went down "The Point of No Return", a 10-story water slide, in just under 5 seconds. For exhibiting this bravery she believed she should receive a "badge of courage". Alas, no badge as yet in the mail. The water park was great fun and we enjoyed sliding through rides ranging from the Bermuda Triangle to the Time Warp, and at days end we felt totally rejuvenated (our inner child was very happy).
We also spent a wonderful morning at the International Crane Foundation at Baraboo. This is a must see collection of the world's crane species. The Baraboo facility works with other organizations worldwide to protect and restore the crane population, including teaching cranes born in captivity how and where to migrate. In Spring 2006, two Whooping Crane chicks were hatched at the Baraboo facility. These are the first chicks born in the Midwest in nearly 100 years. During our visit, there was also a fabulous photography exhibition of the winter cranes of Hokkaido, Japan.
