Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and Lake Delton, that multi-mile Middle America meander clogged (by 10am) with
belching RVs and minivans disgorging sunburned consumers like Marines wading
ashore in Normandy. It's a giant, corny shakedown.
Obscenity or pure Americana? Well, both. It's got the classic symptoms of a
Niagara Falls: magnificent aesthetics and geological history mashed with the dizzy-
ing clatter of a tourist trap run amok. There are miles and seemingly endless miles
of water parks, knickknacks and curio shops, miniature golf courses, a Statue of
Liberty-size Trojan horse, go-carts, bungee jumping, helicopter rides, an odd casino
or two, otherwise rational people with arrows sticking out of their heads, and—oh,
yes—a ticket tout on every corner. The entire design of this Wisconsin city is aimed
at the sheer, unadulterated, hedonistic delight of the child, real and inner. And it's
wonderful—every frightening, wearying second of it.
Horse and Wagon Rides
One tradition in the Dells is taking a jaunt through the narrow back canyons via Lost
Canyon (608/254-8757, 8:30am-dusk daily in high season, $9.50 adults). The simple half-
hour trips on wagons accommodate up to 15 people and leave every 15 minutes from the
south shore of Lake Delton. The operation also has a separate stable for individual horse-
back riding, Canyon Creek (608/253-6942), south on U.S. 12; basic rates start at $20 per
hour with a coupon. Children also get a pony ring.
ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS
Big Sky Twin Drive-In
Catch it while you can, this nearly dead American tradition. At the Big Sky Twin Drive-
In (N9199 Winnebago Rd., 608/254-8025, www.bigskydrivein.com , $8), two huge screens
show four shows nightly—all first-run Hollywood stuff. The snack bar is huge. Big Sky is
one mile south of Wisconsin Dells via U.S. 16E.
Festivals and Events
The newest festival, May's Automotion, is a showcase of nearly 1,000 cars—antiques,
street machines, and classics—that includes swap meets, a car corral, cruises, and motor-
cycle classes.
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