You can’t do a tour of Wisconsin and miss the Dells. Much like Branson or other highly touristed areas, the Dells are classic. Think waterparks, mini-golf, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. We weren’t really interested in any of those attractions, but we did have a fun time with some great friends. 

Near the Wisconsin Dells are two beautiful state parks. We started at Mirror Lake on a warm, rainy morning with a kayak in an area called “the narrows.” In a limestone cut through the lake we paddled through downed trees and moss-covered water. 

Shortly after our paddle we were joined by our Prescott neighbors, Dave and Peggy Armstrong. This is the third summer the Armstrongs have planned to cross paths with us during our summer travels. They met us in Montana two years ago and last year joined us in Homer, Alaska. This year it was Wisconsin! 

We started our joint adventures with a morning of fishing for the guys and hiking for Peggy and I at Devils Lake State Park. Devils Lake is known for its unique rock formations high above the lake. Devil’s Door and Balanced Rock made getting lost on the way up worth it. We enjoyed our hike and the guys even caught a few fish!

After our morning at Devils Lake and lunch at a Wisconsin staple, Culver’s, we explored a site I’ve been wanting to see for many years: Circus World. Yes, I’ve harbored a secret love for the circus since I was very young, and Circus World just rekindled that passion! Located in Baraboo, the winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus, Circus World boasts the world’s largest collection of restored circus wagons, circus posters, and even more memorabilia than you can imagine. After exploring the exhibits which are housed in the Ringling’s old elephant barns, we enjoyed a mini-circus under the big top. 

This is the last year Ringling’s elephants will be part of the show, as the new version of the circus, which is debuting this fall, will be animal-free. I took that as a sign that I needed to fulfill my dreams of being one of the girls who gets to ride the elephants in the circus. The only thing that would have made it better was to be able to wear the pretty costume while atop the elephant!

It was a thrill of a lifetime and I learned something: I’m allergic to elephants! A little itching and hives was so worth the experience.

Our kayak at Mirror Lake was so awesome that we returned with Peggy and Dave to try it again. Peggy and I kayaked into the narrows on a clear and sunny morning while the boys tried their hand at fishing. We had a successful paddle and the guys caught nothing.

You can’t come to the Dells and not do the classic Dells cruise, which has been operating in some form since the mid 1850s. The four of us took the recommended upper dells cruise which lasted about two hours and took us up the Wisconsin River to view geologic features that have defined this area for ages.

We stopped at the Witches Gulch and walked through the narrow passages that have been carved by wind and water over time.

Our second stop was Stand Rock, a giant sandstone pillar that’s home to the famous jumping dogs. They used to have children do the jumping but that’s not allowed anymore. 

We finished our stay in the Dells with a visit to the Ringling Mansion and adjacent brewery. Steve was there for the brewery and Peggy, Dave, and I did the mansion tour, learning about the life as a Ringling. 

Our time with Peggy and Dave was short but we packed a lot in, including some great meals! Thanks for joining us guys!

From the Dells we drove a little less than 150 miles to Chippewa Falls. Here we visited the original home of Leinenkugel Brewery. Established in 1867 by Jacob Leinenkugel, the brewery is still run by members of the family. We enjoyed our tour through the brew house and bottling facility almost as much as we enjoyed our tasting. 

We’ve been on the go and will soon have another location to tell you about. Hint: Steve’s running another marathon or two.