Posts Tagged ‘Wisconsin Dells’

By 9am this morning between 100 and 150 protesters had already gathered on the sidewalks leading to Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells where the annual Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism is being held.  Protesters are speaking out against the Republican Governor’s stance on collective bargaining for unions, proposed changes in Wisconsin’s environmental laws and more.  Protesters tell us that there are plans for a larger gathering tomorrow evening when the Governor’s Dinner and Awards Celebration is held beginning with the pre-reception at 5:30 pm and into the night.  Law enforcement was visible but light.  The only press on scene at the time was WKNOW Channel 27 from Madison, WI.

We have published more pictures from today’s protest here | Pop-Up Slide Show Here & short raw video on YouTube here.

The annual Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism will kick off Sunday, March 6th at the Kalahari Resort & Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells and run through the 8th.  Attendees will get to spend 3 days listening to various experts in the tourism industry speak about ways to improve their bottom line as well as  listen to Governor Scott Walker “share his vision” for the state’s tourism industry as well.  The Governor’s speech will begin at 8:30 am on Monday.

For those of us interested in outdoor recreation it’s fair to say that this event is not on the top of our annual agenda.  By any standard WIGCOT is a quasi-political event filled with movers and shakers on the high end of Wisconsin’s travel industry. It’s no surprise to anyone that it’s held in Wisconsin Dells. What’s more, the new governor has taken a strong stance against many of the state’s environmental issues including a budget that eliminates mandatory recycling & funding, making it harder to acquire land for preservation and recreation through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, cutting funding for cycling & pedestrian trails and more.  He has also separated Wisconsin’s DNR wardens from the rest of the state’s law enforcement when it comes to exemptions to the removal of collective bargain rights for state workers.

So while the attendees to the 2011 WIGCOT event are enjoying “a six-story Ferris wheel, 24 lanes of bowling, 18 holes of mini-golf, over 200 arcade games, go carts and so much more!”,  we’ll still be trying to find enough volunteers to keep the trails clear and pick up the trash that will soon start piling up at our understaffed and underfunded state parks. While there is good reason to believe attendance at Wisconsin’s state  parks & natural areas will only go up in the near future, funding will most likely keep going down.

• WIGCOT 2011 Official Website

If it weren’t for the Green Bay Packers and regular snow fall, we’d be hard pressed for headlines here in central Wisconsin this time of year.  Yesterday’s storm closed schools early and made roads treacherous as usual.  There was one very tragic accident  at Mirror Lake which left one person dead and closed the Interstate highway all day and through last night.  During the summer months we paddle under that bridge regularly and that certainly gives you a unique perspective on this accident.

The weather over the next few days will be colder than usual, but not really the arctic freeze you’re hearing about in the papers. Well, other than Friday anyway when the day’s high will struggle to reach 3f.   Most outdoorsy folks won’t be slowed down. In fact, I expect to see a few campers at Devil’s Lake State Park regardless of temps.  The good news is that the long range forecast is calling for a warmer than usual second half of the season which should kick off not long after the Packers-Bears game this Sunday.

I’d bet attendance this Sunday at the annual Wisconsin Dells Flake Out festival may be a little down.. Unless they come up with some winter weather-proof big screens.

After the last Christmas ornament is taken down and the last of the New Year’s confetti is swept from the corners of the floor, the “Now What?” season begins.   We’ve entered the time of year when few events take place, when the cold begins to really sink in and day dreams of summer begin to interrupt our work days. Let’s face it, for many of us it’s hard to be a big fan of winter.  I’m feeling it too..

Well, don’t despair, spring is just a few short months away.  In the mean time, there are a few local events coming up to take your mind off the gray days.  Eagle Watching Days kicks off Jan. 14-15 in Sauk-Prairie. January 21-23 will be the 21st anniversary celebration for the Flake Out Festival in Wisconsin Dells.  The Flake out is a good time and certainly worth a drive up to Wisconsin Dells.  The event offers lots of food & drink, an ice sculpting contest, live music, wagon rides and much more. Click here for details about the Flake Out Festival.  On February 5, many Wisconsin state parks will be holding another candlelight ski event including Mirror Lake State Park again.   Then, February 11th-13th the annual snow train will be running at Mid-Continent Railway Museum.  You’ll need to get your reservations in soon for that.  Taking in a local event whenever possible brings a bit of cheerful change to the long winter months.

Of course it helps to learn to enjoy outdoor recreation in the winter months as well. Why not learn to downhill ski this year at Devil’s Head Resort or Cascade Mountain.  We’ve promised our son he’d get to sample snowshoeing, downhill skiing and be able run the tube hill at Cascade Mountain before the season is up.  (One thing is sure, we’ll go during the week when the cost is $22 all day, as opposed to the weekend when they charge $22 for 2 hours!) Setting activity goals for the winter helps provide something to look forward to.

Kayak Sledding at Devil's Lake State Park

You could also head out to Devil’s Lake State Park for a bit of sledding on the big hill in the Quartzite Campground. We like to take our plastic kayaks out there for an occasional run.  What a blast! Oh, and of course there’s all those miles of trails to explore by ski or snowshoe!  It’s worth renting gear to see if you like it, but gear for either sport is not that expensive and it’s best to buy as soon as you feel committed. (Locally it costs about $15 to rent snowshoes for a day.)  Of course lots of folks are out snowmobiling and ice fishing as well this time of year.  We’ve had a bit of snow overnight so let’s hope the snowmobile trails will open up again here soon!

The real trick to surviving the “Now What?” season is simply staying busy.  Get outdoors, even if you’re not a big fan of winter.  Play, walk, take a long drive, explore…  If you just stay active, the late grey months of winter will soon be over.   I promise.

If you’re going to be in the Baraboo Hills this weekend to catch that fleeting “peak” of fall color, you’ll find quite a few other happenings going on in the area as well including a big-screen showing of the classic , “Wizard of Oz” at the AL.  So put on your ruby slippers and let’s ease on down the road…  Read the rest of this entry »

While in Wisconsin Dells you won’t go wrong stopping for lunch at the River Walk Pub along the Wisconsin Dells River Walk on…. you guessed it, River Road.  The River Walk Pub offers a modern faux-log cabin, Adirondack  atmosphere that has maybe become a bit too common in Wisconsin Dells these days.  Still, we have to admit that there is something within most of us that can’t help but feel warm and cozy amongst moose-deco & thickly lacquered woodwork, something the River Walk Pub has in spades!   Read the rest of this entry »

Flooding along the Wisconsin River between Wisconsin Dells and Portage continue today with residents of the low lying Black Hawk area being urged to evacuate. There are also reports of a possible levee breach near Black Hawk as well.  Of course flooding is not only contained to the Black Hawk area. High water has also closed sections of West Conant street on the north west side of Portage today.  Residents seemed to be taking a wait and see approach with little sandbagging going on (see above image).

Read the rest of this entry »

There will be loads of fun, but few fall colors when “Wo-Zha-Wa Days” kicks off tomorrow in Wisconsin Dells and runs through the weekend ( September 17th, 18th & 19th, 2010).  W0-Zha-Wa is an annual event and includes an arts and crafts fair, antique flea market, marathon run, live entertainment, a 75-unit parade and more (And of course you’ll find plenty of food as well.)  Festivities will be held in downtown Wisconsin Dells as well as at Bowman Park (Also located in Wisconsin Dells). Fall color watchers might see a few splashes of reds and yellows along the way, but as you can see from photo (above) taken at the Wisconsin Dells River Walk today, things are still pretty green. The real trick this weekend will be making the weather cooperate.

For More Information: Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau Event Page.

This is one of those stories you both hate to hear about for the sake of visitors to our area, and also can’t help but shake your head at when you hear it.   According to reports, Dells Island Resort (formerly Antiqua Bay) had been going through bankruptcy proceedings and at the same time someone within the organization was fiddling the electric meter.  Then, right before one of the biggest holidays of the year, their electricity was shut off forcing them to close.  That’s the bit where you feel bad for anyone who had reservations at Dells Island for the holiday weekend. Read the rest of this entry »

The annual Baraboo-Dells Air Show will take place this weekend from June 25-27, 2010 at the Baraboo-Dells Municipal Airport, located at 3440 South Hwy 12, in Baraboo, Wisconsin.  Daily tickets are Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for children and kids under 5 are free.  There is also a Friday night show beginning at 7pm (Parking opens at 6:30pm). Cost for the night show are $5 for adults, $5 for children and kids under 5 are free. Parking is on location and free.  For more information visit the Airshow Website.