Posts Tagged ‘Wisconsin Dells’

Time to reserve campground reservations for peak weekends is slipping by, or has already.  This is a message we can’t hammer home enough. You simply have to reserve now for most weekends at Devil’s Lake and many other state parks to have a sporting chance at getting a weekend spot.  Yes, there is the whole drive in and play “campsite lotto” approach but don’t count on it.  Back when I worked in the reservation office at Devil’s Lake State Park I spent every Friday evening it seems telling visitor after visitor that we were full  and that they just have to reserve WAY in advance!!   I’m not sure it ever helped much.  Some things never change.

These days, the way to reserve a campsite at our area state parks is simply to head on over to Reserve America which handles most SP reservations in our area.  (We are a Reserve America Partner by the way.) To check availablity and reserve a campsite at Devil’s Lake State Park just click here.   To check availability at other regional state parks just follow a link below.

• Check Mirror Lake State Park Reservations – Between Baraboo & Wisconsin Dells
  
• Check Rocky Arbor State Park Reservations – Wisconsin Dells
• Check Buckhorn State Park – 25 miles north of Wisconsin Dells
  
• Check Roche-A-Cri State Park – 30 miles north of Wisconsin Dells
• Check Governor Dodge State Park – Near Spring Green
• Check Wyalusing State Park – 2.5 hours west on the Mississippi River.

Tower Hill near Spring Green is another possibility but only has 11 first come/first serve sites.

For Private Campgrounds near Devil’s Lake State Park Click Here.

For Hotels & Motels in our area browse the Skillet Creek Reservation Service.  You’ll find amenities, maps, guest ratings, reviews and more.  A hotel room is not quite as hard to come by as a campsite in the area, but still reserving now for peak weekends is a pretty good plan.

• Click here to start with Baraboo area lodging options. (Including Wisconsin Dells)
• Click here for other cities around the state.

This Scenic drive is a wonderfully picturesque 40 mile loop that begins and ends right here in Baraboo and can make for a fun family road trip any time of year. Along the way you’ll view old country churches, rustic cabins, wildlife and farmscapes surrounded by rolling hills, stone cliffs & amazing sandstone formations. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit Natural Bridge State Park, have your picture taken on the “Devil’s Chair” and stop by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Ready? O.K. Let’s go… Read the rest of this entry »

The new roundabouts have been up on the intersections of Moon Rd., and Highway 12 near Wisconsin Dells for a while now.  How are you feeling about them?  Opinions seem to be quite mixed.  I’ve heard everything from love to indifference, to flat out hatred.  Regardless of taste however,  roundabouts have been shown to be more efficient and safer than standard intersections in most instances. Chances are we’ll be seeing more in the very near future.

Roundabouts have been around in the UK since the 1960s and have been gaining popularity here in the states as well.  For good reason. According to studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, roundabouts provide a 90% reduction in fatal crashes and 76% reduction in injury crashes.  They also reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes as well.  That’s not 50% or 10% but 90%!  You have to take a moment to let that soak in.

Right now the biggest problem with our new roundabouts is that they are not intended for highway traffic. The moon road roundabouts are intended to be part of bypass but are currently taking all Highway 12 traffic into and out of Wisconsin Dells while the multi-lane highway is being completed. Given that, they seem to be performing quite well.  Once construction on the new highway is completed, the roundabouts won’t see nearly as much traffic as they are shuffling right now.

Another issue causing some delay is that many folks in the area are simply not familiar with roundabouts. Often  “newbies” will stop for a moment to get their bearings before proceeding, especially if there is heavy truck traffic.  In time drivers will simply take them in their stride. A few might even find them kinda fun!

If you’ve never driven a roundabout before here’s a nice video introduction to driving through them.

Get The Facts!

• Roundabout info from the Wisconsin DOT
• Roundabout Question & Answer
• Local News Article reference

What do you think of the new roundabouts?  Share your comments!

What’s the big new thing in Wisconsin Dells this year?  Well for us outdoor adrenaline junkie types it’s got to be the new Big Foot Zipline Course!  What’s ziplining?

Well ziplining is that thing you see crazy people doing on the National Geographic channel where they hook themselves to a cable and then jump from really high places.  It’s certainly as close to being Laura Croft as most of us will ever get.

More recently ziplining tours and courses around the country have opened up the fun to everyone.  Basically you are secured in a harness and clipped onto an overhead cable.. then you jump.. then you fly!  Sometimes near 50mph or more depending on where you do it.  Some ziplines send you from the top of a cliff back to the ground or across a river. Some allow you to sail through forest canopies.  Some ziplines send you into a high-speed crash.. ah, “water landing” that could profoundly change your whole outlook on life.  Well maybe not quite, but you get my drift.

In Wisconsin Dells, the owners of the Wisconsin Dells Army Ducks are proud to be opening the Dells’ largest zipline course with over 5000 feet of aerial craziness.  We are far enough ahead of the curve on this story that they are still working on their website.  We do know the course will include over 5,000 feet of line to run, 1 double race, 1 big water crossing, 1 water landing and more.  Big Foot Ziplines opens in May of 2010.  Stay with us as we progress into the summer season.  We’ll give it a try and let you know how it goes..

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* For the sake of full disclosure. Wis Dells Army Ducks is a Skillet Creek Media client, advertiser, and friends of many years.  So I may be bias, and they quite possibly may hurl me off a cliff for free when given the chance.. but then again..

The Flake Out Festival is coming to Wisconsin Dells this weekend, Jan 22 – 24th.  We’ll certainly be there! In honor of their 20th anniversary and to save you the effort of reading every last page of the festival website.. Here’s our list of “10 things you may not know you can do at the Wisconsin Dells Flake Out Festival this weekend”…

Number 10 – Watch Winter Fireworks on Saturday Night!

Number 9 – Read the full menu & beverage selections on the website!.. ah, no..forget that!

Number 8 – Meet the critter who said, ” “How bout that, I go to sleep a bear, and wake up an octopus!”

Number 7 – Eat chicken with your mittens on!!

Number 6 – Listen to Swing Crew.. and request songs by Insane Clown Posse just for fun! (Must be a Baraboo thing!)

Number 5 – Take a class.  Ah, never stop learning…

Number 4 – Watch dogs pull stuff.

Number 3 – Get lost in an ice maze!

Number 2 - Ride A Pony!

Number 1 – Make BBQ Snow Cones! Well, probably not but with that silliness out of the way, be sure to check out the website for details and daily events, then check out the festival this weekend. We’ll see ya there!

* Today’s Image is from a great Wallpaper created by Michael M. Knight and can be downloaded here.

I was on my way out to Stand Rock Campground a few days back when I passed by the Riverside & Great Northern Railway on County Rd. N in Wisconsin Dells. Driving by reminded me that I had been wanting to talk about Great Northern since it holds a bit of that vintage Wisconsin Dells spirit that many remember. It also provides another unique way to enjoy the natural beauty of Wisconsin Dells.

The Great Northern Railway is a 15-inch Gauge mini-Steam train that travels on a 3 mile track through canyons, forests, rock walls and of course along the upper Dells of the Wisconsin River. Great Northern is open now on the weekends and will be open daily from memorial day forward. Train rides are $10 for adults and $8 for children (3 and younger ride free). They also offer a free ride to active duty military personnel and their families which is very cool. Check out their website for all the details and scroll to the bottom for a $1 web discount.

Oh, and if you are into trains don’t miss the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom.