For The Daredevil

Rate the Roller Coasters

Roller coaster aficionados travel the country to test and rate coasters, and in Wisconsin Dells the results have been top notch. At Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park, Hades 360º is the world's first looping all-wooden roller coaster and was declared #14 on Amusement Today's "Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters" list in 2013. 

Meanwhile, at Timber Falls Adventure Park the Hellcat, a wooden/steel hybrid, has inspired reviewers at American Coasters Enthusiasts to say that the ride has "Incredible ejecter air on each hill, unmatched by any other coaster" and "If you love sustained intensity - don't miss Hellcat." That's on dry land, but don't forget the water roller coasters that are burning up the tracks at a number of waterparks. 

Interview Recommendations

• Craig Krieski, General Manager at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park
• Andy Waterman of Timber Falls, who can talk about the challenges of building a world-class roller coaster in a small space

Round-Up/Trend/Sidebar Story Ideas

• What to look for when rating roller coasters
• The differences between wood and steel construction

Go-Kart Capital

Not to go overboard with the superlatives, but Wisconsin Dells is also known as the Go-Kart Capital of Wisconsin. Speed demons seem to like the challenging road course and hairpin turns at ADare Go Carts. Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park is another option, with its many tracks.

Interview Recommendations

• Dan Gavinski, owner of ADare Go Carts on the favorite stretches of the track
• Nick Laskaris, owner of Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park on the number of tracks in his park

Round-Up/Trend/Sidebar Story Ideas

• Building one day of your vacation around adventure pursuits
• Keeping tweens and teens satisfied during family getaways