Fawn Creek Winery

Fall's Top 10

So you claim to be a veteran Dells' traveler. But have you partaken of these 10 fall activities? If so, your title stands. If not, better get going.

• Stake out a spot on the sidewalk for the September Wo-Zha-Wa Fall Festival parade.
• Dine at a Wisconsin Dells sports bar while watching a football game.
• Hike the Ice Age Trail at Devil's Lake State Park.
• Sample your favorite microbrews at Dells On Tap, part of Autumn Harvest Fest.
• Cast your line for walleye in the Wisconsin River.
• Stroll the RiverWalk downtown and take in the river and sandstone bluffs.
• Get in some early Wisconsin Dells shopping for the holidays.
• Tour a local winery and sip a seasonal wine.
• Set aside a full day for golf before fall color turns to winter white.
• Tour the river by Wisconsin Dells Duck or by tour boat and soak up autumn in all its glory.

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Wholesale Pandimonium, In A Good Way That Is, In Wisconsin Dells

Every January in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., the resort community better known as “The Waterpark Capital of the World!®”, there is a little tradition the local visitor bureau likes to call the official release of what’s new for the coming year.  Given everything that’s debuting in the Dells for 2012, frankly it might have been easier to chronicle what’s not new.  But, in the spirit of keeping the tradition alive, here is the rundown of new waterpark rides, attractions, accommodations, restaurants, shops and outdoor adventures for the new year.

Big Waterpark News
Starting outdoors, Noah’s Ark Waterpark, America’s Largest Waterpark, is debuting Quadzilla, a $1 million family mat racer slide that stands 47 feet tall, with lanes that run 323 feet long.  How can that be, you ask?  Because the four slides making up this ride are literally braided and twisted together, a first-of-its-kind for this community.  Riders will plunge head first on Quadzilla, reaching top speeds of just over 20 mph.  If you do the math, that’s 24 seconds from top to bottom.  The lanes start out enclosed, but as you race to the bottom, they become open lanes so you can see who’s winning in the side-by-side competition.  As you crest over vertical curves and gain even more speed toward the bottom, be prepared to experience a feeling of weightlessness.

At Kalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center, they’ve literally raised the roof to install two indoor Super Loop waterslides, the first of their kind in the world, the Sahara Sidewinders.  These slides stand 65 feet tall, which meant extending a section of the roof to accommodate the added height.  You’ll even be able to see the top of these slides from the interstate.  Riders will step into the slide and brace themselves as a trapdoor opens below their feet, sending them rocketing at speeds up to 25 mph.  Kalahari also installed an additional free fall slide for the really adventurous called the Screaming Hyena.  While the new slides will be a hit with tweens and teens, the toddlers have not been left out, as the resort has opened a new kid’s play zone called Tiko’s Watering Hole, with more than a dozen kiddie slides and interactive African animal figures – think grey-crowned cranes doubling as squirt guns.  A rain tree gushes water as if it’s raining for added squeals.

Heading back outside, the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort is adding two new water tube-style slides, one that loops and one that jettisons riders straight down, both with trap doors to get the free fall started.  Riders can reach speeds up to 40 mph thanks to maximum G force.  Both of these behemoths will be in the Glacier Canyon Lodge section of the sprawling resort, the country’s largest combo indoor/outdoor waterpark property.

Over at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Parks, their archeological crew has “excavated” the $3 million Lost City of Atlantis, a gigantic outdoor water fortress that covers over three acres.  This new archeological find will be easy to spot at a whopping six stories tall.  Tailored for all age groups, the Lost City of Atlantis will feature a monster dump bucket and seven water slides including a bowl ride, boomerang slide, family tube slide, kids’ water slides and a geyser blasting water over 160 feet.

The new splash pad at Sherwood Forest Camping & RV Park proves waterpark fun doesn’t have to be limited to just waterpark resorts.  This zero-depth attraction is festooned with rainbow water arches, squirt cannons and geysers.

New Ways to Be Entertained
There is a really nice variety of new indoor attractions this year starting with Wild Fun Zone, located downtown Dells and offering indoor bumper cars with spinning action, 3-D black light mini golf, a laser tag arena that takes the shape of a space cave, virtual roller coaster ride and mega arcade.  Look for the huge gorilla on the top of the building to find this place.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum has added a “shrunken head alley” featuring a half-dozen actual shrunken heads.  Next door at Wizard Quest, a new character by the name of Professor Oodlesmack has been added to the quest displays.  His eccentric hobby is creating new flavors of popcorn, so naturally there is an Oodlesmack Popcorn counter attached to Wizard Quest, with more than 40 different gourmet flavors.  Plus, the Dells 4D Special FX Theater, on the same block, has two new films this year that will make you feel like you’re in the movie.

There’s just something about oversized gadgets that gets kids, and adults, engaged.  At the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory – Interactive Science Center, you can lift a 3,000 pound car off the ground using an oversized lever.  This new hands-on exhibit is located right outside of the front entrance to the Exploratory.  Head inside and you’ll find two other new exhibits – one, a musical experiment called “Dancing Sands” and the other a “Square Wheel” that actually rolls.  Side note – the Exploratory is also celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2012.

Outdoor Recreation and Adventures

Vertical Illusions, known for its inspiring Wisconsin River kayak and rock climbing adventures, is now offering an Eco Zip Line Canopy Tour.  You’ll zip off the top of Chimney Rock, a 500-foot bluff affording 120-mile views, and then travel along 15 tree-to-tree zip lines without ever touching the ground. For winter visitors, Vertical Illusions offers a 40-foot frozen waterfall climb.

If you like zip lining, there’s a good chance you’ll also like the new adventure ropes course located inside the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort.   It’s called the Northern Lights Sky Ropes Course and it’s perched 30 feet above the mega arcade in the Wild West region of the property.  Wearing a full-body safety harness, you’ll climb your way around 42 challenges with varying degrees of difficulty.

Big Chief’s Go Karts is new, with enough uphills and downhills to make you dizzy.  A hairpin turn is thrown in for good measure.

Lost Voyage, a nighttime adventure on the Wisconsin River that takes participants on a mystifying scavenger hunt of sorts in search of a mythical (or is it?) tour boat that vanished years ago, has new chapters planned for this ongoing conspiracy mystery.  Look for clues online, in the ticket center lobby and as you enter Cold Water Canyon on foot and interact with characters you meet along the way.

For baby boomers and older, the first thing that probably comes to mind when they hear “P.T. 109” is the movie by the same name that dramatized President John F. Kennedy’s WWII experiences during which he captained a PT boat.  Now, it’s also part of the moniker for a Wisconsin River tour of the Upper Dells glacial park. The P.T. 109 Boat Patrol sightseeing excursion is narrated, drawing on both history and legend of the river, and showcases the sandstone rock formations.

Sports Report
This is just about ESPN-worthy news.  JustAgame Fieldhouse has completed a huge addition to its facility, adding two regulation high school courts that can be reconfigured to a regulation college court with seating for 2,000.  No sooner were the floorboards in place than the announcement came that JustAgame had been selected by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association as the site for the 2012 All Star Games, bringing 200 of the best Wisconsin high school players to the Dells.

Anniversaries and Reunions
The Tommy Bartlett Show is marking the 60th anniversary of its iconic water ski show with reunion performances the weekend of June 30-July 1, inviting skiers back to celebrate with the current cast of “Livin’ the Dream.”  Retro ski acts are making a comeback too, featuring the ski tricks that made the show famous the world over.  Other special events and appearances to mark the occasion will be sprinkled throughout the summer.

Both Swiss Maid Fudge and Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge are marking their 50th anniversaries with sweet specialties that will only be available for the anniversary year.

Wollersheim Winery is celebrating its 40th anniversary of being in business, although the land’s use as a vineyard dates back to the 1840s, with tours, events, displays and wine releases.  Already a national historic site, Wollersheim was also recently bestowed with an historical marker from the county’s historical society.

A Little Food, A Little Wine
Sprecher’s Restaurant & Pub of Wisconsin Dells brings to town its casual style dining, micro-brews and gourmet sodas made by its own Sprecher Brewery.  The cream soda is a must, as is the root beer.

Fawn Creek Winery has introduced two new wines.  The Kilbourn Red is a cranberry-flavored Shiraz; one dollar from the sale of every bottle is donated to the Kilbourn Volunteer Fire Department of Wisconsin Dells.  Cabin Fever is a backberry-flavored Merlot and is billed as a seasonal wine to help cure the doldrums of Wisconsin winters.

Insider Shopping Finds
Downtown has a new shopping experience in women’s apparel – it’s a boutique called Alpha Beta Karma.  This store has the feeling of a Parisian flea market meets So Ho boutique, thanks to the owners’ frequent buying trips to bring in fashion, jewelry, footwear and accessories from both east and west coast designers.

The third downtown newcomer is Thirty Below Leather, selling an ever evolving inventory of purses, gloves, hats, wallets and belts, and the best part is that every item in the store is $30 or less.

For anyone into gardening, Wisconsin Landscaping & Garden Center will lure you in with their solar gazing balls, glass bird feeders and garden art. If you’re in Wisconsin Dells on a celebration vacation and would like flowers delivered, their floral department is at your service.

RVs Welcome
Finally, Ho-Chunk Gaming – Wisconsin Dells has added a new recreational vehicle park to its complex.  It’s called Hocak Houisa Chi’ Nuk Luxury RV Park, which translates to "Ho-Chunk Parking Village."  This three-season addition has 49 spaces with amenities like Wi-Fi, water, sewer, electric, fire pits and picnic tables, along with a comfort station with showers and a guest laundry facility.

If you’re still looking for other things to do in the Dells, then you are not only ambitious but clearly a diehard fan, so have at it by logging on to the official web site, www.wisdells.com.  There you’ll find complete listings of waterparks, attractions, restaurants, retail, lodging and service choices.

Make It A Grown-up Getaway

While Wisconsin Dells built its reputation on family-friendly offerings, there’s nothing to say you can’t vacation here without the kids. In fact, there’s lots to suggest you should.

For golfers, there are six courses in all and three of them are critically acclaimed championship courses. Wild Rock Golf Club is built around and through a former quarry and Links, Golf Digest and Golf magazines all rated it among the top 10 new courses for 2008. Trappers Turn Golf Club and Cold Water Canyon Golf Course at Chula Vista Resort complete the trio.

Some say golf and spa is a natural twosome. If you agree, rent one of Sundara Inn & Spa’s private villas overlooking the Wild Rock course and make time for a golfer’s massage and a dip in their heated outdoor infinity pool. At Chula Vista Resort, their golf villas also overlook the fairway and are within easy walking distance of the clubhouse. There’s a spa on-premise here too, Spa Del Sol, where the Couples Massage Flame Experience, which uses a flame-warmed essential oil, is the newest addition to their menu of services.

Now that you’re feeling warm on the outside, feel all warm in the inside with some wine tastings. Wollersheim Winery in nearby Prairie du Sac is breathtaking, with steep vineyards overlooking the Wisconsin River and historic buildings making up the estate. French winemaker Philippe Coquard deserves a clink of the glasses for his ability to combine European tradition with Wisconsin’s fickle growing season in the production of distinctive award-winning wines. Fawn Creek Winery in Wisconsin Dells also has a fine selection of wines and a micro menu of olive trays, artisan cheese flights, breads with dipping oils and even Wisconsin microbrews that are just too tempting to pass up.

Let’s stick with microbrews for a moment longer. Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Co. serves up 10 hand-crafted beers. Take a peek at their copper-clad barrels, then ask for the brewmaster’s recommendation for a seasonal brew. They also make a mean root beer.

Moving from microbrews to munching, when you’re without the kids you should make dinner out a special occasion. Try one of the area’s well-respected supper clubs.  The Del-Bar has been around since the 1940s and only gets better with age. With its Prairie-style architecture, expansive wine cellar and exquisitely prepared steaks, it’s a special treat. Other places with great ambiance and equally great steaks are Field’s at the Wilderness, House of Embers, Kaminski Bros. Chop House, Ishnala Supper Club and Copper Oak Steak House at Ho-Chunk Gaming, Wisconsin Dells.

Imagine shopping without children in tow. You can linger in jewelry boutiques like Artistic Expression Gift Gallery, selecting from among the works of 150 artists. You can try on outfit after designer outfit at Alpha Beta Karma. You can pick out that piece of artwork that calls to you at places like Holiday House and Cranberry Connections. Better bring along a friend to help carry all the bags.

Gather some energy for a night out. Ho-Chunk Gaming has slots, Black Jack and bingo. Their newest table game is Baccarat. Other nightlife in the Dells comes in other forms too, like comedy or music. For music, the dueling pianos act at Monk’s at the Wilderness is a hoot. And Marley’s – A Taste of the Caribbean turns into a hot-spot dance club at night. One venue that offers both laughs and music acts is Crystal Grand Music Theatre. If you’re in the mood for a nightcap, head to Showboat Saloon, Sand Bar or Zap’s Tap to name a few of the local’s favorites.

Here’s one surprise recommendation for your trip without kids - play at the waterparks. When it’s just the grown-ups, you can ride all the daring slides, float the lazy river as long as you want, and rent a decked-out private poolside cabana at one of the waterpark resorts, like the new Grand Cabana at the Kalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center where you can lounge in your own private 12-foot-long hot tub.

Date Night in the Dells

Date Night Itineraries

Some of us are better than others at planning the perfect date. Doesn’t mean you’re any less romantic or sentimental, it may just mean you need a little help nailing down the details. That’s what themed itineraries are for. So, in the spirit of coupledom, here are five “perfect date” ideas for Wisconsin Dells.

Nature Lover

Start out with a hike at Devil’s Lake State Park and snap a selfie at the top of a bluff. Or rent a kayak for two at Mirror Lake State Park: Boat & Kayak Rental. Follow that with a boat tour of the upper dells of the Wisconsin River, knowingly pointing out Romance Cliff. Finish up with pasta at Sarento’s Restaurant (you earned it with all that exercise and fresh air) and ask the piano player there to play your song. Then retreat to your campsite for some star-gazing.  
 

Cosmopolitan

This is a dinner-and-a-show kind of night. Get tickets for a top-name act at Ho-Chunk Gaming, Wisconsin Dells or Crystal Grand Music Theatre. A country performer is a sure bet for some love songs to melt hearts. Before the show, have dinner at House of Embers and ask for the two-person Omar Shariff room, site to more than 500 marriage proposals, or at Ishnala Supper Club where corner table #15 is worth the wait for the view of Mirror Lake. After the show, go for high-energy dancing at The Reef, or a quiet nightcap at Del-Bar or Field’s at the Wilderness.

Foodie

Nothing more romantic for foodies than a winery tour. If you have time, visit a trio of wineries: Wollersheim Winery & Distillery, Fawn Creek Winery and Baraboo Bluff Winery. Keep an eye out for the schedule at Dells Trolley Tours. If you time your visit right, you might be able to catch their winery tour. If you’re more into microbrews than wines, there’s Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Co., or Port Huron Brewing Company. End the day at High Rock Café – ask for a table on the second floor for a great view of downtown Dells. Or go for the Wisconsin River view at the elegant Kaminski’s Chop House at Chula Vista Resort.

Escape

Focus only on each other with an escape from the real world. Get the pro treatment with a round of golf at one of the championship golf courses in the Dells – there’s Wild Rock, Trappers Turn and Christmas Mountain Village™ Golf Course. Book side-by-side massages in one of the Spa Together rooms at Sundara Inn & Spa and linger at the heated outdoor infinity pool after. Stay at a secluded B&B like Bowman’s Oak Hill Bed & Breakfast, LLC where they have an airstream trailer with private covered deck where you’ll find side-by-side vintage claw foot soaking tubs.   

Fun Waterparks

They are for couples in love too! Reserve a cabana, then play to your heart’s content. On dry land, go go-karting, ziplining and roller coaster riding. Or snow tubing in the winter. For a little friendly competition, there’s always bowling and laser tag.