Devil's Lake State Park is one of the state parks most visited by people I know. It is most loved for its scenery, and there are many trails of varying difficulty throughout the park. Devil's Lake also houses some Native American burial mounds. The lake is clean, and many people camp here annually.
There's an unofficial travel guide website for the park at Devil's Lake Wisconsin
Devil's Lake State Park
S5975 Park Rd ~ Baraboo, WI ~ (608) 356-8301
Admission: State Park Vehicle Admission Sticker - $28/annual, $8/day
Showing posts with label Sauk County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sauk County. Show all posts
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Preview Post: Aldo Leopold Center
The Aldo Leopold Center in Baraboo is a nature center. It is mostly enjoyed for the outdoors, but there are also buildings that function as learning spaces and museums about Aldo Leopold, a diligent conservationist. There are tours you can take, or you can explore on your own.
Aldo Leopold Center
E13701 Levee Road ~ Baraboo, WI ~ (608) 355-0279
Admission: I do not believe there is an admission fee to enjoy the land. Tours do require fees.
Aldo Leopold Center
E13701 Levee Road ~ Baraboo, WI ~ (608) 355-0279
Admission: I do not believe there is an admission fee to enjoy the land. Tours do require fees.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Kalahari Indoor Theme Park
The girl child wanted to go to Kalahari Indoor Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells to celebrate her birthday. We were mostly in it for the rides, also the little one is not such a fan, so we ended up doing a few games as well.
There is a fair amount for the little ones to do, including a mini ropes course.
But she was in the sweet spot, being small enough to go on the kiddie activities and just big enough to do most of the grow-up ones as well. The full-scale ropes course ended up being a little bit more unnerving than she anticipated, and one of the attendants who was working was FANTASTIC at helping to guide her through it.
She also enjoyed the variety of climbing walls.
We appreciated that there were options for unlimited-play wristbands as well as the ability to buy credits to use on anything in the park. This worked out well for our family since we knew the kids would get their money's worth, but the we parents probably would not. It was easy to reload our card if we ran low.
We were also VERY impressed with the staff. We got really lucky and were there on a day that was not crowded at all. Truthfully, we were able to walk right onto most of the rides. There were a few that the adults had to go on with the kids. We were all supposed to pay, but the attendants were all so nice about letting us go on with them without charging us! It made our visit so much more enjoyable and the kids got to do a lot more than they would have if we had needed to pay for every carousel and Ferris wheel ride! Little things like that made our experience a great one. It was a bit more expensive than we usually spend for birthday fun, but I think we would all agree it was worth it.
We also didn't need to stay at the hotel, which was great for us. I was a little bit surprised while researching that overnight guests do not get more of a discount on wristbands.
Kalahari Indoor Theme Park
1305 Kalahari Drive ~ Wisconsin Dells, WI ~ (877) 525-2427
There is a fair amount for the little ones to do, including a mini ropes course.
But she was in the sweet spot, being small enough to go on the kiddie activities and just big enough to do most of the grow-up ones as well. The full-scale ropes course ended up being a little bit more unnerving than she anticipated, and one of the attendants who was working was FANTASTIC at helping to guide her through it.
She also enjoyed the variety of climbing walls.
We appreciated that there were options for unlimited-play wristbands as well as the ability to buy credits to use on anything in the park. This worked out well for our family since we knew the kids would get their money's worth, but the we parents probably would not. It was easy to reload our card if we ran low.
We were also VERY impressed with the staff. We got really lucky and were there on a day that was not crowded at all. Truthfully, we were able to walk right onto most of the rides. There were a few that the adults had to go on with the kids. We were all supposed to pay, but the attendants were all so nice about letting us go on with them without charging us! It made our visit so much more enjoyable and the kids got to do a lot more than they would have if we had needed to pay for every carousel and Ferris wheel ride! Little things like that made our experience a great one. It was a bit more expensive than we usually spend for birthday fun, but I think we would all agree it was worth it.
We also didn't need to stay at the hotel, which was great for us. I was a little bit surprised while researching that overnight guests do not get more of a discount on wristbands.
Kalahari Indoor Theme Park
1305 Kalahari Drive ~ Wisconsin Dells, WI ~ (877) 525-2427
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Circus World Museum
Circus World Museum is Baraboo's most famous tourist attraction. We got lucky enough to get a coupon through the library's summer reading program, and the younger kiddo was free, so that worked out well for us too.
We started out by walking through the museum, which was lots of fun because many of the exhibits are interactive. I will say a few of them seem to be getting a little bit run down, but still fun and still worked.
Our next stop was the tiger show. It was quite amazing. I think the adults were even more impressed than the kids.
The circus definitely abounds throughout the grounds.
There are remnants of the big top glory days...
and current action to take in.
Our whole family's favorite part was the live circus - with elephants! There were plenty of animal acts as well as human.
It was a great day of fun for the whole family. It could definitely get expensive because there were lots of (pricey) extras to add on once you are in the place, but the shows were all included.
I do believe the shows are contracted, so they change from year to year.
Circus World
550 Water Street ~ Baraboo, WI ~ (866) 693-1500
Admission: varies by season (closed Nov-Feb): $9.95-$19.95/adult, $8.95-$17.95/senior, $4.95-$9.95/child (5-11), free/under 5
We started out by walking through the museum, which was lots of fun because many of the exhibits are interactive. I will say a few of them seem to be getting a little bit run down, but still fun and still worked.
Our next stop was the tiger show. It was quite amazing. I think the adults were even more impressed than the kids.
The circus definitely abounds throughout the grounds.
I do believe the shows are contracted, so they change from year to year.
Circus World
550 Water Street ~ Baraboo, WI ~ (866) 693-1500
Admission: varies by season (closed Nov-Feb): $9.95-$19.95/adult, $8.95-$17.95/senior, $4.95-$9.95/child (5-11), free/under 5
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Wilderness Resort
We attended a family gathering at the Wilderness this spring. The kids had blast!
The highlight, of course, was the water park. While the Wilderness does have an outdoor water park as well, we were only able to experience the indoor in March! It spans three large rooms.
One room is primarily a splash area. There is a large climber as well as a small splash pad for babies and toddlers.
Another room contains the "activity" pool, VERY small lazy river, and some little water slides geared toward preschoolers.
The third room has a wave pool, a small climber area for small kiddos, and more full-sized water slides.
The Wilderness has a great variety of activities that are appropriate to span all ages. I also really like that they measure and provide wristbands to kids based on their height so the lifeguards know at a glance which rides each child is tall enough for. It's also an easy way to reference the rides as a parent and know which are okay for your child.
The water park has plenty of life preservers on hand, but they also allow you to use your own, which is awesome since some don't!
The disadvantage of the Wilderness is that you are supposed to be a hotel guest in order to use their water park. However, we had some members of our party join us just for a day, and they were able to get a day pass. I am not entirely sure how that works, but I believe a staying member had to go vouch that they were with us.
I will also say their lost and found program is not very user friendly. The ONLY way to retrieve an item is to fill out an online form and wait until they contact you. We did eventually get our stuff back, though. And, yes, I realize it was our fault it was left in the first place.
All in all, if you are looking for a weekend water getaway, the Wilderness was a pretty decent one.
Wilderness Resort
511 E Adams St ~ Wisconsin Dells, WI ~ (800) 867-9453
Admission: included in room rate
The highlight, of course, was the water park. While the Wilderness does have an outdoor water park as well, we were only able to experience the indoor in March! It spans three large rooms.
One room is primarily a splash area. There is a large climber as well as a small splash pad for babies and toddlers.
Another room contains the "activity" pool, VERY small lazy river, and some little water slides geared toward preschoolers.
The third room has a wave pool, a small climber area for small kiddos, and more full-sized water slides.
The Wilderness has a great variety of activities that are appropriate to span all ages. I also really like that they measure and provide wristbands to kids based on their height so the lifeguards know at a glance which rides each child is tall enough for. It's also an easy way to reference the rides as a parent and know which are okay for your child.
The water park has plenty of life preservers on hand, but they also allow you to use your own, which is awesome since some don't!
The disadvantage of the Wilderness is that you are supposed to be a hotel guest in order to use their water park. However, we had some members of our party join us just for a day, and they were able to get a day pass. I am not entirely sure how that works, but I believe a staying member had to go vouch that they were with us.
I will also say their lost and found program is not very user friendly. The ONLY way to retrieve an item is to fill out an online form and wait until they contact you. We did eventually get our stuff back, though. And, yes, I realize it was our fault it was left in the first place.
All in all, if you are looking for a weekend water getaway, the Wilderness was a pretty decent one.
Wilderness Resort
511 E Adams St ~ Wisconsin Dells, WI ~ (800) 867-9453
Admission: included in room rate
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is the ultimate water park - America's largest in fact:) They have wave pools, lazy rivers, and water coasters and water slides for a wide range of adventure levels. My kiddo and I had a blast! There is really more than you can do in a day, so if you're going to be in town and water parks are your thing, I would recommend getting their second day deal before you leave the park. It gives you drastically reduced prices for a whole additional day of fun!
There are the old classics like the Bermuda Triangle slides and the Adventure Rivers, as well as some new thrillers. The Point of No Return is a see-through, big-drop individual slide. The Scorpion's Tail flips you upside down! Those are two of the more unique slides.
The best part about Noah's Ark is that there really is something for everyone. They range from the tame to the insane.
Noah's Ark is one of the most well-known Wisconsin attractions, but it is definitely worth a visit at least once as a family.
Noah's Ark Water Park
1410 Wisconsin Dells Parkway ~ Wisconsin Dells, WI ~ (608) 254-6351
Admission: Prices range from $20-$40, but I would highly recommend checking around for deals. You can almost always find discounted tickets at a local grocery store or through the local recreation department. Also check their website for specials.
There are the old classics like the Bermuda Triangle slides and the Adventure Rivers, as well as some new thrillers. The Point of No Return is a see-through, big-drop individual slide. The Scorpion's Tail flips you upside down! Those are two of the more unique slides.
The best part about Noah's Ark is that there really is something for everyone. They range from the tame to the insane.
Noah's Ark is one of the most well-known Wisconsin attractions, but it is definitely worth a visit at least once as a family.
Noah's Ark Water Park
1410 Wisconsin Dells Parkway ~ Wisconsin Dells, WI ~ (608) 254-6351
Admission: Prices range from $20-$40, but I would highly recommend checking around for deals. You can almost always find discounted tickets at a local grocery store or through the local recreation department. Also check their website for specials.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Peck's Farm Market
We decided to try somewhere new this year for our annual pumpkin-ing. My hubby does a lot of driving around the state and came across Peck's in Spring Green. We thought it might be worth checking out.
There are actually two different, separately-run businesses in Spring Green that use the Peck's name: Peck's Farm Market East and Peck's Farm Market West. They both have large markets selling their produce and lots of family-friendly activities. We tried the West market first.
They have a very large, spread-out zoo-type area. It reminded me of a petting zoo; the animals aren't necessarily to pet, although there are pellet vending machines so you can feed some of them.
Intermixed with the animal pens are some wooden and metal sculptural
structures my kiddo enjoyed climbing around on. There are also a few
shacks you can wander in that were all decorated for Halloween when we
were there.
We had lots of fun in the playground area, too! It is definitely a random assortment of play toys and equipment.
Along with all of those free activities, they have other things you could pay to do, including a "train" ride and a very large separate play area. The play area did look like it has some more exciting things that would be lots of fun, but when we first got there it wasn't open, and then we were heading over to the other Peck's, so we didn't go in to try it.
Peck's Farm Market East was our second attraction of the day. They also have a zoo area. It is much more condensed than Peck's West, but there is a much broader variety of animals - including these large critters!
They also offer activities, such as a bounce house, "train" rides, and horse-drawn wagon rides. Unlike Peck's West, these are mostly offered free of charge. I believe the corn maze was the only one that costs money.
Here's my take-away from the two Peck's Markets:
Peck's Farm Market East has more to do, especially if you're looking for a free family outing, but it was also much more crowded, and there were things we may have done if the wait in line was not nearly so long.
Peck's Farm Market West was a bit more fun for my kiddo, I think, because she was actually able to just keep exploring and playing. There was really not much waiting involved, and she didn't seem too bothered that we didn't participate in the activities that cost money.
Happy harvesting!
Peck's Farm Market East
6445 Hwy 14 ~ Spring Green, WI ~ (608) 588-7177
Admission: Free with additional add-ons available
Peck's Farm Market West
E3217 Hwy 14 & 60 ~ Spring Green, WI - (608) 583-4977
Admission: Free with additional add-ons available
There are actually two different, separately-run businesses in Spring Green that use the Peck's name: Peck's Farm Market East and Peck's Farm Market West. They both have large markets selling their produce and lots of family-friendly activities. We tried the West market first.
They have a very large, spread-out zoo-type area. It reminded me of a petting zoo; the animals aren't necessarily to pet, although there are pellet vending machines so you can feed some of them.
We had lots of fun in the playground area, too! It is definitely a random assortment of play toys and equipment.
Along with all of those free activities, they have other things you could pay to do, including a "train" ride and a very large separate play area. The play area did look like it has some more exciting things that would be lots of fun, but when we first got there it wasn't open, and then we were heading over to the other Peck's, so we didn't go in to try it.
Peck's Farm Market East was our second attraction of the day. They also have a zoo area. It is much more condensed than Peck's West, but there is a much broader variety of animals - including these large critters!
Here's my take-away from the two Peck's Markets:
Peck's Farm Market East has more to do, especially if you're looking for a free family outing, but it was also much more crowded, and there were things we may have done if the wait in line was not nearly so long.
Peck's Farm Market West was a bit more fun for my kiddo, I think, because she was actually able to just keep exploring and playing. There was really not much waiting involved, and she didn't seem too bothered that we didn't participate in the activities that cost money.
Happy harvesting!
Peck's Farm Market East
6445 Hwy 14 ~ Spring Green, WI ~ (608) 588-7177
Admission: Free with additional add-ons available
Peck's Farm Market West
E3217 Hwy 14 & 60 ~ Spring Green, WI - (608) 583-4977
Admission: Free with additional add-ons available
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