The Wisconsin Dells

Once I mapped out our return route, I realized our trip home —taking a more northern path than our trip out—would take us through Wisconsin. Years ago, Kevin and Jeff visited the Wisconsin Dells, and they still talk about it with excitement and a hint of reverence. The more I learned, the more intrigued I became. The Dells call themselves “The Water Slide Capital of the World,” but they’re much more than that. The town has multiple resorts, many with several separate water parks inside. Beyond the water fun, there’s zip lining, laser tag, horseback riding, Wild West shows, ATV tours, go-karts, mini golf, and more.

After plenty of research, I booked us at the Wilderness Resort. This place is massive—eight separate water parks, two go-kart tracks, an arcade, mini golf, a zip line, a sky ride, and even an evening aqua-light walk (which I never fully understood but could hear from our room).

We arrived the night before, just a short drive from the Mall of America. Our two-bedroom condo had a living room, three bathrooms, and plenty of family space—perfect for a two-night stay. But the real fun came the next day: a full day of water slide parks. We started at a wave pool, then floated along a lazy river. While GG played with Marley at the splash pad, Lainey and I went to try some slides. One in particular, called the Hurricane, caught my eye with its giant toilet-bowl-style feature. While waiting in line, I noticed the sign: height requirements, safety instructions, warnings, and a “thrill level.” Most rides we’d done were marked “moderate,” but this one said “extreme.” Lainey was instantly nervous—and with good reason. It was intense. At one point, she screamed—not a fun, excited scream, but a genuine, frightened one.

When the ride ended, there were a few tears and some hesitation. But then something amazing happened. That girl was fearless. She tackled each waterslide without hesitation. She said "If I can do the scariest ride in the waterslide capital of the world, I can do this..." Tt was an instant character building moment, right before my eyes.

The rest of the day was a blur of fun. We hit all four outdoor parks and most of the indoor ones. We didn’t ride everything, but we made time for our favorites. Marley loved the racing slides, Lainey preferred the dual-tube slides, and both kids adored crossing the lily pads on the rope monkey bars. We rode for hours and hours. When I said it was time to leave for dinner, Marley protested, “I thought we were going to ride all day!” I told him, “We did—it’s dinner time.” Lainey chimed in, “What happened to lunch?” We had played straight through.

That night, we slept deeply—me, a little sore from the day’s adventures. One more stop awaited us: the shores of Lake Michigan and our final crossing over the Great Lake.