Short Stories: Schwieterman Summer Adventure Series - 2023 (Part 2 – Wisconsin)
We chose Wisconsin Dells for our obligated act of tourism. Our family is more of the “off the beaten path” appreciators. Large crowds of people tend to stress out both Mommy and Daddy, yet our young daughters could waste hours on end in tourist trinket shops. We are trying to emphasize natural wonders over man-made recreation, but I do try to balance our vacation time with both an appreciation for God’s creation and the efforts of mankind.
The Wisconsin Dells is an incredibly beautiful stretch of scenery that brought tourists to the area, which led to an abundant number of tourism-related businesses. The beauty of the Dells must be seen from the bends of the Wisconsin River. So, we partook in one of those businesses and bought our tickets to board one of the many vessels with the Dells Boat Tour. With 200 of our “closest friends,” we set off on a two-hour tour of the Upper Dells aboard a double-decker.
We enjoyed hearing about the history of the area from our guide, a retired opera singer, as we made our way to our first port of call. The lush pine-crowned cliffs provided a striking contrast to the sandstone formations surrounding us. The scenery along the channel was beautiful. The heat index that summer day was around 100 degrees, so we were eager for our hike through the narrow canyon of Witches Gulch, which our guide assured provided natural air conditioning. The cave-like temperatures were a welcome reprieve from the intense heat and the surroundings were breathtaking! The setting reminded us of hikes through our favorite Ohio destination: Hocking Hills State Park.
Our second and final port of call was a short walk to Stand Rock, the site of an infamous photo that put Wisconsin Dells on the bucket list of many travelers. The tour company reenacts the photo op with a dog jumping the six-foot expanse of the towering pillars of sandstone. The boat tour was quite enjoyable and before disembarking, our guide provided a glimpse of his special talent by singing from a popular opera (I don’t know operas, so I can’t remember the name of it.) Because of the uncomfortable heat, we opted to avoid the congested streets of the Dells and head out after a quick stop at Culver's for milkshakes.
We stayed at a nearby campground, unhooking the travel trailer before entering the downtown Dells area. I would recommend the same for any other travelers pulling a camper since the parking is incredibly tight! We had planned on campfire cooking that evening for supper, but a popup thunderstorm sent us out to find a local eatery. What good fortune that ended up being! We found a gem called The Body Shop Bar & Grill. The fish basket was fantastic, I highly recommend! The others in our party ordered burgers and said they were tasty too. Daddy had the opportunity to finally have a Wisconsin-exclusive beer that he had been wanting to try: Spotted Cow. He loved it and has expressed his desire to stock up with a case or two when we pass through the state again! To top off the evening, a patron that we had a brief encounter with secretly paid our bill before leaving. The kindness of strangers is such a beautiful demonstration of God’s love, and his generous act was a shining ray of light that truly blessed our family.
May this gentleman’s kindness and generosity be returned to him a hundredfold.
Next stop: South Dakota
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