It's time for vacation pictures!

Wait! Where are you going? It's part two of The Waterpark Capital of the WORLD!

Just a couple of pictures, I promise. Then you can go to Flickr and see the rest (only 19 altogether) if you want.

We only spent about 48 hours in the Wisconsin Dells, but we packed in as many thrills and chills as we could. We also happened to be in town at the end of a historic, hectic week. Torrential rainstorms just a few days before our arrival caused flooding and the breach of a dam. Once the dam was gone, Lake Delton, a major tourist attraction in the area, was gone too--the entire thing emptied in a matter of hours, taking four houses with it. (Click the Flickr link to see pictures of the aftermath.)

The region rallied and by the time we arrived, almost everything was back to normal, except for a few road closures. Even the Tommy Bartlett Show, a water-ski extravaganza and Lake Delton fixture known as "The Greatest Show on H2O," is back with a modified "Stage & Sky" show for the summer.

So as soon as we'd dropped our stuff at our condo (and the kids had climbed up and down the ladder to the bunk bed about 26 times) we took off for the quintessential Dells tourist experience: the Duck Boat tour (photo above). These amphibious boats take visitors on an hour-long tour of the Wisconsin River and the woodsy surrounding terrain--accompanied by a wisecrack-laden narrative from the driver.

Here's what the kids thought--note that my daughter was convinced, prior to the ride, that it would be SOOOOO boring ("all you do on a boat ride is just sit on a boat and look at stuff"):


"If you haven't done the Ducks, you just haven't done the Dells," and we'd agree.

The next morning, fortified with a delicious, hearty breakfast from Mr. Pancake (we could not get enough of just saying "Mr. Pancake!") we hit the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory. Since my kids, especially my son, love all things air and space, we thought the space-themed simulation would be a slam dunk. Wrong! While they did love all the corny optical illusions and hands-on experiments and games at the Exploratory, they both hated the simulated space station experience that we had to pass through to get to them--too dark and loud. Still, where else would they get to watch their mom ride a bike on a one-inch wide cable suspended 12 feet in the air (here's the proof!). This place is undeniably cheesy (and don't get me started on the way they funnel you through the cafe and gift shop on your way out), but almost any kid would love it. Perfect for a rainy day.

On our third and final day in the Dells we took in a theme park. There are lots of these to choose from and of course most have a water element. I really have less than no interest in amusement park rides, but my 6-year-old daughter was thrilled with her first roller-coaster ride and proved to be an ace go-karter. This place was not cheap--we even had to pay full price, $40, for our 3-year-old--but we did spend the whole day there (half on the rides and half in the water park, which had a good assortment of slides plus a huge wave pool). I also bet we are the only suckers who paid full price to get in, since there are tons of packages and discount tickets available.

If there was a low point of the weekend, it was probably the food. We had serviceable pizza, burgers, and the like, but nothing exceptional. (The famous Paul Bunyan's Northwoods Cook Shanty, with its all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, was disappointingly and inexplicably closed during out visit.) Traveling with two small children, we didn't have the chance to try any "fine dining" establishments. Still, there's no reason family-friendly restaurants can't have better food.

That will hardly keep us from going back, though. Another weekend, another waterpark!

If you're considering a visit, do check the Visitor & Convention Bureau site. It features tons of listings of waterparks, theme parks, accomodations, and restaurants using helpful subcategories (e.g. for restaurants, sort by kid-friendly, casual, fine dining, ethnic, or bars and lounges). You can also find many more planning tips and links to package deals and other special events.

What's that? You want another picture? OK. Twist my arm. Here are the kids, waterpark-bound: