In December, my parents gifted my siblings and me a family vacation. We all live in different places, and getting together can be challenging, especially now that there are 14 of us, including kids.
With everyone's schedules, it took over a year to get a trip on the books.
We all suggested ideas for various family-friendly destinations in the US, but when my stepsister mentioned she and her husband were heading to Wisconsin for a work trip, a new idea began to take shape: Wisconsin Dells.
The city is a popular Midwest vacation spot for families because of its stunning natural beauty and many kid-friendly attractions.
Famously, it's also considered the "Water Park Capital of the World" because of its high concentration of both indoor and outdoor water parks, from Great Wolf Lodge to Land of Natura.
We found a vacation rental that catered to families, and our kids didn't want to leave
As a tourist destination, Wisconsin Dells offers all kinds of accommodations, and finding one that fit our family proved easier than expected.
With so many hotels and resorts, we were happy to stay away from the water-park traffic in a VRBO vacation rental in a quiet neighborhood within walking distance of town.
We rented a two-story duplex, connected by the garage. The main floors featured expansive living rooms, with large wall-mounted TVs, perfect for watching the NBA finals as a family.
The best part was the kids' play areas in each garage. I'm talking foosball tables, swing sets, play houses, and climbing structures — our kids didn't want to leave.
Our rental was a highlight of our stay and the most kid-friendly place I've ever stayed.
A lot of Wisconsin Dells felt like a tourist trap, which we didn't love
Walk down Broadway, and you'll find a plethora of arcades, like Wild Fun Zone, and interactive activities like Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Wizard Quest, and the aptly named Cheese Ball Croquet mini-golf course.
Each destination is designed to appeal to families, but all that manufactured fun comes at a price.
Many tickets for in-town attractions cost around $20 per kid and $30 or more per adult. Before you know it, you're dropping hundreds of dollars for a couple of hours of entertainment, not to mention the additional expenses for snacks and other add-ons each place offers.
We mostly chose not to partake, instead saving our money for other activities.
On top of all of that, there seemed to be souvenir and T-shirt shops on every corner. Walking through town with our kids felt like navigating a minefield. They were constantly asking to pop into another shop, buy an ice-cream cone, or play yet another claw machine.
For us, it was overwhelming, and by the end, we were tired of constantly saying no. After our initial walk through town, we decided to avoid it.
Our kids loved the over-the-top restaurants
On a similar note, every restaurant we visited had a theme, often paired with over-the-top decor and simple menus.
Breakfast at Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty was exactly what you'd expect from the name: a large wooden cabin, featuring a towering statue of Paul Bunyan and all-you-can-eat family-style platters of pancakes, sausages, eggs, and doughnuts. There was plenty of food, but the choices felt minimal.
For dinner, we went to two well-known restaurants: Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Co. the first night, and Buffalo Phil's Pizza & Grille the next. The latter featured Lego, Star Wars, and Taylor Swift decor. Model trains delivered all the food and beverages to the table. It was also connected to a massive arcade, something our kids reminded us of throughout dinner.
Although our children loved the fun decor and kid-friendly food, as an adult, I found the menus repetitive — a lot of pizzas and burgers.
We skipped the water parks to enjoy the area's natural beauty
I've never been much of a water-park person. It doesn't help that I burn super easily, making an entire day baking under the sun feel like a punishment rather than a vacation.
Although there were indoor options, water parks just didn't feel ideal for our mixed-age travel group, which ranged from preschoolers to septuagenarians.
Having kids ages 4 and 6 made that kind of water play even less appealing. They'd require a lot of extra-close supervision around all the water, and we worried they'd be limited to mostly shallow splash areas and small slides.
Luckily, there were plenty of other fun activities in the area.
Aside from being home to one of the largest water parks in the US, Noah's Ark, Wisconsin Dells is also known for its natural beauty, including towering sandstone cliffs and pine-tree forests.
We enjoyed some of this beauty up close on a horse-drawn carriage ride with Lost Canyon Tours on Lake Delton — perfect for the entire family. The mile-long ride through deep-cut sandstone gorges felt like a trip back in time.
After our carriage ride, we took in the area's scenery from the water on a duckboat tour with Original Wisconsin Ducks. Tickets felt a bit pricey, costing our family of four $120, but it was by far the best activity we did.
The World War II-era amphibious boat took us through fern-covered forests and into several waterways, including the Wisconsin River, Dell Creek, and Lake Delton.
The kids loved driving through trails and in and out of the water.
Wisconsin Dells had something for everyone in our group, but I wouldn't go back
The Dells has a lot to offer families, from massive water parks and outdoor tours to kid-friendly restaurants that feel like an attraction themselves.
Everyone in our group of 14, ranging in age from 4 to 74, found something to enjoy.
I think our experience might have felt more complete if we were a water-park family, since they are the main attraction. Still, we found plenty to do.
As beautiful as the area was, I feel we checked off a lot of what interests us, and I am not eager to navigate the more touristy parts with kids again.
I wouldn't go back at this point, but I'm glad we got to experience the uniqueness of The Dells.
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Blythe Chadim is a freelance writer in Denver, CO. She focuses on all things family, including lifestyle, travel, health, and Denver living. She enjoys the outdoors and loves taking new adventures with her husband and two boys.
