Wisconsin Dells, WI

June 30th

odometer 88947

This morning we ran errands such as gas and groceries, then checked out the Wisconsin Dells 'strip'. It was pretty amazing for such a small little place – like a mini-Vegas. Lots of amusement parks, water parks, and hotels. Went to check out 'Noah's Ark' – the world's largest water park. It was so awesome that we decided to go. We raced back to the campground to get our swimsuits on and were trying to figure out how to see the park, look after Thomas, and locate a replacement spare for the trailer. DD2 insisted that she did NOT want to go to the 'big' water park – she wanted to go to the dinky park at the campground. So, DD1 and I got to go for the afternoon, while DH took DD2 and DS while he located a spare tire.

To say Noah's Ark was awesome is an understatement. We had 4.5 hours at the park, with almost no lineups, and we only had time to repeat a few rides. There were rides we couldn't go on because DD1 did not meet the 48” height requirement. Thank goodness, because frankly they looked pretty scary. The Scorpion's Tail is a near-vertical drop (the floor literally drops beneath you) followed by a upside down loop. I thought most of the rides were great, and DD1 rode on all but one of the one she was eligible for. She was often the littlest kid on the ride – she' s got guts! Our favourite slide was a double-tube ride called the Bermuda Triangle – just the right amount of drops and turns to make it thrilling but not scary. Our least favourite was the Time Warp. I was very nervous in the line up when I saw the DD1 was the only kid. The slide was in the dark – a very steep drop followed by a vortex. The drop was so big that I nearly lost my glasses. I was pretty scared, but DD1 looked fine. As we were walking away, she quietly said 'Mama, that ride was a bit too fast'.

Meanwhile, DH was having adventures of his own trying to find 'Blaine's Farmer Fleet' in his hunt for the spare tire. I took him 2 hours to find the store that was only 12 miles away, partly due to road construction that was creating havoc. He eventually found the store and the tire, and during his travels saw his first Eastern Bluebird – a rare bird for Ottawa. Len also noticed a sign for an 'Adult Superstore and Bakery'. He was intrigued by the odd combination butwith two kids in the car, decided to check it out another day...




We all headed back to the campsite for a supper and a campfire. I had done groceries in Michigan, and had picked up 'campfire marshmallows' – they were gigantic! (see pic). They were so big that we had to use two graham wafers on each side to make a s'more.

The kids all went to bed around 9 and DH and I enjoyed a drink and a game of Kahuna before bed. One good thing about being on the go all day is that the kids all crash at night and are easy to get to bed.