Team Hensley

Team Hensley

Sunday, October 24, 2010

the Branson of the North.

So, a few posts back I mentioned that my parents and I were going to Madison for a few days. Turns out, I was completely mistaken, and we went to the Wisconsin Dells instead. My dad described the Dells as the "Branson of Wisconsin". There are certainly similarities--tons of miniature golf courses, comedy magic shows that are not funny, shops to buy the worst t-shirts ever made, etc. But the Dells also proclaims itself the "Waterpark Capital of the World". And that part was super awesome. Also awesome--we were there during the off season, so we did not endure tons of crowds, lines, or sticky children. Instead, I got three days to relax and hang out with my parents, who really know how to show a girl a good time.


We stayed at a hotel that had five waterparks (three indoor, two outdoor), a zipline, lasertag, two arcades, and a the coolest playpark for kids that was three stories and looked like the most fun a six year old could possibly have. I really want to bring Owen and Isla here when they get a little older. It is basically a child's paradise.

We spent most of our time on the lazy river, in the hot tub, or battling the waves in the wave pool. And, we braved the scariest, craziest water slide I have ever ridden--the Hurricane. dun dun DUN!!! We also ate ice cream, went on a river boat tour, enjoyed many fires that I started myself (with a switch on the wall), ate tons of cheese, searched for fall foliage, shopped for boots, drank hot chocolate, and tried on hats.



Wisconsin really is a beautiful place.


You might be wondering a little bit about the history of the Dells. Well, fair reader, you have come to the right place. In the mid-late 1800's photographer H.H. Bennett made the Dells famous by creating stereoscopic images of the rock formations. Upon seeing his famous images, people would flock to the area to see the beauty for themselves. Bennett also invented the stop action shutter, which allowed him (and all of us) to take pictures instantaneously, making it possible to capture clear pictures of moving objects. To prove the merits of his invention, he photographed his son jumping between two rock formations. This is the famous picture:

And here is a less famous picture taken by me at the very same place. These days they have a german shephard jump across the formation.

That pretty much sums up our lovely trip. If you ever get the chance, I totally recommend a vacation with these two:

5 comments:

  1. yAY! I mean, boo you didn't end up in Madison but this looks like a great minication. What sweet folks you have. I'm happy to hear about other places in the state so we have something to go on as far as exploring goes. Looks like so much fun! I can't wait to take a trip to the water park!

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  2. Great pictures of a great week! I think I saw that waterpark on some documentary. And the picture of Bennett's son jumping - those rocks look very far apart!

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  3. Yeah. It kinda looks like that kid isn't going to make it. I wonder if this photo was used as evidence in the sure-to-have-followed child custody case.

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  4. Oops. The above comment is actually from Nate.
    And this one is too.
    Ha!

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  5. Rumor has it, his dad made him make that jump 10 times to get the perfect photo. The dog who does it seems very proud to jump!

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