From a Dam to an Ocean: The Wisconsin Dells

Hellllloooooo,

I really, really, really love the Wisconsin Dells. I think the worst part about moving to North Carolina is that I won't be close to the dells anymore. It was always fun to just go up there for the day or for the night to go shopping in the outlet mall (my all-time FAVORITE mall ever), or go out to eat at Monk's or Uno's or if it were someone's birthday we'd go to a fancy place called Field's at the Wilderness. Then there's the waterparks! Noah's Ark is my favorite, along with the Kalahari and the Wilderness. Mt. Olympus is okay, but there are always lines and a lot of people. I'd be willing to give it another try before my time in Wisconsin is up.

But one of the best things ever in the dells is either the carnivals or the Tommy Bartlett Ski Show. The performances are great, but the best part is the atmosphere. It's like a trip to the 60's. I think I love it so much because for some reason it reminds me of the resort in the movie "Dirty Dancing"--if they had a ski team instead of dancers, this would be what it looked like. The popcorn and candy and snacks and the seating in the woods on Lake Delton can compare to no other atmosphere during the summertime.

I remember the first time I fell in love with The Dells was when I was five and we went to the Great Wolf Lodge for Christmas. The whole resort was decked out in Christmas cheer; there was a giant Bavarian Clock in the lobby that just enchanted me. Back then, the waterpark was so big and there were tons of things to do! Even Santa showed up! It wasn't the first time I had been to The Dells [I had been to Family Land (which unfortunately, now is gone) and downtown shopping around], but it was the first time that I was fully aware of what was going on.

Then there were a few years in a row when we went to the Kalahari for Christmas, which became my favorite (and still is to this day). I remember the first time they added onto their waterpark....

Being there last night for Father's Day dinner reminded me of all of the memories I have there. Like going to the Chula Vista with my mom and sister and our two friends one weekend several summers ago. Like going to Noah's Ark for the first time with my best friend, Margaret (shootout to Margaret! It was so much fun!).

Like going on the Ducks with my grandma and grandpa and sister and cousin, and then later with just my grandpa and cousin after she passed. Or eating downtown in Monk's during a blizzard after shopping in the store "Big Dogs" for sweats and pajamas. I remembered crying when I was little because I wanted to go back and because I missed the smell of chlorine and the taste of Dippin Dots ice cream--even the sticky feeling of the humidity in the locker rooms!

And then I saw all of the bars (and many, many drunk people), and remembered the dreams I had of working in a resort during my college summers, and then going out to the bars downtown when I turned 21. Even going on a date there (which never happened...)!

It is going to be hard when I leave. I know that there are tons of beaches where I'm headed, like Myrtle Beach or Virginia Beach, etc.... but The Dells is special because it sprung up off of Lake Delton and the Wisconsin River--two very small things compared to other popular towns that had to have ocean access to achieve that status.

To me, it was home. The feeling and energy there is so enigmatic and contagious! I can't help but be swept up in the spirit. I have spent so many summers and winter vacations there, that it I know I'm bound to return and visit throughout my life.

Do you have a place like that?

XOXX,

Lizzie

p.s... If you have any songs you like, wrote, or cover, and want me to publish on here, please let me know either through Facebook or twitter or email or by commenting below! Same goes for art! As you may have noticed, I like to end things with a little picture or two of anything from random to serious.

p.p.s....

Great Wolf Lodge.