| Route 66 | Cities | Beaches |
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| Away from the carnival atmosphere of Broadway and the Parkway, the Wisconsin river still flows, a reminder of how beautiful and magic Nature can be. The Ho Chunk lived here for thousands of years, canoeing and fishing and calling the river Ouisconsin. When the white men tried to ship the Ho Chunk out west, Chief Yellow Knife led them back to this river---four times. After the fourth trip home, he travelled to Madison and used his skill in reading to research the white man's law books. Yellow Knife discovered a law that forbade deporting any landowner. So he persuaded a few whites to sell him 40 acres of cliff land along the river. Thinking the land was worthless, they laughed at his foolishness. But Yellow Knife had the deed made out to the whole tribe. The next time the soldiers came to escort the Ho Chunk back to the reservation in the West, Yellow Knife showed them a copy of the deed and an affidavit verifying that the original was on file in the state capital. The Ho Chunk bought up more land, and still live on it today. The tribe runs the casino, hotel and restaurant south of town. They watch with amusement and pride as whites come from everywhere to admire the cliffs, caves and rock formations that the Ho Chunk hold precious. |  |
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The Upper Tour lasts two hours. It includes a boat ride up the river, along wide stretches of the main channel and through tight passages as seen here at left. You disembark and hike back into places like Witches Gulch (above right) and Standing Rock (top left). As you can see in the photo at left, the standard tour uses a double decker vessel and carries about 40 people. At the midway point you reach the concession stand at the upper end of Witches Gulch, which offers rest rooms, drinking fountains and a snack bar. You'll absorb a lot of river history, Indian lore and nature study. This trip is the premier tourist experience in all of Wisconsin. |
| The Lower Tour is a one hour experience. It underwent some changes in 2008 when flooding broke the dam holding back Lake Delton and washed away a dozen homes. The lower tour does not include the walking sidetrips of its upper brother, but it includes more photogenic rock formations and more beaches. You also learn more Native American history on the lower tour, because this is where the Ho Chunk established their villages. |  |
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The Jet Boats give you the same Upper Dells tour as the double decker boats do, but they replace the walking sidetrips with various stunts showcasing their high speeds. You end up with a 50 minute version of the two hour Upper Dells trip. This is an interesting alternative if you're on a tight schedule but still want to see the river. You can probably leave your camera back at the motel for this trip. You'll be moving too fast and water will be spraying over you too often. This is also a strategy if you have kids along who don't usually appreciate quiet Nature experiences. You can expose them to a little Nature while the high speeds satisfy their need for excitement. |
| The Ducks are another option. These are World War II Amphibious Military Transporters, equally home on land or water. Each one hauls 20 people plus driver. Ducks are used today on tourist tours of Boston, Pittsburgh, Hatteras Island, and five Florida locations, but the Dells 90 vehicle fleet is the largest single collection in existence. The Duck you ride in once participated in the Allied invasion of Normandy, France. The Dells tour winds through woods, canyons, the Lower and Upper dells, Red Bird Gorge and Lake Delton, with a few new detours added to see the remnants of the flooding and dam collapse of June 2008. It lasts one hour and covers nine miles. You will see places on a Duck tour that you won't see any other way. It is also a quick way to see both Upper and Lower Dells, since to take the two boat tours will consume most of a day. However, even if you take the two boat tours, a Duck trip is still worthwhile. It may be the only time you ever ride in one of these odd vehicles that were instrumental in winning a war, and the technology is fascinating : the driver could increase or decrease the tire pressure by flipping a dash switch, something no other civilian or military vehicle since has ever offered. Also see photo top right. |  |
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The Princess Kay is a paddlewheel steamboat remodelled into a dinner cruise ship. You enjoy a long trip through the Upper Dells while eating dinner in the air conditioned first floor restaurant. Before or after dinner there is the upper deck, with lounge chairs for evening breezes and views of the scenery drifting by. Aboard the Princess Kay you'll travel further upriver than the double decker cruise boats, jetboats or ducks do, but you won't get the stops at Witches Gulch or Standing Rock. If dinner on the river sounds appealing, you need to turn north on Stand Rock Road at the bridge over the dam in the center of town. Drive north until you see 63rd Street coming in from the left, and then make the next right turn to River Bay. The dinner cruise lasts two and a half hours and is timed to get you back just after sunset. |
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