My First Wisconsin Dells Waterpark

I had heard a lot about the Wisconsin Dells since moving to the Midwest. It was known as the “The Waterpark Capital of the World.” In fact, it’s more the “indoor” waterpark capital with more than a dozen resorts with large indoor waterparks.

Not only had I not been to Wisconsin Dells, but I had never stayed at a place with an indoor waterpark. I knew with my position as Midwest Travel Guide for About.com I’d have to eventually hit all the waterparks in the Midwest, so I figured it was a great place to start.

I contacted Bianca Johnson, Marketing & Communications Manager for Wisconsin Dells tourism to help me narrow down the list of where to stay. She felt Chula Vista had just put in millions to expanding their indoor waterpark so it was the perfect place to start.

My daughter and her fiancé are busy planning a wedding in the East and I needed to recruit a “family” to help me test out Chula Vista. My friend Paul and his kids, 9 and 12, were happy to come along.

It took us a few hours to get up there on Friday night and I was immediately surprised by just how enormous the place was. I was glad we were in the main building so we had access to all the restaurants and the waterpark without ever having to step foot outside.

We were given one of the two bedroom condominiums and it was more than spacious. The kids immediately gravitated to the Jacuzzi in the living room before we could even say, “close the door.”

While they were lounging in the hot tub, I made myself comfortable in the master bedroom, complete with a king bed, a fire place, and its own bathroom.

Paul and the kids were comfortable in the second bedroom with two queen sized beds and a bathroom next door. I also pointed out that the couch was a pull-out if they wanted more space.

The 1,500 square foot condo also had a fully equipped kitchen and a dining room. We also had a nice view from our windows of the Wisconsin River. I could easily see spending a week there, but we only had two days.

We all retired to our bedrooms for a good night’s sleep. In the morning, I left to go meet Bianca in downtown Wisconsin Dells.

I had no idea what to expect of this town, but I soon realized that it was without a doubt a vacation area. It was filled with attractions and though most seemed aimed at summer, it had enough indoor activity to keep people – mostly families – busy.

Bianca had suggested that we meet at Cheesecake Heaven and I’m never one to turn down a visit to a place that has the name of my favorite dessert in the title.

After a lengthy examination of the cheesecakes – they also have sandwiches and flatbreads – I settled on the Blueberry Shortcake and a latte. I was not disappointed.

The yearly population of this town is only just over 5,000 and it seemed like there were more people than that in the one tremendous resort I was staying in. I learned it was far from the only amazing family accommodation in this area. This area had a small town feel combined with a year-round vacation spot.

The more Bianca and I talked about Wisconsin Dells then more I knew I would need many more visits to explore and stay here, but I had to start somewhere. I bid her farewell and headed back to Chula Vista, for my first indoor waterpark experience.