A Special Spa and More Wine & Food in the Wisconsin Dells

Laurie and I woke up at The Vue in Wisconsin Dells excited for our spa day. First, we went to a local favorite, Stuff’s Restaurant, for a breakfast of eggs, corned beef hash, pancakes, and French Toast. It was obvious why there were so many people in there.

 

I had heard many good things about the award winning Sundara Inn & Spa, but it exceeded my expectations. This was the ultimate grown up escape in Wisconsin Dells. I have been to a lot of spas, but nothing like this.

What I love most about Sundara is the ability to have a full day (or even days) with plenty of relaxation and wellness to do – without getting charged for every little thing.  

 

There is, of course, a large menu of treatments who can purchase, but it’s all the other amenities that you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else. They can be added on for one extra fee.Included in the fee are unlimited wellness classes, indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpools, tranquil spaces, and the Purifying Bath Ritual. With the one charge, you get to spend an entire day enjoying it all.

We arranged our day at the cave-like indoor pool and whirlpools, where we had a healthy lunch from their Nava Restaurant and mocktails at the swim-up bar. We then spent some time refreshing our breath in the Salt Room, and then did a meditation session.

 

Laurie and I also did the bath ritual:  

Exfoliation with their provided scrub in the rainfall shower;

A squirt of their special mist before heading into the steam room;

And a rinse before hitting the hot tub filled with essential oils.

We decided to skip the cold plunge pool.

Before we left, I had a chance to tour some of the accommodations. I loved the large suites in the main building, where you can take the elevator in your comfy robe right down to the spa. For those who want even more space there are villas and Woodland retreats. 

After spending most of the day at the spa, we headed to Fawn Creek Winery. This place has unusually mixed fruit wines, such as Just Peachy, peach and chardonnay, and Black Ber-y, blackberry and Merlot. There were more combinations and they change seasonally. I thought they were all pretty tasty. It was like having a variety of sangrias in bottles.

 

Dinner was at Lake City Social. I had a veggie burger and Mule, while Laurie had a Rueben and beer. We really liked the food and drink there.

 

We were exhausted from a long day, even though it had been filled with relaxation. We went back to The Vue hotel for one more night.

 

In the morning, we went to Paul Bunyan, a well-known restaurant I had been to on my previous trips to Wisconsin Dells. The warm donuts were as good as ever and their breakfast was filling. It is unlimited, but we couldn’t eat any more than they brought us the first time.

 

Before we left the Wisconsin Dells, we took a ride through the downtown. It was a fun trip and interesting to get to experience some of the adult things the region has outside of the.

 

 Note: Sundara Spa does not allow photography. Photos are courtesy of the spa. 

Back to Hannibal with the American Queen

The next stop for my friend Lynn and I on the American Queen Steamboat was a town I had visited before – Hannibal, Missouri. 

The last time I was in Hannibal, it was very educational and a lot of fun. I was anxious to show the town to Lynn. Hannibal was once a lumbering town and starting point of the Pony Express, but its claim to fame is as the former home of author Mark Twain.

The city displays its legacy everywhere and Tom Sawyer and Becky Thacher are celebrated throughout. It all starts at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum Complex. It was where we got off on the Hop on, Hop off bus American Queen Voyages provided at every port. 

We went through the Mark Twain Boyhood Home. I had been here before, but there is so much to learn and take in about the author and his books I felt like I learned a few things I missed the first time. There is also a lot to learn about the time period. There was a class structure as well as the ending of slavery. 

Included in this area is the Interpretive Center, Becky Thacher House, Huckleberry Finn House, J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office, Grant’s Drugstore, and the Tom and Huck Statue. It would take hours to go through it all and take in all the details, but we only had four hours in total in Hanibal. 

We next went down to the Hannibal History Museum and Mark Twain Museum Gallery, which I most remembered for all the historical Norman Rockwell covers of The Saturday Evening Post. There were other pieces of art depicting Twain and his work. 

Back on the bus, we passed the Trinity Episcopal Church before heading to Cave Hollow West Winery and Mark Twain Cave. I was happy to return to the winery as I had enjoyed their wine last time I was here. They have a nice outside picnic area, but it was a bit  chilly to go outside this time. 

Before we knew it, we had to head back to the boat. We were hungry and went straight to lunch, where we had a little of everything from the buffet, followed by a delicious Nutella Mousse dessert. 

Most afternoons passengers were resting, but they usually had events such as Bingo. In keeping with the theme of the day, there was a matinee show of A Conversation with Mark Twain, with Lewis Hankins.

We got dressed up for dinner. It was preceded by the Captain’s Farewell Reception. They were serving champagne and I took a glass with me to dinner. 

They were serving Prime Rib and Lynn really enjoyed it. I was equally thrilled with my Stuffed Poblano. Dessert was bread pudding and cheesecake. 

It was my last evening to enjoy the scenery and I took advantage, going around the boat and soaking in the Mississippi River before I joined Lynn for the show. 

We enjoyed our final show on the American Queen. It was “Singing in The 70s” and featured many of the TV themes of the years. We then had our last nightcap in the Engine Room Bar to the music of Jay and Will. 

In the morning, we would be heading off the boat for the last time. 

I was hosted by American Queen on this voyage, but opinions are my own. 

Quick Stop in Burlington & Highlights of the American Queen

My friend, Lynn, and I continued down the Mississippi River on the American Queen to our last stop in Iowa. We only had half a day in Burlington so we were up early to have a quick breakfast and get started on exploring.

President Thomas Jefferson sent Lt. Zebulon Pike to explore the Mississippi River in 1803. When saw the bluffs of Burlington, he placed an American flag above them, and recommended construction of a fort. It was easy to see why this town needed to be a stop on the river.

At one point this city was considered part of Wisconsin, but it earned its place in Iowa and downtown buildings on the National Register of Historic places. Before we got on the hop-on, hop-off bus, we had a preview of more of what the city had to offer.

 The Port of Burlington Welcome Center was by far the most advanced port we had been to on this trip. It was filled with items made in the city as well as the state of Iowa. There was even a tasting of Lindon Wines and plenty of brochures and maps of places to visit.

The bus stopped at the Des Moines Heritage Center and Mosquito Park, which gives you a good look at the bluffs Lt. Pike was intrigued by. Next was the Garrett-Phelps House Museum, a home on the hill built by an early merchant who has a ballroom on the third floor that later became the first Protestant Hospital.

 
There was a stop that I got off to only take a look. I wasn’t taking a chance on my scooter going down Snake Alley, the most crooked street in the United States!

We did spend time at the next stop to see some of the other downtown sites in Burlington, which included the grand Capitol Theater and the Art Center of Burlington, which highlighted a lot of local artisans.

Before heading back to the ship, we also made a quick visit to the Burlington Gem shop. Unfortunately, there was a lot of construction downtown and it was difficult to navigate with my scooter.

We arrived at lunch a little late and weren’t happy with the dessert choices left so we went to the Front Porch Café for lattes and ice cream. As with all other food and drinks on the boat, these were always complimentary.

It was then time to go back to our cabin to rest, shower, and get dressed for dinner. We had the routine down and it worked well for us. We were in the John Wesley Powell Junior Suite. Powell was a soldier and a geologist. He was also a professor at nearby Illinois Wesleyan University.

 

It was not your usual cruise suite. It was smaller than suites I’ve had and decorated differently. The American Queen reflects the steamboat period, with antique furnishings. Only the bathroom was modern (and very big).

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the food on the American Queen is the best I’ve ever had on a cruise ship, and I’ve been on dozens. Nearly every single dish was done carefully to perfection and presented beautifully.

 After dinner, I did what had become another habit, I went out to the deck to watch the sunset over the Mississippi. It was different every night. I always find sunsets to be very relaxing.

I met Lynn outside the balcony entrance to the show. It was pianist Gary Peterson performing a variety of music. We then finished the night at the Engine Room Bar with a nightcap before heading back to the cabin.

 We would be heading to a place I’d been to and loved, Hannibal, Missouri, the next day.

 

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I was hosted by American Queen on this voyage, but opinions are my own. 

2 for One: LeClaire and Clinton from the American Queen

After an unexpected day on the river, we had a busy day on and off the American Queen.

I got up early and went to breakfast in the dining room. It looked like another picture-perfect day and I sat by the window for my pancake breakfast. My friend Lynn joined me in a little while and then we headed off the boat to Clinton, Iowa.

The low water levels on the Mississippi had kept us from Dubuque the previous day and had changed the Bettendorf stop to Clinton on this way.  

I had made arrangements to visit Le Claire from our stop in Dubuque. It took some reorganizing, especially since the Clinton stop was shorter than Dubuque, but I was able to keep that appointment.

I still wanted to see some of Clinton, so I took my scooter around the scenic waterfront and a bit of the town. I saw the Veterans Memorial and lighthouse in a town that once had more millionaires than anywhere else in Iowa.

Lynn met me at the curb in front of the ship, where Bob Schiffe, Executive Director of the Buffalo Bill Museum, was waiting to drive us to Le Claire.



The Buffalo Bill Museum was the highlight of the town and it did not disappoint. Although Buffalo Bill, aka William F. Cody, spent most of his life in Colorado, he was born on his family’s homestead in Le Claire in 1846.



The museum offered many details and artifacts of the man who was a Border Scout during the Civil War and earned his nickname from all the buffalo he killed to supply meat to the Kansas Pacific Railroad. He would later go on to start and star in the Wild, Wild West Show.



Although most of the museum is dedicated to Buffalo Bill, it also offers history of Le Claire, the River Pilots that fought the strong rapids on the Mississippi in this area, and other famous natives, including inventor James J. Ryan III (seatbelts), Musician Cecile Fletcher, and American Pickers Mike Wolf.

I wish we had more time to explore the downtown restaurants, bars, and shops in Le Claire. Before leaving, I couldn’t resist stopping at The Shameless Chocoholic to pick up a few goodies, including their signature White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Truffle. We also made a quick stop at Mississippi River Distilling.



Bob took us back to the boat in time for lunch in the dining room. We spoke to some guests who stayed in Clinton and were able to go to the Windmill Cultural Center, Sawmill Museum, and George M Curtis Mansion on the complimentary hop on, hop off bus the cruise line provides at each stop.



Breakfast and lunch in the J.M. White Dining Room is a combination of table service and buffet. There are a few menu items (different each day) you can get delivered to your table and a nice spread (also changing each day) on the buffet. I usually had something from each.

I chose a little of everything for this lunch too. We went upstairs after for the traditional Calliope Sail Away but chose to go back and rest and shower before dinner, foregoing the activities of Match Game, Riverside Chat with Riverloarian Frank, and Jazz in the afternoon.



We made it to the cocktail hour and music before dinner. The food never let us down on the American Queen and my favorite part of this dinner was the short rib & polenta main course.



I liked all of the shows on the cruise, but this was the night of my favorite show, Curtain’s Up, Sounds of Broadway. The performances of top Broadway shows, in full costume, were outstanding.



After the show and our nightly ritual of a little music and a nightcap in the Engine Room Bar, we headed back to our cabin to get a good night’s rest for the next day on our American Queen Voyage.

I am beginning to expand my YouTube Channel.
Subscribe to see my past videos and many more to come.

I was hosted by American Queen on this voyage, but opinions are my own. 

Unexpected Ship Day on the America Queen

With the Mississippi River still running low from the lack of rain, we ended up with a day without a port. As much as I wished we hadn’t missed Dubuque, it was nice to have some time to rest and enjoy my American QueenVoyage.

I have always liked small cruises and I think I like them even more now that I travel in a scooter. It doesn’t take long to find your way around and the elevators hardly have a wait.

Lynn and I took our time in the morning with a room service breakfast. It was a day full of exploring what the boat had to offer.

I went around the ship from the outside first. It was interesting to see the calm Mississippi river and its small islands as we went through. A steamboat goes a lot slower than a cruise ship and you get to really take in the scenery.

The weather was about 70 and there was plenty of shade around the boat.   I settled in for awhile in a rocking chair on the Porch of the Riverview Bar and watched the Mississippi go by.

After lunch, I went through the inside of the boat. This is where you can truly see that this is an old-fashioned steamboat. The furnishings in the Ladies Parlor, Mark Twain Gallery, and Gentlemen’s Card Room were antiques, yet comfortable. Had this been a longer cruise with more days at sea, I would have spent more time in them.

I stopped along the way for an ice cream sundae, another of the complimentary offerings available any time. It was at the Front Porch Café. They also had specialty and regular coffees. As well as fresh baked cookies.

After some rest in the room, Lynn and I went to the main dining room for dinner. It was another delicious meal. We started with the Spring Rolls, and had a Seasonal Salad, filled with fruit.

The main course was my favorite dish, Eggplant Parmigiana. It was done a little differently than I’m used to, as a stack rather than casserole, but was fantastic. Dessert was Carrot Cake for me and Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding for Lynn.

The view of Iowa from the boat in the evening was beautiful and I took time to enjoy it before meeting back up with Lynn to see the show.

 

I had seen this show before with a different actor. One of the wonderful things about it was that each show is different. Peter Lebron did Mark Twain in Hannibal this night, reading from the author’s stories and telling a tale about his life. It was really good and gave a glimpse into Hannibal, which we would be visiting in two days.  

As much as I enjoyed the day on the American Queen, I was ready to get up in the morning and explore Burlington, Iowa.

I was hosted by American Queen on this voyage, but opinions are my own.