Wisconsin Dells Deer Park

  

The Wisconsin Deer Park has offered families visiting the Wisconsin Dells the chance to feed and touch deer up close for over 50 years. Serene absolutely loved it! Fearless as the deer towered several feet above her head, she tried to hug each and every one of the calm animals. The gift shop supplies crackers for feeding and Serene feed as many as she could by hand letting them lick her little fingers and she laughed in pure joy.

An original Dells attraction, the deer park sits on 40 acres of land with a four block walk that takes visitors around the edges of the public area to view the deer that walk openly around the area, and other animals (elk, bison, emus, llamas, lemurs and more) in large enclosures. In the winter months, the animals roam freely in a wooded area behind the public area of the park. When we visited the bucks antlers had grown large and majestic.

Wisconsin Dells Ducks

Photo from Original Wisconsin Ducks website.

The Wisconsin Dells are beautiful. The sandstone layered rock formations are only found in a few places in the world. Best viewed from the river, the Original Wisconsin Duck Tours is a great way to take in the views of the rocks, learn the geological, political and Native American history, as well as legends, of the area. The "dalles" were named by French fur traders, meaning 'tiled rocked.' They were formed by rushing flood waters from a glacial lake thousands of years ago and they've been drawing tourists to the area for more than 150 years.

 

The "Ducks" are amphibious land/water vehicles. Alex loved the "splash down" --- the moment when the vehicle races from land into the water.  The tour glides passengers down the Wisconsin River, races through the woods, hauls you up-and-down narrow curvy paths, weaves through Red Bird Gorge (where you can stick you fingers out to touch the formations) and paddles on Lake Delton.

Hurricane Harbor

Hurricane Harbor is not the best place to take small children in the greater Los Angeles area. The water slides are too big. The splash areas with smaller water slides and fountains are so large and spread out it is impossible to keep track of more than one child at a time. The lazy river ride looks like the LA River, i.e. polluted. Unless you are first to arrive at the park, it is impossible to find chairs. Even on a hot day, the water is much too cold. The lines for all the rides are much too long. The food is bad and overpriced. There are lots of photographers around the park taking pictures, but when you want to check out the photos they took of you when you leave, there is only one small booth with not enough employees to handle the lines. The parking lot is too far away. And....there is still plenty more to complain about.

But -- still the kids had fun. I won't go rushing back until the kids are significantly older, but I'm glad we checked it out and it's hard to deny the smiles at the end of the day.

The Grizzly Giant...and other trees

The giant sequoia trees in Mariposa Grove at Yosemite National Park are among the largest living things on earth. Some of the trees are more than 3000 years old. The park's biggest - The Grizzly Giant -  is 30 feet in diameter and estimated to be 1900-2400 years old. The Tunnel Tree is open for people to walk through its base. Its a long uphill hike, but you can also enjoy a one hour narrated tram ride to visit the bulk of the grove. The tram driver tells the history of the park, the grove, how firefighters handle controlled burns (required to keep the trees thriving) and you get a chance to stop several times for photos. Its the only way to really visit the grove with small children.

Biking Yosemite Valley

There are over 12 miles of paved bike trails on the Yosemite Valley floor and almost no hills. We rented two bicycles with trailers behind to haul Alex and Serene at the Curry Village bike stand. We were able to park the car and travel far & wide across the valley for hours -- something we never could have done on foot. The trails are easy to navigate, with detailed postings along the way to help guide you. The kids loved the breeze blowing in their hair and being able to stop to jump in the river, browse the snack shop and take in the breathtaking views. With little kids, we never would have been able to enjoy Yosemite so much without the tip to rent the bikes!

The views are beautiful at Yosemite National Park

 

 

The views at Yosemite National Park must be experienced to be believed. El Capital, Sentinel Dome, Bridalveil Falls, Half Dome and the whole Yosemite Valley are among the most breathtaking views in the world. Our introduction to the park this summer was stunning. Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite National Park annually; most of them enter the park and then never leave the 7 square miles of the Yosemite Valley floor, an area less than 1% of the whole park. (Ourselves included.) Alex and Serene enjoyed the Merced River the most. First the toes, than the ankles, and knees dipped into the cool water, before they both couldn't resist and plowed in fully clothed into river just inches from the shore.*

With the southwestern most entrance to the park is just about a four hour drive from our house, we'll be back for all the seasons.



[*WARNING: Use caution as with any river as later in the season, other children drowned in rougher spots.]

Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite National Park

If this sounds like an advertisement for Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite National Park, that's OK. It is a wonderful lodge two miles from the southeastern Yosemite park gate. It caters to families with multiple restaurants, snack shops, two outdoor swimming pools with two jacuzzi pools, an indoor pool with two jacuzzi pools, an arcade, relatively reasonably priced room service and lots of special extras. Wagon rides, rock climbing, guided hikes, archery, biking and more. We enjoyed the family festival -- a summer outdoor all-you-can-eat BBQ picnic in a beautiful wooded area next to the hotel with delicious food, open bar, live music, horseshoes, gold panning, and making s'mores over an open fire pit. The parents could eat and enjoy while the kids played. The concierge offered tips for inside the park that made our time so much more enjoyable. When the kids are a little bigger, I hope to check out the lodge's exclusive Ascent Spa.