Wisconsin Dells

The term originally referred to the Cambrian sandstone cliffs along the Wisconsin River long before it became synonomous with tacky water parks.

The Dells Boat Tour on the upper river still conveys the pristine charm of nature, with the bluffs partly exposed and otherwise covered in pine. The two-hour tour was one of the highlights of our trip, with stops at Witches' Gulch, where the porous sandstone sucked up air in the narrow formation and lowered the temperature, and at Standing Rock, where the jumping German Shepherd, while corny, did convey some of the drama of the famous photo.