Day 36: Water Park

Monday July 18

Driving into Wisconsin dells, we are stuck by all the tourist activities to do; mini golf, water parks, homes to tour, etc..  It is clear why lots of people come here on vacation.  The girls had spent the morning looking online at the water park (Noah's Ark) and making a list of all the rides they wanted to go on.  The place is huge and we finally find a spot in the shade to park.

We come across the lazy river first and the girls go on that together while Scott and I apply sunscreen and get our bearings.  The lazy river lasts forever, it seems.  Finally they make their way around and we head to the wave pool so everyone can refresh.  The wave pool is 10 min on, 10 min off and it is off when we first arrive.  Once the waves begin, Isabella goes in more shallow waters.  She loves the wave pool and finds the waves stronger at the shallow end.  While in the wave pool, they spot a ride they wanted to go on, Congo Bongo, and take off for that.  I enjoy a quiet sit on a chair and relax.  I do not like water slides nor do I like enclosed slides (get too claustrophobic) so I expect I will be watching them a lot today.  After that ride and another time in the wave pool to cool off (remember it is close to 100 degrees and HUMID), we head back to the lazy river area so they can go on rides there.  I actually fall asleep waiting for them at this point.  Alexandria comes out first and she and I go on the lazy river while waiting for Scott and Isabella to come off their ride.,

Staying Cool!

We look at the map and realize we have only been in 1 part of the park and there are 5 more parts they want to explore.  We head to the Time Warp (which turns out to be Lexi’s favorite ride).  The wait is long and I enjoy some more people watching.  The ride is dark and not one of Scott’s favorites.  Isabella likes the Bermuda Triangle that they go on right after the Time Warp.  We head towards the Black Anaconda, which Lexi wants to do.  There is a huge line and since we only have about 1.5 hours until closing time, we head on.  We find the 2^nd wave pool, which is near a kid play area.  Scott is amazed that both girls want to play on the tiny octopus slides.  Next we head o to the newer and bigger rides.  The girls do Jungle Ride which Isabella loves.  They decide to do the Cowabunga- which is huge raft down a sleep slope.  I am trying to get a picture and notice just how steep it is and the fact that someone is going backwards!  They end up coming down with a young couple in the raft. 

There is no line for Plunge so they grab a mat and head up the stairs.  I get a shot of them both getting on the mat, face first and then I see Lexi coming down.  I can’t find Isabella with the camera so I look up at Scott and see Isabella is heading back down the stairs, mat in hand.  Guess she didn’t realize it was face first and didn’t want to do it.  Scott has been watching the park’s newest ride, Scorpions Tail, the whole time and is tempted to go on it.  You shoot feet first down a steep incline and then loop up so you are going upwards feet first, before plunging down a very steep slide.  He is dry and water parked out so he doesn’t go on it.   We head back to the parking lot, hoping to make it to the first wave pool so we can refresh before leaving the water park.  The girls find another kid area and stop.  Lexi does the zip line and drops into 11 ft of water.  Isabella was excited to do the zip line until I told her it was 11 ft deep and she wouldn’t be able to touch!  But she (and Lexi) proceeded to go down a slide where you were some 4 ft above the water and then dropped into 11 ft of water! 

It is almost 8pm and closing time when we finally leave Noah’s Ark and head back to the camper.  We do a quick change and then head back to downtown Wisconsin Dells for dinner.  Scott has found a brewpub, Moose Jaws, and we head there.  We have a little wait so we head downstairs and order drinks.  Scott is amazed when he asks the waitress for a bitter beer, that she has no clue what kind of beer to recommend to him. She does come back with 2 free samples for him!  We order a pizza for dinner and Isabella is so tired she barely makes it through dinner.