Dells Boat Tours in the Fall Season. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau
Every second Tuesday, second Friday, and third Monday, Big Blend Radio connects with members of the International Food Wine Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) to share travel insights from around the globe. On this episode, we head to the Midwest with Ken Leiviska of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau.
Wine country, waterparks, supper clubs, and even yoga with alpacas: Wisconsin Dells has something for every season. Ken shares what to see, taste, and do in the Dells, from fall color and harvest to winter lights and ice fishing.
Watch the episode below or listen to / download the podcast episode on Podbean:
🎙️ Podcast Highlights: Wisconsin Dells in Every Season
Wine Country with 1.5 Billion Years of History
The town takes its name from the Dells, the sandstone cliffs along the Wisconsin River, and the nearby Baraboo Bluffs, rolling hills that the Wisconsin DNR lists as roughly 1.5 to 1.6 billion years old, are a perfect setting for vineyards. Ice Age glaciers shaped the soil, and the hardy varietals that survive Wisconsin winters make for exciting tasting. Many wineries here also run distilleries.
"You're looking at history, you're looking at these unbelievable picturesque settings while you're having your wine." — Ken Leiviska
Wollersheim is Wisconsin's oldest winery, dating to the 1840s.
Photo courtesy Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau
Harvest Season at Working Wineries
Fall is harvest, and everything poured here is grown in the Dells area. Visitors can watch the harvest happen, taste wines from previous years, and be part of the process for future vintages. Ken's highlights:
Baraboo Bluff Winery and Broken Bottle Winery: Their motto is "you don't have to be fancy to drink wine," which captures the Dells spirit.
Prairie Hawk Winery: Opened when two retired friends asked, "What are we gonna do now?"
Wollersheim: Wisconsin's oldest winery, dating to the 1840s and Count Agoston Haraszthy, with an original wine cellar, a bistro, and a distillery.
Waterparks Aren't Just for Summer
Wisconsin Dells is the "Waterpark Capital of the World," and Ken explains that the first indoor waterpark in the nation, as far as anyone knows, opened here in 1989 at the Polynesian Hotel. It was a way to keep visitors coming when the weather turns cold. Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari Resort, and Wilderness Resort followed, so there's splashing fun in every season. The outdoor parks, including Noah's Ark and Mount Olympus (home to America's tallest water slide, the 146-foot Rise of Icarus), are summer attractions.
Fawn Creek Winery. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau
Ducks, Supper Clubs & Cozy Evenings
Fall is still duck-tour season, aboard World War II-era amphibious vehicles that wind through the woods and splash right into the river. After dark, try a Wisconsin supper club: low lighting, friendly service, big portions, prime rib on the menu, and a brandy old fashioned in hand.
Ishnala Supper Club: A seasonal, 70-plus-year-old favorite on Mirror Lake State Park, in an A-frame building with a tree growing through the middle.
The Del-Bar: A popular spot near downtown.
Daylene's Supper Club: New this year.
Big Foot Zipline Tours in the Fall.
Photo courtesy Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau
Alpaca Yoga, Farms & Wildlife
The Dells keeps adding new experiences. Casacampo Alpaca Ranch opened this year with a rentable farmhouse and Saturday-morning yoga and movement classes with the alpacas. Country Bumpkin Farm Market and Little Bumpkin Play Village offers pumpkin picking, animals, and a ropes course. Nearby, the International Crane Foundation and Wisconsin Deer Park are great stops for animal lovers, where you can learn about cranes and pet the deer.
Downtown, the Tree of Light & Fall Colors
Downtown is a walkable, amped-up Main Street USA with old-timey photo booths, the H.H. Bennett Museum, a river walk along the Wisconsin River, and the YetiYard with go-karts and mini golf. In winter, the Tree of Light, a silver maple (Ken corrects himself on the air, it's not an oak), glows with 65,000 lights. Fall color can last five to six weeks of prime foliage, depending on where you are in the state.
Where to Stay & What to Know Before You Go
The Dells is about 45 minutes north of Madison, under two hours from Milwaukee, and around three hours from Chicago. Lodging runs from waterpark resorts for families to Sundara Inn & Spa for adult getaways, smaller lodges for girls' trips and guys' weekends, and golf resorts, with some courses staying open into October. Winter brings holiday markets and ice fishing, and the website's travel planner helps you curate a trip by season and group. And yes, Ken is on Team Squeaky Fresh Cheese Curds.
Pack a sweater, a swimsuit, or both. Whatever the season, the Dells is ready for you.
JIGSAW PUZZLE: Enjoy the interview with Ken Leiviska of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau while you piece together this online jigsaw puzzle of a fall season Dells Boat Tour. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau.
TIP: Use the full screen icon to make it easier. Use your mouse roller or arrow keys to rotate the puzzle pieces and click and drag to put the pieces in place. Use the Image Icon to see the picture and the Ghost Icon to set your workspace
🔗 Helpful Links:
👉 Plan your Wisconsin Dells getaway: https://www.wisdells.com
🌎 Learn more about IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org
🎧 Food, Wine & Travel with IFWTWA on Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/food-wine-travel-ifwtwa
📰 Check out the Big Blend Radio Travel, Food & Wine Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/travel-food-wine-magazine