UPPER WISCONSIN DELLS

Our visit to Wisconsin extended to Wisconsin Dells after we kept hearing this was the place everyone went to get away from the cities.   This is a city of  waterparks, fudge shops and the Ho Chunk Indian Casino (nee Branson, Pigeon Forge), and LOTS of tourists, up until the end of October.

Downtown Wisconsin Dells, WI

 

Upside Down White House - Wisconsin Dells, WI

Wooden Roller Coaster at Troy - Wisconsin Dells, WI

 We enjoyed our stay but we especially enjoyed a 2 hour excursion through the most scenic and beautiful stretch of the Wisconsin River - The Upper Dells.  The excursion, ten miles round trip, winds through narrow canyons and past the towering sandstone cliffs that have stood as sentinels of time.

Black Hawk's Profile - Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

Sand Cliff and High Rock - Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

The Palisades Area
Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

Pancake Rock - Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

Our knowledgeable tour guides gave factual  accounts of early adventurers to this region, from fur traders and lumber raftsmen to Native Americans and young entrepreneurs who lived off the land, on its riverbanks and through its beauty.  At several points along the trip we were able to disembark and explore.

Witches Gulch - Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

Spooky Lane - Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

Caves near Stand Rock - Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

Our Docked Tour Boat at Stand Rock Trail -
Upper Wisconsin Dells, WI

One formation, Stand Rock, cannot be seen by the water and is a short walk within the woods.  Stand Rock is an outcropping 47 feet high topped off by a 12 x 20 foot slab or rock support by a pillar of sandstone.  Throughout the day, tour boat passengers are treated to specially trained german shepherd dogs that leap between the two rocks.

While the water may look dirty it is actually a very clean waterway.  The brown color is from a natural substance called tannic acid, primarily from the bark and roots of the tamarack and oak trees in northern Wisconsin.

After our most enjoyable one week stay at Country Roads Campground in Lake Delton , this was our reminder as we left the campground on our way to Minnesota.

Check, check, check and check Wisconsin Dells off the bucket list.

WORLD'S GREATEST SHOW

"World's Greatest Show" was the name given to the original Ringling Bros. Circus which began in 1884, in Baraboo, Wisconsin, about an hour north of Madison.  RV and I spent an afternoon at the original location of the Ringling Bros.Circus, which was their winter quarters for 34 years, and is now the home of the Circus World Museum.

Circus World - On The Banks Of The Baraboo River
Baraboo, Wisconsin

In 1907 the name was changed to "The Greatest Show On Earth" when Ringling Bros. absorbed Barnum and Bailey.  Along the banks of the Baraboo River stand the surviving buildings, remnants of an age when the circus was a major form of entertainment in big and small towns and cities across America.  In 1927 John and Charles Ringling moved the winter headquarters to Sarasota, Florida from Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Original Warehouses at Ringling Bros
Baraboo, Wisconsin

Not only are the huge original buildings still standing that were built to house this huge undertaking, but the 220 historic circus wagons are being meticulously maintained and restored inside these buildings.

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

 

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

Circus World - Baraboo, WI

The history is being preserved in a grand manner and we were most impressed by the activities and displays of carefully crafted rare collections of circus memorabilia.  As we are originally from Florida I was only familiar with Charles and John Ringling and their contributions to Florida history.  When you are in Baraboo you are aware of all five brothers, Al, A.T., John, Otto, and Charles, (in 1886 Henry Ringling joined and in 1889 Gus Ringling joined) and that all of them were involved in the circus business.  They were all partners in the business and were known to be honest and hardworking.

The Ringling Brothers

Wisconsin has a proud circus heritage.  Approximately 100 circus shows were supported by 32 different communities.  Some cities such as Baraboo, Appleton, and Sheboygan were home to multiple shows.  Delavan, Wisconsin, beat them all by hosting 25 circuses at one time or another!

In 1967, The Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus was purchased by Irvin Feld (who died in 1984), and is now owned and operated by his son, Kenneth.

FMCA 92nd International Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase Rally -Alliant Center - Madison, WI

On July 27 we arrived in Madison, Wisconsin to attend the Family Motor Coach Association's 92nd Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase Rally at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI, with an assortment of over 1,600 motorhomes.  Upon arrival, the impression one gets is organized chaos, but through the experienced help of the FMCA organization headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, hundreds of volunteers from FMCA chapters throughout the U.S., and hundreds of commercial vendors in the RV industry, a four day packed program took place for thousands of people from all over the U.S. and Canada.

FMCA Rally Headquarters - Alliant Energy Center
Madison, Wisconsin

These coaches are going into a holding area prior to Registration!
FMCA Rally - Madison, WI 2015

Alliant Energy Center
Madison, WI

A Sea Of Coaches - FMCA Rally
Madison, WI - 2015

Waterfront FMCA Rally
Madison, WI - 2015

FMCA Rally - Madison, WI
Alliant Energy Center

If you ever have an opportunity to visit Madison, the State Capitol of Wisconsin, there are so many activities to do and see.  Madison is the second largest city in Wisconsin, located in the south central part of the state is surrounded by 4 lakes.  The beautiful State Capitol, we were told, is the tallest capitol in the United States with the exception of The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.  Along with the University of Wisconsin facilities and the various government buildings, the city is always filled with activity, and I might add, many people riding bicycles in the streets as well as miles of trails.

State Capitol
Madison, WI

An Established Lakefront Neighborhood
Near Downtown Madison, WI 2015

Lakefront View Going into Downtown Madison, WI

 We were busy during the Rally with our own organizational activity as well as finding an orthopedic doctor to examine the progress of my wrist injury.  In May, after we accepted the opportunity to present my class, we began planning our trip to Madison. For several years, I've presented Attitude Adjustment - it's FUN art, not FINE art, at the Florida Grande Motorcoach Resort, Webster, FL, and will also be offering it at the Spring FMCA Rally at the Georgia State Fairgrounds in Perry, GA. in March, 2016.  According to the students, the classes were most enjoyable. RV was our class photographer - I couldn't have done it without him!!

Class 1 - Attitude Adjustment Seminar
FMCA Rally - Madison, WI

Class 2 - Attitude Adjustment Seminar
FMCA Rally - Madison, WI

Class 3- Attitude Adjustment Seminar
FMCA Rally - Madison, WI

Class 4 - Attitude Adjustment Seminar
FMCA Rally - Madison, WI

We had several side trips and my next blog is very exciting to me as we visited the original headquarters of The Ringling Brothers Circus in Baraboo, WI.  Step right up, folks!  Wow, I'm still getting over that one....it was AMAZING!!!