Wisconsin Dells

[Jay]

What if anything does anyone know of the aforementioned location. It
is a possible vacation detination and I did not know waht to expect
there. any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Jerry Hall]

What kind of vacation? Car camping, backpacking, etc. There are some
very nice places but it does tend to be crowded being close to Chicago
and Milwaukee.

[Jay]

Just get away from Indiana & insurance vacation. Casual hiking, points
of interest, maybe fishing and no golf

[Jerry Hall]

Well the Dells are pretty commercialized. Water parks etc. Not
really "wild" Wisconsin anymore. We've stayed at two places in
Wisconsin that we liked pretty well. We usually backpack in a few
miles and then day hike from a base camp. Newport State Park in Door
County is nice but not much to do other than hang out at the beach.

Of course, I'll give you a stor y (whether you like it or not). Like
alot of places up there, the local industry for a long time was what
might be called forestry. In order to get the timber out of this
particular location, they had to build a long pier because of the
gradual slope out into Lake Michigan. The pier is gone but the stone
pilings are still sitting out there and form a nice reef with lots of
fish to watch. My daughters and I had a good time snorkeling about
out there (before they were too cool to snorkel). Then, as with all
camping trips, the rain came for a couple of days. Well after 24 hrs
in the tents, my youngest daughter and I decided that a few sprinkles
were not going to keep us from snorkeling. So, with the beach to
ourselves we're paddling along to the pilings. Now remember, this
child is about twelve but can swim quite well and had snorkelled some
old wooden shipwrecks in Lake Ontario, so she isn't really timid. We
reach the pilings and there are the fish, lots more than usual because
there are no other fools but us out in the rain. We are having a
blast. Then we see it. The biggest fresh water fish I have ever
seen. I know I'll be accused of telling a fish story but I swear the
thing was as big as my daughter. Bless her heart, she pulls her head
straight out of the water and says that we have to get out. I say OK
and we start back. Only thing is I have to help her back because she
won't stick her head back in the water. I guess she figured that if
she can't see that fish it isn't there. Almost as funny as my wife
telling me that that fish off St. John's VI couldn't be a barracuda
because she'd been playing tag with it for thirty minutes. I'm glad
one us wore contacts with our masks.

Back to Wisconsin. We also stayed in a place up near the Apostle
Islands National Lakeshore that was nice. The loons are noisy but
that's a fairly pleasant noice as opposed to car alarms and sirens.
It is quite a ways up. The kayaking on Lake Superior there is
supposed to very nice but we didn't get around to that. The smoked
whitefish is spectacular.

Just across the border in the UP of MI, the Sylvania Wilderness is
nice if you like to canoe on lakes. Very quiet, no motorized boats.

Closer to home, Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan is very nice as well.
Lots of stuff to do around there. Car camping, floating, dunes, some
nice towns.

Our favorite place for canoeing, however, is the Current River in
Missouri. Crowded in the summer at times but man it is spectacular.
The water is the same temperature all year round because the river is
spring -fed.

Not sure that helps but...

[Stri...@aol.com]

Thanks for your input I will do some investigation on the info you gave me.  On my word as a gentleman and a scholar I will not mention the human size fish to any of the group.  I believe that would be a topic of it's own.   Thanks again

[past...@vcn.com]

Jay, if you are looking for casual hiking and maybe some fishing, have
you considered Buffalo, Wyoming? There are some nice trout streams and
mountain lakes in the Big Horns as well as all of the hiking you could
want. Plus I know a great bed and breakfast that is reasonably priced
with nice amenities. Let me know.
Bob

[Jerry Hall]

Details. Details. What about backpacking? Now, I don't mind sharing
the woods with black bears (some of my best friends are black bears)
but not too keen on the brown sort.

Maps? Websites?

[Packard, Steven R.]

Careful now, Jerry. That kind of talk can get you sent to Barracks 23 here
at my work for instigating and promoting stereotyping like that.

[Jerry Hall]

Barracks 23? Now I knew California was one big gulag but geesh.

[Packard, Steven R.]

No, California is quite the opposite from a gulag. However, MY corner of
California is Gulag Central.

[past...@vcn.com]

Jerry,
Good to chat with you. I will find some websites for you.
Backpacking? yes.
Bears? Yes. Black? Yes. Grizzlies? Depends on the area of the Big
Horns.
Later.
Bob