For the most current outdoor recreational & community information please visit The Skillet Creek Journal at www.skilletcreekjournal.com.   We also have a pretty darn active Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/skilletcreek and Facebook page as well.  So while we won’t be blogging here at WisDells.net any longer, it’s simply because we’ve got stuff going on all over the place!!   Did I mention the Devil’s Lake State Park Blog?

According to an article in the Wisconsin Dells Events newspaper, Nick Laskaris, Owner of Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park,  asked at a recent village board meeting why the area hides its natural beauty from Wisconsin Dells visitors.  Good question Nick!  It’s the same question I asked over 10 years ago now when working with a now defunct Wisconsin Dells Commerce association on their website.  The answer at the time was clear and went something like, “We don’t want people at parks where they won’t spend money”.  I’m paraphrasing the quote that most stood out to me at the time.

Of course all over the country other communities have realized that their natural attractions are a major part of their overall draw.  You don’t always have to “build it”, and they will still come.  You simply have to share it.  Market it.  Show pride in it.  People who visit parks & natural areas also eat, stay in hotels, shop and yes, visit theme parks and other attractions in the area as well.  It’s not an either/or proposition. 

I certainly hope Mr. Laskaris pushes this issue.  As owner of Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park he is in a unique position to be listened to.  Here at Skillet Creek we obviously support a new energized focus on outdoor recreation and tourism in our area.  It’s what we’ve been all about for years.  Sauk County offers some of the most amazing natural areas in Wisconsin and the Mid-West.  In our opinion it’s always been short sighted to try to hide our most attractive features.

Learn More

- DevilsLakeWisconsin.com

- Natural Areas Guide @ DevilslakeWisconsin.com
– includes; Dells of the Wisconsin River & more…

- MirrorLakeWisconsin.com

- and speaking of marketing & presentation….

What does “Getting away from it all.” mean to you?  It could mean anything from spending a weekend at a resort or spa, to climbing Everest, or simply finding a quiet little spot around home.  This weekend our version of  “Getting away from it all” meant hiking up a long stream to discover a place we’d seen on a topo map, but never had heard of before.  It was really amazing.

Being the “outdoorsy” type, when I’m planning a vacation I’m always looking for the best spots to hike, bike, paddle or whatever when I get to my destination.  The thing is, I always know I’m missing something.  Maps and Chamber of  Commerce websites rarely do a good job showing you where the best best trails are.  With that in mind I’ve added a new section to WisDells.net called “Where We Go“.  The “Where We Go” section will tell you about the places we enjoy right here in the Wisconsin Dells area.  Each article will include a general overview, directions and observations that we hope will give you some new ideas when exploring the area. 

Starting off I’ve got two activites for you.. Hiking the South Face of the East Bluff at Devil’s Lake State Park & Paddling the Baraboo River.  Check the new “Where We Go” section every week or so as I will be posting more of our favorite outdoor spots as soon as I can write them up!  Also for a more general look at Natural Areas around the Dells go to our Natural Areas section.

As we’ve begun our new focus on outdoor recreation we realized we need to get out and take new pictures for the Natural Areas section. Yesterday we managed to get out to Baxter’s Hollow about 20 miles south of the Dells, Natural Bridge State Park (even further south), and the Dells of the Wisconsin river right here in Wisconsin Dells. It was a great day for a road trip and a hike. The DOWR Natural Area opens officially on May 15th of each year. Click here for more.

Yep, there are lots of you out there that almost cringe at the mention of Wisconsin Dells.  For some it’s certainly become the anti-vacation.  A weekend full of running around, stress, unhealthy food, kids on sugar highs, traffic and well, you know…  Well,  there is another side to Wisconsin Dells of course.  It’s just getting hard and harder to find.   As a paddler, hiker and general outdoorsy type myself  I could’nt help thinking that there are lots of us out there who actually want to relax on our vacation and not just run from crowded spot to crowded spot being separated from our money.   It was that thought that encoraged me to take a bit of a right turn here at WisDells.net.  I decided to get out of the “rat race” as it were, and focus on building this site around outdoor enthusiasts, families who want to play together, and actually relax.   So with that in mind let’s see where 2009 takes us.  There will be lots of new content coming under the heading of  “Outdoor Guide” soon.  Feel free to post here. Suggestions & comments are welcome.

Now is the time when everyone starts asking about fall colors.  Well, it’s awfully hard to pin it down.  I read recently that the first week of October is always too early and the last week is aways too late.  That’s probably a good rule of thumb.  The photo above was taken at Devil’s Lake State Park near Baraboo on October 22nd of last year.   You can check regularly on the Devil’s Lake Blog as I will be posting images over there as we get closer to the peak.  Also a good website to visit is the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Fall Color Report Here.

Today it’s storming and raining again.  We are under flash flood warnings for most of the day.  This will not affect Wisconsin Dells as much as it does the rest of the area.  Baraboo, Devil’s Lake, North Freedom (home of the Mid-Continent Railway Museum) Reedsburg and other communities in the area are taking the brunt of the high water.

I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of explaining to do over this story. . . .

- Lake Delton Officials Didn’t Renew FEMA Flood Insurance. from Channel3000.

Thing is bickering over such things seems like a wise thing to do if you don’t think anything will ever happen to you.  Opps!

We took a stroll on what used to be a lake bed. Assorted junk, antiques, an old sled and timber that looks to have been an old bridge were just some of the things that we found that were once hidden below the water.  Sections of the lake bed are like quicksand so it’s not really all that safe to be out there.  I will post more pictures in the coming days.

I’ve also talked to some of the property owners and most are still open for business, their beaches are just a bit bigger now.  Some have been having phone issues which should resolve in the next 24 hours.

I’m sure you’ve heard we’ve had a bit of rain in the area of the last few days.  A real disaster hit Wisconsin Dells when Lake Delton drained away into the Wisconsin River. Yes, Lake Delton is at least for the time being. .  gone.  Businesses on the Lake are left wondering what to do next.  Suddenly the lake front, isn’t the lake front anymore.  Many of these folks are clients and friends that I have known for quite a number of years and all my hopes go out to them.  If you have lodging reservations at one of the many lake side hotels, condos, or resorts you may want to check in as to what conditions to expect. 

Tommy Bartlett’s Ski, Sky, & Stage show is also located right on Lake Delton and will certainly be affected as well.  According to the local news, owners say the show will go on, albeit without the "Ski" part for the time being.

Devil’s Lake State Park is also dealing with high water which has covered the beaches all summer.  Now there is high water in most of the North Shore picnic area and some roads are under water as well.  The campgrounds are away from the lake and are fine for the most part.

Boaters should be a bit leery of the rivers at the moment.  Fast currents and debris are just some of the dangers of rivers in flood.  The Baraboo river is now flowing just an inch or two under the Manchester st. bridge.  This would be a death trap for paddlers. 

More News Stories:

Lake Delton nearly empties – Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

Destruction & Devastation On Lake Delton – WYOW

Rain-Swollen Lake Delton Floods, Destroying Homes, Highway
- lots of coverage, video & photos from Channel3000.com

Our Devil’s Lake State Park Blog
-devilslakewisconsin.com