The Wisconsin Dells are dotted with unique off-sites celebrating local history, cuisine and scenery.
Managed by the same company that runs many of the destination’s river tours, Dells Boat Tours Pavilion (www.dellsboats.com) is a popular off-site spot. The beautifully restored 800-square-foot pavilion sits within a lush canyon along the Wisconsin River. Smaller groups can take a boat out and escape the meeting room for an evening while enjoying the unique environment. To contrast with all the high-energy offerings, Carla Minsky, marketing and public relations representative for the Wisconsin Dells CVB, recommends the company’s classic Dells Sunset River Cruise.
“The scenery is beautiful, the food is delicious, and the nature of this tour lends itself to uplifting conversations that might not happen so easily back at the office when you’re dealing with the hustle and bustle of everyday work deadlines,” she says.
The trip can include musical performances and a stroll along the torch-lit gulch path.
For another true Wisconsin dining experience, Sprechers Restaurant & Pub (www.sprecherspub.com) opened a location in the Dells. The restaurant offers private dining rooms and a menu of the microbrews and kettle-made gourmet sodas for which the Milwaukee-based brewery is famous. Flavors include ginger ale, orange soda and root beer made from raw Wisconsin honey.
H.H. Bennett Studios (http://hhbennettstudio.wisconsinhistory.org), the oldest operating business in the Wisconsin Dells, opened in 1865 and continues to be a popular tour stop. Photographer Henry Hamilton Bennett photographed the Dells’ natural landscapes that drew visitors to the area 100 years ago when it was still known as Kilbourn City, and continues to draw hordes of visitors today. Managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society, the studio is open seasonally, but group tours for 10 or people more can be scheduled year-round by appointment.
