Lake Takes a Vacation, but Vacationers Can Still Visit Dells

With the world's largest collection of indoor and outdoor water parks in one place, there's water, water everywhere in Wisconsin Dells--except in its lake. After heavy rains and severe flooding pummeled the area, a breach in Lake Delton drained its water into the nearby Wisconsin River. The now-empty lake has caused some attractions to make some modifications, but the word from Dells businesses is that the show will go on. According to Melanie Platt-Gibson of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau, all of the area's water parks are open and fully operational. Theme parks, such as Mt. Olympus, are also unaffected and open for visitors. And businesses that rely on Lake Delton have made some changes so that they can remain open as well. For example, the popular Tommy Bartlett Show, a longtime Dells staple that has featured waterskiing along with acrobats, jugglers, and other "dry" acts, will forego the water and expand its stage presentations. The revamped show reopens today. And the Original Wisconsin Ducks and the Dells Army Duck Tours, which use amphibious vehicles to take guests on land and water, will spend more time plying the Wisconsin River since the lake is off limits. (Although a tour of the dry lakebed would be fascinating, wouldn't it?) Platt-Gibson says that all major roads are fine and that getting in and out of the Dells is no problem. Savvy vacationers may even be able to snag some deals in the wake of the breach. Some properties, such as the massive Wilderness indoor water park resort, have reduced some of its room rates by 25 percent reports the Milwaukee Business Journal.

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