Baraboo, Wisconsin

Ho Chunk Casino, Hi Way House Restaurant, International Crane Foundation, Devil's Head Ski Resort, Devil's Lake. Circus World Museum.

Camping, Fishing, Skiing, Snowmobiling.

Quick Tips:

Make sure you take your camera! Lot's of great scenery. Also, you're only about 30 minutes from the Wisconsin Dells

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving

An Ice Age unit where 500-foot bluffs flank a 360-acre lake. Swimming, fishing, boating (electric motor only), canoeing, scuba diving, hiking, nature center (by appointment during off--season), year-round naturalist and cross-country skiing.

Make sure you visit the Devil''s Lake State Park website at http://www.devilslakewisconsin.com

I have been to this resort both in the winter (for skiing) and in the summer (for golf). Devil's Head Resort lies in the bluffs of Wisconsin, created by the Glaciers millions of years ago. The resort lies at the bottom of the bluffs. Everything is easily accessible and within walking distance. While nothing like skiing in Colorado, I've skied at several resorts around Chicago and don't feel that Devil's Head can be matched for the scenery and the challenging skiing. Devil's Head boasts the only double diamond run, literally a skiable cliff. I can't say much about this, because I've never been brave enough to try it! The Golf at Devil's Head is also top notch. I live in Illinois, where most golf courses are flat. How exciting, then, was it for me to tee off and realize that the hole was farther below the tee than away from the tee. Judging the various distances was fairly challenging. The fairways, however are fairly wide open, so even duffers will enjoy playing this course. A new 9 hole course will be opening this spring. Devil's Head resort has 250 rooms, nine of them are two-room penthouse suites with whirlpools. The whirlpools are great especially after a long day of skiing. There are two swimming pools, one children's wading pool, indoor whirlpool, three outdoor hot tubs, an indoor sauna, and an exercise room. Even if you are not golfing or skiing, there are plenty of tennis courts, volley ball courts, hiking trails and mountain bike trails to explore For meals, Devil's Head has three dining rooms, a winter-season cafeteria, golf course concession area, and three bars.

As its name implies, the Log Cabin Restaurant is actually housed in a log cabin. They feature homemade food and I can recommend everything on the menu, especially the soups. They also have some great desserts.

If you are looking for a good breakfast, this is a great place.

The old Hiway House restaurant is probably the best well kept secret in Baraboo. The restaurant has two levels and a bar. The top level is menu served, featuring steaks and seafood. Specialty of the house is Prime Rib.

The bottom level is served Buffet style. To me and my family, this is a must on Saturday nights when they serve their All-U-Can-Eat Prime Rib Buffet.

It's probably one of the largest Indian Casinos I've ever been in with about 90,000 feet of casino space. Blackjack minimums are usually at $5, but are higher during peak seasons such as Memorial or Labor Day weekends. They also only have 56 Blackjack tables, so if you're into Blackjack, expect a rather cramped setting.

Prior to the Ringling Brothers Circus merging with Barnum and Bailey's, the Ringling Brothers Circus used to winter at the location of the museum. Most of the museum is housed in buildings used by the Ringling Brothers.

Every year around the 4th of July, the Circus World Museum also loads up their circus wagons onto a train to Milwaukee.

I recommend taking a picnic lunch. The food served their is pretty lousy and not very reasonably priced. There are picnic tables surrounding the grounds, or bring a blanket or portable table and have your lunch besides the Baraboo river.

Believe it or not, the Meat Market has become one of the must stops for shopping in Baraboo. My family loves to grill out and nothing beats the fresh cuts of meat you'll find at this meat market.

The prices are outstanding, for example a pound of ground beef is only $1.25 per pound. And in Wisconsin, there is no sales tax on food. So flatlanders (Illinois residents)like me usually bring a cooler. You can order it and ask them to freeze it for you and come back the next day. They are closed on Wednesdays for slaughtering and on Sunday.

The Meat Market is known for it's Award Winning Summer Sausage. You can see the plaques and State Fair Blue Ribbons that adorn their walls.

I love the beef jerky as well. It doesn't come cheap at about $17 per pound, but well worth it.

In addition, I recommend the bacon and their bratwursts are also to die for. Especially the garlic ones.

No trip to Baraboo is complete without a stop at Delaney's. Located about 5 miles north of Baraboo, it's across Highway 12 from the old Badger Ammunitions Plant.

It's usually hit or miss, but you can spend hours rummaging through the stores to find some excellent bargains.

Also, pay specially attention to some of the metal art that is on display around the building.

My family has been going up to the Devil's Lake area for over 30 years, and Delaney's has been a fixture.

The International Crane Foundation is an organization established to protecting Crane's in the wildlife. A Crane is a very large flying bird. The Sarus Crane, for example is almost 6 feet tall!

The ICF has many different Cranes to see. It's very interesting to learn about the different species and this is definitely educational for both Children and Adults.

Individual Memberships are available for as little as $20, but non-members can visit at the following rates:

Admission Fees for 2000:
Members.............................Free
Adults (ages 12 and over)..........$7.00
Seniors............................$6.00
Children (ages 5-11)...............$3.50
Children (ages 4 and under).........Free