On “Mornings With Dave & Natalie,” we asked for your help compiling a bucket list for my first summer in Madison – and boy, did you deliver! I plan to check off many of your suggestions throughout the summer – and beyond — and write about my experiences. You can also follow along on Life 102.5’s Facebook and Instagram pages, where I’ll be posting as I go. Thanks for helping to make my first Madison-area summer a memorable one!
Hello again! I’ve been slow in posting more “What’s Next” updates because I’ve been so busy doing them!
My husband and I wanted to take the kids on a fun mini getaway before school started, so we decided to head to the Dells since neither of us had ever been before. I did so much research on which resort would be best for our family, and we decided to give Kalahari a try! (In truth, it boiled down to water temperature! I read so many reviews because I am a wuss when it comes to cold pool water and I’m afraid I’ve passed that down to at least one of my children…)
Once we had decided on Kalahari, I agonized over which room to book. Should I pay $100 extra for a room in the main building or get a discount on a room in one of the other buildings that would be a longer walk? Or maybe we could splurge a little for one of the newer hotel suites … but was it worth if it that was still a bit of a hike? (Welcome to vacation planning with Natalie.)
We ultimately chose a discounted room with a longer walk, but when I got there to check in, we were given a complimentary room upgrade to a suite with two adjoining rooms that opened right to the outdoor waterpark. (Thank you, Jesus!) It was perfect.
We got there on a Thursday evening and spent a few hours swimming indoors. My 5-year-old would’ve been happy to spend the entire day on the Lazy River and because of that we didn’t even realize just how big the indoor waterpark was until we were actually getting ready to call it a night.
We took full advantage of being able to swim the entire next day — even after check out, which is an amazing perk. We started outside, and somehow, I convinced said 5-year-old to ride the Swahili Swirl with me. Upon landing in the pool, he immediately said, “I’m never doing that again!” But he did go on a few more big slides with me later on inside while his sister just went up and down the kiddie slide for a straight hour, so I was proud of his bravery.
My husband and I have never been too keen on crowds — and COVID didn’t help with that — but because we went on a weekday, it felt manageable and like you weren’t going to lose your kids every time you turned around, so 10/10 would recommend this for a mini family getaway if you’re in the Madison area. (I can only speak to Kalahari, but I’m sure the other resorts are great, too!)
It was exactly what our family needed to sort of tie a big bow on an awesome summer — and our first one in Madison!
And that got me thinking … there’s so much to do in this area and it feels like I haven’t even scratched the surface. So, I’m committed to keeping this going if you are!
So, tell me: Where should I go next?