Looking Back at My Childhood in Wisconsin: How a Theme Park Became an Unforgettable Experience

Beer, cheese, cows, and the Wisconsin Dells. Those are the four things people usually know about Wisconsin when it's brought up in conversation. Oh, and That '70s Show—can't forget that. Yet it's that final thought, the Wisconsin Dells, that always gets me waxing nostalgic. Is it a little hokey? Sure. "Tourist trap-y?" You betcha. But it's also full of childhood summer memories playing the day away at Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park with my friends and my dad.

"This part used to be Family Land," I would tell my friends, referring to the original water park section. Mt. Olympus absorbed Family Land Waterpark and Treasure Island Waterpark Resort in 2004. Since I was 12 at the time, preserving the Family Land legacy of my early childhood was important. I even had the oversized pastel t-shirts to prove it, from when Modern Woodmen of America had its annual family event there. My family went every year. I suspect that's how this yearly pilgrimage to Family Land and then Mt. Olympus became part of our summer road trip routines.

Bug juice in one grubby little hand and powdered donuts in the other, all too quickly transitioned into coffee, but the donuts didn't change. Having road snacks for that 90-minute journey from my childhood home to The Dells was important. Sometimes the van was full between my parents, my friends, and me. Sometimes it was just Dad, me, and my childhood best friend Kristen. The entourage evolved, but few of the sights along the way did. My grandparents lived about a half hour northwest of The Dells, so I was familiar with the roadside of I-94. That right turn onto the main stretch of The Dells would get my heart racing, though. The Market Square Cheese mouse statue was a sign of good times ahead, beckoning us onward.

In the early days, those good times consisted entirely of waterpark hijinks. Most of the time, it meant my dad coaxing scaredy-cat Amanda onto the waterslides—I would have been no match for the massive, rotating waterslide known as Medusa's Slidewheel. "Be brave like Simba," he'd always tell me. That's why the dual inner tube slides were the best, because they meant I could ride with my dad or a friend. It's easier to be brave with someone else along for the ride. Long before Poseidon's Rage came on the scene, there was a small wave pool at Family Land. Far from one of the world's largest, it was enough excitement for little old me.

True excitement started after the Mt. Olympus merger, because afternoons became go-kart and rollercoaster central. Just in time for my teenage rebellion streak, the competition in our group was hotter than Hades. Ripping around Hermes' Turbo Track, head on a swivel for the rest of the group, I learned what an adrenaline rush go-karts could be. Back then, it was, and still is, the fastest track in the park. However, Medusa's Drop (R.I.P.) remains my all-time favorite. With three slopes in a row, your kart would always go a little airborne if you were going fast enough. That said, the Trojan Horse track, which took riders up and under the giant Trojan Horse statue, was a close second. That track is still open, though the part that goes under the horse is closed off now. That leaves Helios Track, which does offer some incredible vantage points, as the go-to for racing up onto different levels.

Points of view are exactly what has changed since my hazy childhood summer days. After all, I believe the original outdoor Family Land waterpark only had a dozen or so rides. But Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park blossomed into a behemoth for a city the size of the Wisconsin Dells. A dozen waterslides? Forget about it! They've got 44. Plus five coasters, eight go-kart tracks, and more!

With so many years gone by, change was inevitable. Many of the waterslides I once braved are gone, replaced by newer attractions with far better features. Gone, too, are some of the coasters and kart tracks that taught me how to face my fears. Yet, whenever I think about The Dells, I return to Family Land or Mt. Olympus. Drying off in the sun beside that tiny wave pool with my Lion King towel slung around my shoulders, my dad wandering over with lunch. Between bites, I'd tell my dad that we had to ride the tube slide next, and he'd agree.

Have you been to the Waterpark Capital of the World, Wisconsin Dells? Not only is this place terrific for an adrenaline rush, but The Dells is also one of the best summer destinations. From riding the Duck Boats to scenic tours, delicious meals, and even an award-winning spa, The Dells epitomizes vacation. Be sure to pay a visit to Wisconsin Deer Park while you're there to pet (and feed) some friendly deer. Even long after the summer sun has gone away, Mt. Olympus transforms into a Christmas village, meaning The Dells is more than summertime-only destination. It's awesome year-round.