Trips on a Tank: Ducks and Canyon

Trips on a Tank: Downtown Wisconsin Dells

Some people think the Wisconsin Dells is all about waterslides, mini-golf and rollercoasters. But if you look around you'll see the Wisconsin Dells has beautiful scenery for everyone to enjoy.

The Wisconsin Ducks are quite a bit bigger than these ducks. In fact, these machines weight 7.5 tons.

Matt Oeffger, a Duck driver, says, "They were built in 1942 and 1946, there were over 21,000 ducks made for the war."

The land-water vehicles were crucial in WWII. But for the last 65 years, 92 have been an important part of tourism in the Dells. The ducks give over 300,000 passengers a ride each Summer.

Tourist first view the area by land, and then by water. It can be hard to maneuver these big birds, but I decided to give it a go. I was no pro, but somehow we made it back to land safe and dry.

Duck tours keep visitors happy during the daytime, but now you can go on a different boat ride at night. But this tour is a bit more mysterious.

Andrea Novotny, spokesperson for the Lost Voyage says, "Cold Water Canyon is a very dark and eery canyon by day, but by night it takes on an even creepier element."

The Lost Voyage opens this Summer and is meant to give tourists a different view of the upper dells. "Kind of a combination of a boat excursion, a spooky walking expedition, and an interactive investigation," Novotny says.

After a boat ride through the darkness, passengers walk through the narrow pathway of Cold Water Canyon, looking for clues to solve the mystery.

it doesn't matter if you go for a traditional duck ride or a new scarier boat ride. The boat tours in the Dells are meant to add a little adventure to your family's vacation.