Summer in The Dells - 6/21 to 7/18

Downtown Wisconsin Dells as photographed in the early evening.

The weekend brings many tourists to the area. It is better controlled

here than a weekend in Gatlinburg. One of the many roller coasters

at the theme parks can be seen on the horizon. The KOA is one

mile from the coaster pictured.

Our life as KOA work kampers continues to be interesting. We both enjoy meeting people and learning where they’re from or where they’re going. We’re amazed at how many stop at Wisconsin Dells on their way to Yellowstone National Park via Minneapolis from as far east as New Jersey as well as people from England and Germany who are driving across the US in rented motorhomes. We’ve  also encountered people from California, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, and Montana going eastward for family reunions. And, of course, there are those within 500 miles who are in The Dells just to enjoy the many entertainment venues in addition to the many water and theme parks.

Not all of the guests have a recreational vehicle or tent. Because our KOA has 15 cabins, we get a lot of customers, whether staying overnight or for several days, intentionally avoiding a hotel. Cabins can be as basic as bunk beds in one or two rooms (no bath or kitchen) and go all the way to ones like a small house with complete facilities. Guests provide their own linens, towels, and washcloths or use those that are supplied in the fully-furnished cabins. Regardless of the type of unit, the guests all enjoy the feeling of not being on a hall or in a row of rooms on a parking lot.

We primarily work a shift from 1 PM to 10 PM. We, of course, have separate responsibilities though we share the same work hours.

For the inside crew (the women), there is the constant dealing with people who are registering, handling sales from the store (groceries, camping items, ice, etc.), and taking reservations or answering questions on the telephone. It is not unusual for Martha to be registering a guest or be handling someone’s purchase from the store while being on the phone handling questions; multitasking at it’s finest.

For the outside crew (the men), the shift working from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM has the main responsibility of cleaning the campsites after guests leave. This means picking up litter, cleaning the fire pits, hauling away the bagged trash, taking the rental bikes from the garage to the office, and cleaning the gas grills (for sites so equipped). By 1 PM most of the cleanup is done and the focus is on escorting guests to their campsites, helping them get parked and connected, filling propane tanks, and delivering firewood to the sights. It can get hectic because people tend to arrive in clusters for some reason. In the midst of this activity the nightly movie is started at 8 PM and the rental bikes returned to storage. There is an intermediate shift that runs from 10 AM to 7 PM. Since it overlaps the focus of the morning and that of the evening it has the largest variety of tasks.

The campground was full for Memorial Day weekend. Occupancy ran about 35 percent from then to Father’s Day weekend when it was full. When occupancy is less than 55 percent we all work on other projects around the KOA. From Father’s Day on the campground has been full each weekend with the majority of guests being from around Wisconsin, the northern portion Illinois, or the eastern portion of Minnesota. The kids enjoy the sandy playground, the heated swimming pool and splash pad, and the rental bikes. During the day a majority of the guests are away at one of the water parks though several remain on the grounds to relax by the pool.

Interestingly, Martha received a text message from a friend from Louisville. She and her family were taking Amtrak to Glacier National Park. She asked if we were at the KOA by the railroad tracks in Wisconsin Dells. Of course, the answer Martha provided was that we were at that location.

Martha and Denise work at hanging bunting and other decorations

for July 4th weekend. The bunting is on the fence surrounding

the pool and splash pad.

We’ve enjoyed the company of two students from China while being in Wisconsin Dells. The Dells area has a program that brings foreign students to the area for summer work. In addition to the Chinese students, we also have a young adult from Ecuador though her days off don’t coincide with ours. Almost every Tuesday the girls go with us on an outing. In addition to a Duck tour we have gone to a cheese factory together and attended a water show (see photo at end).

One, additional activity for this month was hosting a rally of the Diesel RV Club. DRVC is an affiliate club of FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association). There were 33 units registered with an attendance of 63. Byron led a worship service on Sunday and presented two seminars. Martha made some jewelry at the women’s craft times. We traveled from the KOA to another campground in the area where the rally was held. We were not positively impressed by the facilities or service at that campground. It made us realize we are fortunate to be where we are. Though some RVers think KOA is pricey, it is worth it. You get what you pay for.

This post is closed with a few photos of the off-time activities we get to enjoy. One of the benefits of working in Wisconsin Dells is a pass that provides us with free entry to many attractions as well as 20% off select restaurants. The restaurants are all locally owned or are of regional chains. The food has been great.

Group selfie: This was taken while waiting for our ride on one of

the Original Wisconsin Ducks. Sonny is on the left and Coco

is on the right. They are from different areas of China

so speak different dialects. Sonny is inquisitive and wants

to see and experience as much as she can while

Coco would rather shop or look for boys.

A cruise on the Original Wisconsin Ducks takes travelers on the

Wisconsin River below the dam. The same rock cliffs

appear along the Lower Dells as the Upper Dells. Our

trip on the Upper Dells was by boat.

Once a traveling road show, the Tommy Bartlett Show

has made Wisconsin Dells its home for the past 60 years.
We attended one show with two of the Chinese students
working at the KOA for the summer.

Two restored and operational cars originally used on

The Milwaukee Road are occasionally pulled behind

an AmTrak train between Chicago and Minneapolis.

Here they are caught as they sit on the bridge over

the Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Dells. The rail

cars are used for charter trips.