Day 48 - Last day in Wisconsin Dells

We decided to take the Original Ducks tour in the Dells. These amphibious vehicles are World War II vintage or replicas and take tourists on the Wisconsin River and on the roads used by Ducks only to see the forested areas. We were skeptical when we started, to say the least. But by the end we were very glad we did this. We really did get to see what can't be seen otherwise, and we did get an overview of the history of the area and a better appreciation for what is still naturally here in spite of so much human tampering.

The sandstone was formed 500 million years ago. Even though glaciers covered much of the Midwest, they did not cover the Dells area. As the glaciers receded a huge lake was formed, covering most of central Wisconsin. When a big ice dam melted 14,000 years ago, a very large amount of water was released. The powerful stream cut a passage through the soft sandstone which is now the Wisconsin River channel.