بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
Stunning Sights Under 3hrs From Chicago!
Have you heard of Baraboo, Wisconsin? Well, this charming town in Wisconsin boasts some amazing state parks and beautiful scenery. Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin is only about a three-hour drive from Chicago. Sometimes you don’t have to travel too far to be mesmerized.
Three months after the birth of my third baby girl (three seems to be a lucky number here -haha!), we were eager to plan a summer getaway. We had not wanted to risk any trips so close to the arrival of the new baby so despite the arrival of summer, we had stayed home. But now that I had recovered sufficiently, I was ready for a vacation – although not too far away with three young children in tow! Baraboo, WI turned out to be the perfect destination. Joined by extended family, we rented an airbnb and set off. Our main objective for this trip was to unwind and explore easy hiking trails suitable for young kids, a new mom (me!), and family members with knee issues.
What To Do At Baraboo, Wi
Devil’s Lake State Park:
The first stop on our trip was a visit to Devil’s Lake State Park, offering over 29 miles of trails ranging from easy to challenging, catering to everyone’s preferences. Here’s a link to the official state site, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/devilslake
We enjoyed the sun, the lake, and the tall, majestic pine trees. Hawks screeched, the wind stirred a breeze, and we stumbled upon cool rock formations. We dipped in the lake for some relief from the hot sun and once thoroughly exhausted, we headed to our airbnb which was only a ten minute drive from the park.
Boat and jetboat tours of the Dells:
One of the memorable moments in Baraboo, Wisconsin was our jet boat excursion. We explored the upper dells on a tour where the breathtaking rock formations left us in awe. The visit to Witches Gulch was incredible, with a walkway through a passage sculpted by wind and water. Once more, it was a reminder of the wonder of Allah’s creation. The jet boat tour we had chosen was from the following link https://www.dellsboats.com/tours/#jet and I cannot recommend it enough, don’t miss out on this while at Baraboo, Wisconsin!
FOOD
We knew that finding a hundred percent halal certified food would be difficult so we prepared food at home and brought it along with us. We split meals amongst the families travelling with us and made sure to freeze beforehand.
We had a picnic lunch at Devil’s Lake and had brought pilau (a meat and rice dish) from home, courtesy of my mother-in-law. Already halfway cooked, it was easy to pop into the oven once we reached the Airbnb and have a hot meal ready for dinner.
BBQ was on the schedule the following day and yes, all the preps and meats were brought from home.
This is the link to the Airbnb we stayed at, https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/51284049?source_impression_id=p3_1722380448_P3uNikp-Mp1LUGfn It was large enough for three families, and super cozy. Everyone enjoyed the game room, the hot tub and the stars. As well as the deer who came to welcome us in the morning. Alhamdulilah.
