Lumberjacks, Architects & Spies--Oh, My!
Like Niagara Falls, the Dells are a mash-up of glorious natural beauty and outrageous man-made kitsch that is somehow irresistibly American. As exhibit A, here's our drive to breakfast: The gigantic flamingo waiting to strike unsuspecting tourists. The replica of the Roman Colosseum built around a motel because Dells. The Ducks! That old standby, the Roman Temple combined with a roller coaster. An upside down White House, helpfully labeled "White House," with a crashed limo and a T-Rex. And, then, breakfast courtesy of Paul Bunyan (who to be fair, has his name spelled "Paul Bunyon" inside the restaurant, so I'm not sure he actually works there). Although the physical evidence is pretty compelling ... For example, here's the talking, decapitated head of Babe the Blue Ox. The Cook Shanty itself is less "shanty" and more log cabin with bunches of people squished ins...