(NAPSA)—Families looking for fun-filled winter getaways find plenty in Wisconsin to please all ages. Outdoors, kids and kids-atheart can enjoy skiing, sledding,ice skating and other invigorating activities that put a smile and rosy cheeks on eager faces. Whenit’s time for indoor fun, attractions such as indoor waterparks and hands-on museums are ready to ward off cabin fever. Wisconsin’s largest city is filled with family-friendly attractions. In Milwaukee (1-800-554-1448; www.milwaukee.org), families can stay at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and experience the nation’s first urban indoor waterpark, Paradise Landing. The tropicalthemed waterpark has 20,000 square feet of pools, waterslides and other wateractivities designed for splashing, wet fun. For classic winter recreation, families can go ice skating in the heart of downtown at the charming Red Arrow Park, where a free, outdoor ice rink is complete with a warming house and caf. Indoors, the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum fascinates the youngerset with hands-on exhibits where kids can crawl through a giant humanheart, operate a television camera and try exotic musical instruments. At the Milwaukee Public Museum, butterflies in flight surround visitors as they walk through the Puelicher Butterfly Wing. Next door, Discovery World captures kids’ attention with intriguing science and technology exhibits that allow them to control industrial robots, pilot a pneumatic dinosaur and make polymerslime. Madison (1-800-373-6376; www.visitmadison.com) also offers a wealth of family recreation, both indoors and out. Known as an ideal midsize city for outdoor sports enthusiasts, Madison offers a full menu of winter recreation, from ice skating at the picturesque Tenney Park pond to cross-country skiing on groomed trails at Governor Nelson and Lake Kegonsa Photo credit: RJ & Linda Miller On a Wisconsin winter getaway, families have their pick of funfilled activities, from sledding and ice skating to kid-friendly museums and indoor waterparks. state parks. Kids who enjoy the thrill of downhill skiing and snowboarding won’t want to miss an for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing through forests and prairies. Situated in Wisconsin’s scenic Horeb or Devil’s Head Ski Resort dren’s Museum provides fun-filled discovery for infants to eight-yearolds. Here, kids can capture their shadow, plant vegetables in a make-believe garden and explore a simulated paleontologist’s dig site. Families can also head to Olbrich 7454; www.cable4fun.com) is a perfect winter destination for families looking to enjoy the season’s outdoor playground. At Telemark Resort, outdoors lovers of all ages can take horse-drawn sleigh rides and go ice skating, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing and snowshoeing right on the foot-tall glass pyramid houses a tropical rainforest with towering palms, fragrant orchids, a rushing waterfall and chirpingbirds. nate the skating pond at night, and weekend bonfires with hot chocolate and marshmallows add cheer and warmth to the experi- outing to Tyrol Basin in Mount in Merrimac. The Madison Chil- Botanical Gardens, where a 50- In east-central Wisconsin, the Fox Cities (1-800-236-6673; www.foxcities.org) are a prime family destination. Kids can touch, twist, pull and push their way through the Fox Cities Children’s Museum. Hands-on exhibits include the Happy Baby Garden, where giant fruits and vegetables enchant children under three; Sta- tion 99, featuring a real fire engine; and Construction Junction, complete with a one-quarter-sized electromagnetic crane. At the 762-acre Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve, kids and adults alike can bundle up Northwoods, Cable (1-800-533- expansive property. Lights illumi- ence. Also in Cable, Lakewoods Resort on the shores of Lake Namakagonis another great base for outdoor adventure. Lakewoods is adjacent to the ChequamegonNicolet National Forest, which offers top-notch cross-country skiing on groomed trails. For free Wisconsin travel-planning information, including the 2002-20083 Fall/Winter Event & Recreation Guide, call the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s 24- hour, live-operated toll-free number at 1-800-432-TRIP (8747) or visit travelwisconsin.com.
