Coming from Madison, the Dells makes the perfect o...

Coming from Madison, the Dells makes the perfect option for a cheap, fun weekend getaway. The motel where we were staying was offering free passes to the Kalahari. Much to my surprise, the passes were NOT for the water park, but for the indoor theme park. This ended up being not a bad thing at all.

The indoor theme park passes were good for our entire stay from Friday through Sunday. They could be used for unlimited use for a number of rides and attractions. If you re staying somewhere other than the Kalahari and expecting passes to the indoor water park, you are in for some disappointment. The only way to get Kalahari water park passes is directly through the resort.

We started out with the Ferris wheel and then picked up the pace with a carnival-type ride next. After that we checked out the Go-Karts. The Go-Karts were electric powered, not gas. But even so, you pick up enough steam on the downslope to get the adrenaline going. After the Go-Karts we made it just in time for happy hour on the upper deck by the bowling lanes.

Pro-tip: check out happy hour between 4-6pm to get drinks and appetizers at a reasonable price. At other times the food and drinks can be somewhat exorbitant- $6 for a bottle of Michelob and $37 for a large pizza for example.

We ate dinner at the Double Cut restaurant. We weren t looking to spend big money, but we were able to find decent prices using the bar/lounge menu. The service was excellent, the ambiance top notch and the food was great. Highly recommended.

We ended the night back at the theme park. After burning a few calories on the rock climbing wall, we played a round of mini golf. The course features no fewer than 18 holes.

All-in-all, our time at the Kalahari was a hole-in-one. And with tempered expectations and a few tricks, you too can have a fantastic time without breaking the bank.