Somehow, I made it through six years of parenting without visiting a waterpark. Then, in April, my family and I went to the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort in the Wisconsin Dells, the largest waterpark resort in the country, with three indoor waterparks and two more outside.

Last month, we checked out the Kalahari Waterpark Resort, the Dells' largest indoor waterpark, and the Chula Vista, an indoor / outdoor water park resort a few miles off the strip.

After visiting three different Wisconsin Dells' waterparks in three months, and having three very different experiences at each, here are a few thoughts for families considering a maiden voyage to one of them.

The Wilderness resort is similar to a small campus, with separate buildings and dozens of buses shuttling visitors from one place to the next. We stayed at the Wilderness on the Lake, an upscale lodge about a mile from the main resort area, overlooking Lake Delton. Little did we know at the time that our Lake Delton photos and experiences that weekend would become so cherished considering that early summer floods caused the man-made lake to empty.

Some visitors see The Wilderness as a great choice during cold-weather months because of the many indoor options, but others might not want to spend time in the cold when shuttling between waterparks. During our visit in April, we were yet to experience warm weather for the year, so we particularly appreciated the wave pool, which looks and feels like an indoor beach with its glass ceiling and frothy tide.

If you're traveling to the Wilderness with small children, the size can be daunting, and you might find the multi-building options unnecessary. Our kindergarteners had just as much fun in the "baby" waterpark on the ground floor of our condo as they did in the massive waterpark area.

Hence, parents of younger kids might want to consider the less sprawling parks. We appreciated the Kalahari and the Chula Vista for this reason.

The Kalahari has one, large indoor waterpark, attached to a sizable outdoor park. It was easy to move back and forth, and still be relatively near our room. (The Kalahari has a second lodging area, but it's attached by a skywalk.)

Because of the large indoor park, Kalahari is another great winter choice, especially for anyone who doesn't want to use a shuttle bus system to get around.

In December 2008, the Kalahari Resort will open a massive addition that will include an indoor Ferris wheel, 24 bowling lanes, a two-story laser tag area, go-carts, mini-golf, two golf simulators, dining and a dance floor.

The beautiful Chula Vista is about five miles from the strip, surrounded by hundreds of acres of natural elements like pine trees and the Wisconsin river. It has a more upscale feel, with a classier design and stricter security presence that discourages groups of college students from booking rooms for all-night parties. Also, it features an 18-hole golf course.

The Chula Vista's indoor waterpark is more compact than the Kalahari's, but has a lot of range in its offering, from nice splash areas for toddlers to extremely thrilling slide rides. Also, it features a lovely outdoor beach area with a wave pool.

We found the Chula Vista to provide a lot of excitement in the waterparks, but a mellower lodging environment. We appreciated Chula's natural surroundings, cleanliness and that we could dip into the Dells' touristy stuff, but easily could get away from it, too.

Plus, we had a tasty meal at Market Fresh, the buffet inside the Chula Vista featuring buttery-but-high-quality food options like fresh crab legs.

Prices to stay at a waterpark vary quite a bit, depending on the season, the type of room and the day of the week. Sharing a larger condo or cabin with another family or families can be an affordable way to vacation at a waterpark, and it provides a full kitchen that allows for nutritious, less costly meals.

Basically, kids will have a great time at any of the Dells' waterparks, so it's more a question of what parents want the experience to be like. To figure out where to book your vacation, ask yourself if you want a large-scale waterpark experience that provides full-on entertainment in any season (the Wilderness, Great Wolf Lodge) or a smaller, mellower place that offers the ultimate experience in summer, but still has a decent indoor offering during the winter months (Chula Vista.)

The age of your children comes into play, too. With two young kids, we found it easier to navigate in places like the Kalahari and Chula Vista because we didn't have to deal with dressing and undressing to get on and off a shuttle bus. Also, we liked the quieter vibe in Chula's lodges because it was easier for the kids to relax after a very high-energy day.

If you're planning a bachelor party weekend, or plan to go to a waterpark with a group of friends for any occasion, the Kalahari, the Wilderness or the Great Wolf Lodge are your best choices.

On a side note, we did not feel like the dry Lake Delton diminished our vacation. The waterless version of "The Tommy Bartlett Water Show" was, not surprisingly, a let-down (luckily the tickets are free), but otherwise all of the classic attractions are still available, including the Duck Boat tours.

Here is a list of the major indoor / outdoor waterparks in the Wisconsin Dells:

Chula Vista Resort
Hwy 13 N, (608) 254-8366
www.chulavistaresort.com

Great Wolf Lodge
1400 Great Wolf Dr., (608) 253-2222
www.greatwolf.com

Kalahari Waterpark Resort
1305 Kalahari Dr., (608) 254-5466
www.KalahariResorts.com

The Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort
511 E Adams St., (608) 253-9729
www.wildernessterritory.com

Major outdoor waterpark in The Dells:

Noah's Ark
1410 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy., (608) 254-6351
http://www.noahsarkwaterpark.com/

Coming soon:
Plans for the development of a new massive waterpark, The Grand Cambrian Resort, were announced earlier this summer.