near
the old Upper Dells dock building. This cream-colored, two-story building was
original to the turn of the century when the boat tours were one of the few
attractions in the Dells. It was big and beautiful and oozed tradition and
history in my mind. I looked up at the humongous train bridge over our heads.
“Did you know this bridge is the main reason the town of Wisconsin Dells was
settled?”
“Once a tour guide ,
always a tour guide,” Nolan teased. I gave him a playful slap on the leg, and
he said, “Okay, okay, go on with it. I’d love to know some more Dells history!”
“In the mid-1800s, a town called Newport sat
several miles down the river from this point. In 1855, construction of a new
railroad from Milwaukee to La Crosse was being planned to pass through the
little town. The people of Newport knew the railroad’s passing would bring considerable
wealth with new shops and factories. The men of Newport who owned land the
railroad company desired jacked up their prices, looking to make a profit, but
the railroad company saw through these men’s high prices and decided to build
the railroad upriver about three miles at this exact site we sit at today.
Knowing that a railroad would bring them wealth, the people of Newport packed
up their things and moved their town to the site of the railroad, leaving the
city of Newport a ghost town almost overnight. Old newspaper articles say
entire houses were moved over the frozen river, pulled by mules. All that’s
left of the lost city of Newport is a few stone pillars on the riverfront.
Pretty cool, huh?”
“Interesting.”
I was sure he was only humoring me. Did anyone
besides me think this stuff was incredibly neat? I went on purely to torture
him. If he humored me more, then perhaps he was a keeper.
“You’re a very good teacher, you know. You make
things that are boring sound interesting. I could sit here and listen to you
all night long. I mean it!” He winked and put a hand on my knee. A pleasant
chill ran down my spine. So he was either a keeper or very good at buttering me
up.
“Well, I’d be happy to sit with you until 12:30.
I know you are out on your own, but I have a curfew, you know.”
“Ah yes, 12:30. Don’t worry—I told you parents love me. Do you know why?”
“Um, because of your
undeniable wit and charm?”
He didn’t expect that and laughed adorably.
“No! Although that does make a lot of sense. Parents
love me because I’m always respectful of the curfew.”
“Ah, the curfew. Right.”
“You will be home not a tick past 12:30, young
lady! What time is it now, anyway?” Nolan pulled his phone out of his pocket
and pressed the button on the side. “Midnight already? Man, I’m going to hate to bring you back so soon.” Then he leaned over and
kissed the side of my head, right above my ear.
I felt the same way. I stood up from the bench
and said, “Well, mister, we better get walking back to the car.” He stood up
and grabbed my hand in agreement. We happily walked hand in hand all the way
back to the parking lot.
“What time do you have to work tomorrow?” I
asked along the way.
“Tomorrow...” He was thinking. “I have tomorrow
off. I almost forgot.”
“You do? So do I ,
actually!” Come on, Nolan, take the hint. I wanted so badly to spend the whole
day with him.
We had returned to his car and I leaned my
lower back near the bumper, while Nolan stood in front of me. I looked up at
the clear sky filled with tiny sparkling stars and a half moon shining down on
us from space—another beautiful night in the Dells. Nolan surprised me by
picking me up by the hips and setting me down on the trunk of his fancy car.
“Really...you have tomorrow off?” he asked. I
let my knees fall out and invited him to fill in the space with his body. I
rested my arms on his shoulders and he wrapped his arms behind my waist. “Do
you have any plans with the family?”
“No. I have nothing planned for tomorrow.” I
ran
the old Upper Dells dock building. This cream-colored, two-story building was
original to the turn of the century when the boat tours were one of the few
attractions in the Dells. It was big and beautiful and oozed tradition and
history in my mind. I looked up at the humongous train bridge over our heads.
“Did you know this bridge is the main reason the town of Wisconsin Dells was
settled?”
“Once a tour guide ,
always a tour guide,” Nolan teased. I gave him a playful slap on the leg, and
he said, “Okay, okay, go on with it. I’d love to know some more Dells history!”
“In the mid-1800s, a town called Newport sat
several miles down the river from this point. In 1855, construction of a new
railroad from Milwaukee to La Crosse was being planned to pass through the
little town. The people of Newport knew the railroad’s passing would bring considerable
wealth with new shops and factories. The men of Newport who owned land the
railroad company desired jacked up their prices, looking to make a profit, but
the railroad company saw through these men’s high prices and decided to build
the railroad upriver about three miles at this exact site we sit at today.
Knowing that a railroad would bring them wealth, the people of Newport packed
up their things and moved their town to the site of the railroad, leaving the
city of Newport a ghost town almost overnight. Old newspaper articles say
entire houses were moved over the frozen river, pulled by mules. All that’s
left of the lost city of Newport is a few stone pillars on the riverfront.
Pretty cool, huh?”
“Interesting.”
I was sure he was only humoring me. Did anyone
besides me think this stuff was incredibly neat? I went on purely to torture
him. If he humored me more, then perhaps he was a keeper.
“You’re a very good teacher, you know. You make
things that are boring sound interesting. I could sit here and listen to you
all night long. I mean it!” He winked and put a hand on my knee. A pleasant
chill ran down my spine. So he was either a keeper or very good at buttering me
up.
“Well, I’d be happy to sit with you until 12:30.
I know you are out on your own, but I have a curfew, you know.”
“Ah yes, 12:30. Don’t worry—I told you parents love me. Do you know why?”
“Um, because of your
undeniable wit and charm?”
He didn’t expect that and laughed adorably.
“No! Although that does make a lot of sense. Parents
love me because I’m always respectful of the curfew.”
“Ah, the curfew. Right.”
“You will be home not a tick past 12:30, young
lady! What time is it now, anyway?” Nolan pulled his phone out of his pocket
and pressed the button on the side. “Midnight already? Man, I’m going to hate to bring you back so soon.” Then he leaned over and
kissed the side of my head, right above my ear.
I felt the same way. I stood up from the bench
and said, “Well, mister, we better get walking back to the car.” He stood up
and grabbed my hand in agreement. We happily walked hand in hand all the way
back to the parking lot.
“What time do you have to work tomorrow?” I
asked along the way.
“Tomorrow...” He was thinking. “I have tomorrow
off. I almost forgot.”
“You do? So do I ,
actually!” Come on, Nolan, take the hint. I wanted so badly to spend the whole
day with him.
We had returned to his car and I leaned my
lower back near the bumper, while Nolan stood in front of me. I looked up at
the clear sky filled with tiny sparkling stars and a half moon shining down on
us from space—another beautiful night in the Dells. Nolan surprised me by
picking me up by the hips and setting me down on the trunk of his fancy car.
“Really...you have tomorrow off?” he asked. I
let my knees fall out and invited him to fill in the space with his body. I
rested my arms on his shoulders and he wrapped his arms behind my waist. “Do
you have any plans with the family?”
“No. I have nothing planned for tomorrow.” I
ran
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