Cave of the Mounds, y'all. Images from Travel Wisconsin.

I was ready to call double shenanigans on Travel Wisconsin for their woefully inaccurate list of Wisconsin's "7 Natural Wonders" until I noticed the world "natural" in the title. The "7 Wonders" I had expected to see included the Forevertron, that huge fish in Hayward, and a giant six-pack of La Crosse Lager. Maybe the World’s Largest Soup Kettle in Laona or the World’s Largest Letter “M” in Plateville or my uncle Merl's near-supernatural ability to eat an entire bucket of lefse. Simply scanning TW's list reveals lake shores, waterfalls, caves, state parks, and … a marsh. I was very disappointed.  

Upon rereading the title I realized this was a list of natural beauty and uniqueness. Fair enough. I guess I just tend towards the unnatural. The list includes …

1. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Calling to the explorer in all of us, this national park is a grouping or “archipelago” of 21 wilderness islands dotting the cold waters of Lake Superior and more than a dozen miles of shoreline with some of the most pristine remaining sandscapes in the Great Lakes region. National Geographic Explorer magazine named it a top place to visit. There are old-growth forests, windswept beaches and cliffs …

2. Big Manitou Falls
Often the backdrop for wedding couples to figuratively take the plunge, the 165-foot tall Big Manitou Falls in Pattison State Park near Superior is the fourth tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains …

3. Cave of the Mounds
Let’s start with credentials. Cave of the Mounds in Blue Mounds is designated a “National Natural Landmark,” yet it may be easier to remember it as the “jewel box” of America’s major caves, named as such for the delicacy of its formations. The main cave began forming more than a million years ago as acidic water dissolved the limestone bedrock …

Keep reading for more natural Sconnie wonderment.

So there you go. Wonderful stuff.