FIAT FREAKOUT SPOTLIGHT 2025

Original Wisconsin Ducks

When I say ducks, you might be thinking water fowl, birds. I'm really taking about boats...errr...buses...errr...boat-buses. Yeah, that's it: boat-buses!

Designed by GMC for the military in 1942, the vehicles are technically GMC DUKWs. They are amphibious trucks and were first used by General Patton during the invasion of Sicily. GIs are GIs. They never let a good acronym go to waste. The DUKWs soon became known as "Ducks" and the name has stuck ever since.

Although some were used in Korea, most Ducks were sold as surplus after World War II. Many were bought by local communities and assigned firefighting and water rescue missions.

Enter Bob Unger.

Bob owned a Duck. His friend, Mel Flath, came up with an idea to offer tourist rides in it. Helen Rabb leased them land between the Wisconsin River and Lake Delton upon which they created their tour. Thus, in 1946, what would eventually become today's Original Wisconsin Ducks began operations.

They have been operating continuously ever since, making Original Wisconsin Ducks the oldest Duck tour business in the US.

The tour itself is about an hour long and is split nearly 50-50 between time spent on land and time spent on the water. You will travel up the Wisconsin River, with a stint on Lake Delton, Land travel will take you through Fern Dell, Dells Scenic Park (a nature preserve open only to travel by Duck), present you a view of Lake of the Dells, drive through the narrow Red Bird Gorge, and more.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking sun screen and bug spray might be good ideas for this one.

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Tazilon Brenner

DFW Chapter Leader

FCA Board of Directors