Dawson Pointe Stables is a beautiful facility with acres of riding trails along with indoor and…read moreoutside riding rings. It appears as though the animals at the stable are well cared for. So, you may ask, why a one-star review? For starters this review is written from the perspective of a person who leased an animal at the stables. Leasing is a great option for those who know how to ride but need much more than the guided trail rides most commonly found. So when we found a stable near where we live that leases we jumped at the opportunity (actually my wife, an experienced rider, was the one who leased.) She contacted the owner of the animal (in this case a lovely mule), went to the stable and after meeting Molly (the mule) decided to sign a lease with her owner which allows you three days a week to ride. The stable has rules, which are common. Riders must wear a helmet, the proper footwear, and follow procedures. Anyone who accompanied my wife must sign a waiver. And, from the list available at the stable, if the person leasing the animal brings a riding guest they must also be properly set up. This is all fine. As for the lease, the stable isn't involved. That transaction is between the owner and the leasee, and the owner is supposed to provide you with a copy of the lease. In our case that didn't happen. Now for the one-star part. My wife took our granddaughter out to the stable the day before Thanksgiving to see Molly, and to take a short ride. (We hadn't seen our granddaughter since the outbreak of covid). She is 14, and has actually been riding a friend's horse for several months. She isn't an expert by any measure, but is confident on a horse, or in this case a mule. We made sure she had a helmet, boots with heels, and proper clothing. My wife drove out with her to the stables, and took the mule into the indoor riding ring. They stayed for about an hour. While my granddaughter was on the mule during some of the time my wife trotted alongside, even holding the reigns. But in general they each rode Molly allowing her to walk and trot. If she cantered my wife had my granddaughter bring her back down to a walk or trot. They were the only ones in the ring and had a great time. That day the mule's owner called us at home to tell us the lease was being cancelled. During the call she was unable to give us a reasonable explanation as to why. She vacillated from telling us that rules had been broken to beginning an explanation that the mule's back was sore. While unsatisfactory it was what it was. A few days later my wife drove out to get her riding helmet, where by coincidence the owner of the mule was present. Still confused about the reasons for the cancellation and asking for a reason the owner then explained that the stable manager had called her, WHILE MY WIFE AND GRANDDAUGHTER WERE STILL IN THE RING, to tell her to cancel the lease because (as the story now went) they were acting in a "dangerous" manner. This is why I rate this as one-star behavior. What kind of a stable manager, on witnessing "dangerous" behavior occurring right in front of their eyes runs to the phone to resolve such behavior via a phone call? What kind of stable management doesn't have the common sense, or courtesy, to instead approach the individual in question to either inform them that they were doing something wrong and thereby educate them and fix the situation, or even tell them personally that they are being expelled from their lease immediately? My wife, as mentioned, is an experienced rider. She is also a senior citizen and loves our granddaughter. There is no possible chance she would ever endanger herself or our granddaughter by allowing dangerous behavior to occur while riding. And, if somehow what she was doing was being perceived as being "dangerous", there is no way she wouldn't have ceased such behavior immediately if so informed by the stable manager. Who, by the way, was never available to answer our phone calls after we were told that our lease was being cancelled at Dawson Pointe's demand. Perhaps Dawson Pointe Stables treats horse owners who board their horses with a bit more respect than they do those who lease. Perhaps if they observe a horse owner not behaving within a certain behavior they actually have the professional courtesy to talk to them about it, as opposed to allowing such alleged behavior to actively continue while instead running to make a phone call. The bottom line is our experience with the managing staff at Dawson Pointe Stable was that they are extremely unprofessional. Maybe they don't like to be bothered with those who lease an animal during a holiday down time. Who knows? All I know is I'd think twice about leasing there, make sure if you do that you get a copy of the contract before riding (our mistake) and don't count on guidance from management. Our experience was confusing, groundless and a huge emotional downer for my wife.

I just moved my horse here and so far so excellent. Management is on top of things, boarders are…read morefriendly and helpful, and the place is just so well thought out.

My wife grew up in Janesville, so we stopped by with our four-year-old granddaughter, who…read moreabsolutely loved the playground. Unfortunately, it was drizzling, so we didn't stay too long.

For a community park, this beats every other park I've been to thus far. We frequent this park…read moreoften during the week. Not in the winter, but in the summer we may be here 3 to 4 times a week. Some times we rode our bikes, 5 miles away from our home, to the park traveling on the ice age hiking trail and what a glorious trail that is. Once summer arrives, we eagerly await the opening of the wading pool. The closest thing we have to a beach really. The park is very well kept. The grasses are well maintained and trimmed. Restrooms are clean. There's also the travel center on the grounds, that also acts as the welcome station for Janesville. If you go there and tell them you are newly arrived they will give you a packet which includes several saving coupons that can be used at various stores and eateries. Parking is abundant and can be found at different locations through out the park. There are many picnic tables with fixed grills ready to be used. I bring a grill top just to be safe and clean when using these grills. You can fly kites, have large parties as people often do, and there are even short hikes with trail heads close by. The main attraction is the play ground itself. Designed like a large forest camp with many places to climb, run, explore it truly is heaven for kids as they run around expending energy. There are slides any one can go down. These have rollers so no matter how you are you will go down, and fast too. You really have to watch yourself coming down these type of slides. I have seen many adults land smack flat on their buttock, and I laugh every time watching them remembering my first time too. There's also rings for kids to strengthen their grip and rocking platforms to help control their balance. When the wading pool is open it gets crowded but several life guards are always present to make sure there is no misbehaving by kids as well as adults. The spouting whale slides and umbrella water rain falls are excellent attractions for the kids to take pictures on. The surrounding area also offers kids to begin their exploration of nature. There is lots to see in plants as well as bugs. Many have vibrant colors and are so strange looking that makes them very interesting. We loved coming here. It's a great way to spend family time while your kid unleashes that bottled up energy and get a good work out building his physical abilities with coordination. Many fond memories and pictures are here. Wish there was one close to us now.

This is another one of those small community parks here in Verona that are perfect for the local…read moreresidents , but not worth seeking out. At this location, you'll find a well-made playscape, swings and a large patch of green space to run around in. Photos are posted to Google maps as well.

Such a fun and casual park, right near the Monona bay!…read more Very dog friendly, I take my dog here often on our way around the Bay! The playground is modern and handicapped accessible. A very nice spot on a sunny day! Be sure to venture out and stop by!

I attended an event in the pavilion at Brittingham Park last week, and prior to that, I've attended…read morea handful of other events that took place in the lawn. I like this park. It's easy to access, has plenty of parking, and sits tucked back on Monona Bay, which means there is waterfront to enjoy, but far less motor boat traffic going on. There typically are quite a bit of canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats around as Brittingham Boats sits at the east end of the park. The pavilion provides a great spot for gatherings. I was there on the 4th of July. We had plenty of tables and space to spread out. There were power outlets we could use, and bathroom facilities within the pavilion as well. Just outside of the pavilion there is a large play structure for the kiddos, as well as a sand volleyball court. There is also a nice path that goes all along the edge of the bay. Watch out as there are often bikers zooming by.

I would never recommend this place based on the experience I had…read more I signed my son up in the summer of 2022. When it came time to make the payment, I attempted to pay twice, but both times I was told that the card machine was broken. At the time, I was eight months pregnant. Shortly after, I had to be induced early due to complications. Five days after giving birth, I suffered a severe hemorrhage and went into cardiac arrest. Doctors performed CPR on me for about 30 minutes, and I was placed in a coma for two weeks. When I woke up, I had undergone multiple surgeries and had to learn how to walk again. My entire focus during that time was on surviving and recovering. Because of everything that happened, the payments had completely slipped my mind and I had honestly forgotten all about it during my recovery. During that time, the owner contacted me regarding two missed payments totaling $2,700. She told me that emails had been sent, but I never received any communication. When I explained the medical emergency and everything I had been through, I was met with a very rude response and was told that I needed to pay the full amount immediately or I would be sued. I never said that I wouldn't pay what was owed. However, I was extremely disappointed by the complete lack of compassion and understanding given the life-threatening situation I had just gone through. I was given no time or flexibility to arrange payment, even though I had been unable to work for quite some time due to multiple surgeries and a long recovery. A little compassion and understanding during such a difficult time would have made a big difference.

What a great place to have a kids birthday! Unlimited amount of kids and adults. You have the…read moreentire building to yourself with an upstairs full of exploring options. The downstairs is more of a physical adventure with a bouncy house and other fun things to burn off that energy. There's sample seating and plenty of tables for a birthday party with a full-size refrigeratorfor all your treats and beverages

I love dancing here! All of the teachers are amazing and very knowledgeable. I have been dancing…read moreat Arthur Murray for 11 years. David was a great DJ for the practice party and the group class was a lot of fun. The instructors and the other students are friendly and the dancing was enjoyable. My lessons with Nikki and David was helpful and very informative on the technique I am practicing.

what a great experience. love it. Friendly, knowledgeable and helpful instructors. The studio is…read morespacious with natural lighting and a real wood dance floor.

This was a nice place to have a simple wedding. It had all the basics you'd need to put on a nice…read morewedding. As mother of the groom, I didn't know much about the whole process, but I helped decorate the venue. We brought & put up all the decorations so I'm not sure what they offered for that. The building is nice and large and perfect for a summer/ fall wedding.

I like Olin Park! It's large, it's grassy, it has a lot of nice shaded spots…read more I don't typically come here just to.. come here. Usually I find myself at this park when there is some sort of event happening. Great Taste of the Midwest, the Polar Plunge, the Festival in Lights. But regardless, I am still at this park at least numerous times per year. It's got a great location, right on the lake, and there is even a boat launch! I don't boat Lake Monona much anymore, but this used to be a place I came to often as a kid when my dad would take me out, we launched from here all the time! Oh, the memories :) The park is very versatile which is nice. It can easily host several different types of events easily. The playground area is nice and seems to be pretty well kept up. There is plenty of parking. And there is a ball diamond too. It's right on John Nolan Dr, which some might think, that's a busy road, not safe for the littles! But fortunately everything here is set very far back from the road. We're talking a huge wide open grassy area that separates the traffic from the fun. Plus, the park has it's own little "frontage road" type thing that keeps things even more separated from the busy road.

Our friends live about 10 minutes from this park and recommended we check it out, so we stopped by…read moreafter visiting them. There's a huge rock formation that definitely catches your eye, but the path leading up to it isn't well paved. You'll need to navigate through some tall brush if you plan to climb up. I wouldn't suggest attempting it unless you have proper shoes and decent balance (or a good core!). We saw a few adventurous teenagers make the climb, though. Aside from that, there are several nearby trails that are much better maintained and perfect for a casual walk or light hike. Overall, it's a nice county park with plenty of parking spaces to explore, especially if you're in the area and want a bit of fresh air and nature.

Discovered this park while looking for a hiking spot after visiting Mt. Horeb. Only 6 minutes drive…read morefrom Mt. Horeb and what a great hidden gem. We parked at Pop's Knoll which has a gravel parking lot for about 20 vehicles. About 100 meters from the parking lot is an area with a covered shelter with picnic tables and a toilet room. What really surprised me about this park was how well the trails were maintained and marked with numbers so you have reference points to know where you are on the park map. Consists of multi-use trails for hikers and horseback riders, as well as hiking trails for pedestrians only. A good mix of trails through corn fields, wooded areas, and grassy paths along streams. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed at all times. I highly recommend.