The Man Behind the Jellystone Park™ Caledonia Curtain
My dad, Randy Isaacson, was someone whose mind never rested—always working, always thinking. From a young age, he was a deeply empathetic person with an insatiable curiosity and a natural drive to create. A farm kid at heart, he was passionate about finding better ways to do things—starting with feeding cows more efficiently and welding a new feeder himself all the way to launching his own consulting firm. He was always dreaming, always building.
Sometimes innovating meant experiencing failure in order to grow. One of his favorite sayings was, "When you're losing, you're learning"—and he truly lived by it. Each setback was simply a lesson on the path to innovation.
When he became a Jellystone Park™ franchisee, the campground became his canvas. The heavy equipment? His toys. He thrived on the creativity the space allowed. He loved visiting other campgrounds, finding inspiration in what others had done, and reimagining it to fit our park in a way that made it even better.
To him, a hayride was never just a hayride—it might be a giant picnic basket on wheels, or a sleigh carrying guests through our Christmas light show under the open sky. His imagination knew no bounds, and he always dreamed bigger than anyone around him could have imagined.
But what made my dad's innovative spirit truly special was why he did it. His inspiration came from the families who visited. I remember one moment clearly—he met a young boy playing with a remote control (RC) car and struck up a conversation. A year later, that same boy returned and handed my dad a carefully drawn map from his pocket—the design for a dream RC track. And of course, my dad was built it.
His greatest joy came from creating experiences families would love. I can still see the sheepish grin and hear the soft giggles as he watched me or my sisters wrestle our kids into the car to head home. They didn’t want to leave the campground—and that brought him so much happiness.
This year, we're honored to celebrate the biggest drone show in Wisconsin’s history with A Dreamer’s Journey, featuring 650 drones. It’s the perfect tribute to my dad, Randy Isaacson—a visionary who believed in thinking big and creating unforgettable experiences. His passion lit the path for everything we've built: Jellystone Park™ in Caledonia, Bear Paw Adventure Park, the Christmas Carnival of Lights, and Northern Lights Drone Shows.
On April 26, we’ll light up the sky to celebrate his legacy, his dreams, and the joy he brought to so many families. This show is for him—and for all the dreamers who believe in making the impossible, possible.
