Mike took Friday off and we drove up to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, WA. So here is my official review. Skip this paragraph if you don't care about the Great Wolf Lodge. There was a line at check-in. The decor was rustic and whimsical. You can buy a $25 wand that lets you do a series of interactive "quests" all around the premises, which was almost as fun and engaging as the waterpark. They let you start swimming at 1pm the day you check in, and until 10pm the day you check out. The waterpark was crowded but thoroughly enjoyable. There is a wave pool, a playstructure with waterslides. Two tube-slides. A slide that makes you feel as though you are being flushed down a giant toilet. A kiddie pool, hot tub, and a larger pool with toys and basketball hoops and a lily-pad crossing. Did I mention it was crowded? The lines for the big slides lasted 5 to 15 minutes. The restaurants looked overpriced, but we relied solely on what we brought. The rooms had minifridges and microwaves. So we were all set with ravioli, bagels, and sandwiches. After check-out we did eat one meal in the parking lot, which may seem undignified but was truly just fine. The room was fun--with a "log cabin" for the kids. The wrist bands were handy, acting as a room key and credit card, so you could wander around wrapped in a towel and have everything you need. We would go again...just not too often.
So when we walked in I realized right off that I forgot my camera. And my gut feeling was relief. "Oh, I can just enjoy this and not worry about getting good pictures of everything. No scrapbook pages to do, maybe no blog post." We stayed up super late having fun, then were up and ready in time to enter the pool right at 9:00 when it opened. Then Saturday night we went to John's house (Mike's brother) and stayed up even later. I thought the kids would crash for sure, but their cool teenage cousins revived them (and kept them up). We drove home Sunday and everyone stayed awake in the car and was ready and chipper for our 1-4:00 pm church. I thought they would crash early Sunday evening. But no, everyone played happily. This is the girls after church. Totally wired.
But then everyone had trouble getting to sleep, and needed drinks and comfort until well after 10:30. We got up this morning and went to the library and zoo. And finally...there are some tears this afternoon, some whining, and I'm debating whether to turn on the tv. Not because I'm opposed to tv, but because I think it will make them all fall asleep. Which might not be that bad, actually.
15 comments:
Sounds like a lot of fun! I'll have to mention that to Cassandra as a possibility for us this summer if we or the kids need to just go somewhere and get away.
You guys wear me out! Glad you had fun.
That place sounds like a lot of fun. Could it still be fun for a family like us with only one child who can swim? That picture of Sidney and Maia is great. So how did the story end? Did you let them watch TV and did they fall asleep?
Great question, Bridget. I meant to include that. I think 6 to 16 are the ideal ages. There is a lot for toddlers, but then the parent has to watch the toddler and gaze longingly at the fun stuff. They have complimentary life jackets, which I made the girls wear. Maia went everywhere she was allowed, which was everywhere but the biggest slide, and she just dog-paddled around in her life jacket.
They did watch tv, and guess what? They are still awake! (9:30--they've been in bed for awhile, but still awake!)
That sounds like a really fun weekend. I'm impressed you even made it to church after all of that.
You painted a good verbal picture of your trip. Thanks for sharing.
Mom
Whew! Busy Busy! Thanks for the info about the Lodge. Andy was wondering about it too! I can't believe you did all that and still had energy to go to church and then to wake up and be a super cool mom and take them to the zoo and library. Way to go!
How fun. Your girls looked so cute at church and they were still so well behaved. I would have never guessed they had just come from that crazy weekend.
After your review I think we will definitely save our trip to the lodge for winter. hopefully the crowd will be smaller.
Thanks for the super fun weekend. The only sad part was that I rarely had any Brenda time. I was one of those mom's hanging out in the kiddie stuff looking longingly at the fun stuff. I still loved every minute of it and think we are just barely recovered from the fun! Let's do it again.
What a fun weekend! We just finished a two-week road trip. The kids were excellent, but I think it's catching up to them. Sooner or later, there is definitely a price to pay for too much fun! :-)
Wow, I would have stopped activities days before you did. I can't believe you did the library and the zoo in one day. We're limited to one activity. The water park does sound like a lot of fun though.
Wait-you just got home from a long weekend...and went to the zoo? That's ambitious!
I finally saw a commercial for thaT PLACE ON T.V AND GOT A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT HAD TO OFFER. I THINK IT LOOKS FUN, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU...NOT VERY OFTEN. Sorry, caps lock went nuts there for a minute;0)
Woah! I forgot sophi was logged in!
That place sounds great, but busy. Sarah said it was a lot like the aquatic park but a little more crowded. Cousins are the best though. Glad you had a great time. I'm thinking about napping myself.
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