Family vacation: Pack picks Great Wolf indoor water park

By Kathy Karlesses

Indoor water parks are becoming more and more popular, andno one understands that better than folks who live in Northeast Ohio — or any other area where when the weather is bad, it’s really bad. That’s why, at about the February/March timeframe, my entire brood is longing for a family vacation.

There were some must-haves on our list:

• under a two-hour drive;
• a place that would appeal to a 13-year old, a 10-year old, and mom and dad;
• and would not cost an absolute fortune.

After some searching, we decided on Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio. We chose Sandusky because it was a short drive, and there are other attractions in the area as well. We arrived on a Saturday in January and decided to let the kids hit the water park, as the rooms were not ready. I found it easy to keep track of the kids and because the water park is only open to guests of the hotel. It seemed less crowded than some of the others that we have been to in the area. This water park also has a special area for real little ones with a zero-depth entry pool.

We paid a bit more to stay in a Wolf Den suite that had a separate area carved out in the room for the kids. It had bunk beds that looked like a mini-cabin with their own TV. That left the king size bed and another TV for parents. The kids thought that was pretty cool.

 

For parents, there’s a fitness center as well as an adult-only Jacuzzi. And for non-water park activity, there’s an arcade and other organized activities (more for the 10-year old, but the 13-year old was entertained as well). The restaurants were fine, not too pricey.

Everyone had a nice, short getaway and it was just what was needed to brave the rest of the winter.

 

Kathy Karlesses is a Director of Account Development at Orbitz. She and her husband enjoy traveling to new (and not-so-new) places and watching the experience through the eyes of their two girls.

Tagged: Family time