Great Wolf Lodge Remains Great After 10 Years Of Summer Fun

I still have vivid memories of putting my sleepy toddler on my lap as I lounged in an inner tube. The tube took us gently into the curves of the lazy river inside The Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells.

My son would drift off to sleep with the sounds of the gentle water. It's hard to believe that that toddler is now 12 years old and The Great Wolf has expanded and expanded.

We were one of the first families to experience the wonderment of this new resort 10 years ago. I was a newspaper reporter writing a features article on this new phenomenon of an indoor waterpark and hotel.

We loved the experience so much that we have continued going to the lodge at least once every two years. Although it has grown with more waterpark areas inside and out, there still is a familiarity and coziness about the lodge compared to some of the larger ones in this Midwestern vacation destination. I feel it also caters to families with younger children much better than some of the other ones we have stayed at in the area.

We also like the lodge better than most because it isn't so massive that you lose each other. Our kids can go and play in the outdoor area while we are in the inside waterpark. The place doesn't have dozens of areas, and you don't have to take a shuttle bus to get to the other side. Everything is in close proximity.

The Great Wolf Lodge opened its doors in 1997 in Wisconsin Dells. Now, it boasts eight additional resorts in Ohio, Michigan, Kansas, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Canada. Folks near Grapevine, Texas, can expect to splash in their new Great Wolf Lodge at the end of 2007, and another Wolf lodge is being building in Grand Mound, Wash., with a projected opening of spring 2008. It seems this idea of great rooms, great hospitality and great water fun is popular across the United States and into Canada.

It's like once you go there, you are hooked. Even if you don't like crowds or the smell of chlorine, you still can get caught up in the tranquility of the woodsy, comfy lodge or the bubbling, relaxing whirlpools.

The year-round Wisconsin Dells site has about everything you would need for a family vacation. The all-suite guest rooms and condominiums are spacious with some offering fireplaces, whirlpools, bunk beds for the kids, dining areas, sitting areas and wet bar areas with refrigerators and microwave ovens. Those definitely come in handy with two growing boys who are ravenous after playing on the water slides all day and night. Some of the family suites sleep from six to 10 people.

We find that when we come and stay in a room with two queen beds or one with a king and a pull-out sofa, that we have plenty of room to spread out.

The waterparks at the resort include a 12-level treehouse water fort, high-speed body slides, inner tube waterslides, a lazy river and large hot tubs.

You don't ever have to leave the resort with themed restaurants to satisfy any appetite. Plus, many of the restaurants and pizza joints in the city deliver to all the resorts.

If you don't want to get wet all day, you can go to the two game arcades, the fitness center, or get a massage at the Aveda Concept Spa.

We always go to The Great Wolf because they offer pretty reasonable prices including specials for their valued repeat guests. Even in the summer when a lot of the resorts are renting their rooms and condos for pretty high rates, The Great Wolf keeps things at reasonable rates for families on budgets. For instance, they offer a two-night special through June 30 that is $329.

I don't think you will regret your decision to try out this place. It is immaculate and fun, and your kids definitely will not forget it. And you are so close to all the other experiences Wisconsin Dells has to offer.

Wisconsin Dells, known as the Waterpark Capital of the World, is a town now filled with large resorts, spas, entertainment, camping and more.

For more information about The Great Wolf Lodge, click onto www.greatwolf.com or call (800) 559-WOLF (9653).