Great Wolf Lodge

We needed a vacation.

As much as I would have liked, not the sitting-on-a-beach-with-an-umbrella-drink kind.

This had to be something for the boys.  They needed to go crazy, release some energy, and just have lots of fun.  Pretty simple.

I find I prioritize their fun more now.  The importance of it, and the increased opportunity for it.

So we packed up (with lots of junky bribes and electronic gadgets) for the 5 hours of border waits, snack stops, and driving, to get to Great Wolf Lodge in Washington State.  It's about an hour south of Seattle.

The place is a giant indoor kid's dream.  Huge water park (that is 84 degrees all year long), MagiQuest game (a magic searching quest that takes you exploring through the resort), lots of shops (gifts, kids stuff, and swim apparel),  an arcade, glow in the dark golf, lots of restaurants and ice cream, a kid's spa (and a grown-up one too) and even an on-site Starbucks. 

Kids gone wild...

Parents are left searching for resort booze.  (yes, there is a bar - it's in the pool area).  But rooms have a fridge and microwave, so you can bring your necessary evils along.

The rooms come wolf-themed, of course.  Ours had a wolf den area for the kids with bunk beds and their own little space.  It was pretty cool.

We started each day first in line for the water park (9am) because it does get really busy.  Before 10:30 there aren't long lines for the slides, so much more fun.

For meals, you don't have to leave the resort - 2 big restaurants with kid-friendly menus, plus a take-out pizza place (that was actually good), and snacks from many of the various shops and smaller restaurants.  And did I mention Starbucks?  Cause you'll need the coffee. 

There are also other kid-friendly activities throughout the day - meeting the Great Wolf Lodge characters, balloon twisting, making your own stuffie, glitter tattoos, nightly story time by the big fireplace.

My boys had a blast - they both loved the water park.  There are activities for kids of all ages and all levels of adventurousness.  Jack even tried the famous Howlin' Tornado - the water slide that plummets you through the dark, down into a 6-story tall funnel, where you slosh and slide all the way down into the pool.  Crazy!

If you are looking for a couple nights away, this place was great.  Parents will be weary-eyed and in need of a long nap, but that look on your kids faces makes it all worth it.