Great Wolf Lodge for Spring Break!

We're back from Grand Mound Washington and touting the virtues of Great Wolf Lodge. 

Let me say firstly, that I did not expect much. I thought it would be a cheesey hotel with cut rate everything, a big pool with a few waterslides that emptied into one end and a lot of parents wishing they were anywhere but GWL. When a friend invited me to join her over the break with our daughters, I jumped at the chance to take my girl on a mini vacation while lots of her friends went to Hawaii and Mexico. For weeks I talked it up like we were going on the adventure of a lifetime but didn't quite believe it myself.

Here's what we found in Grand Mound Washington:

Pretty much nothing is in the town but GWL but Wow! It's a huge hotel, right off I5, easy to get to (80 minutes from Sammamish), check in was easy, the rooms are lovely (beds very comfy!) with empty fridges (no $10 bags of peanuts to pay for at checkout), free wiifi, and lots to do within the confines of the Lodge. The decor reminded me of the lodge at California Adventure by the Grizzly River Run, woodsy and quaint-- wolves, bears, racoons abound with pine log furniture, big fireplaces, ski lodge colors and cabin-like light fixtures.

Everywhere you looked were happy kids and parents running around in swim suits or fully clothed groups of people with these magic wands they sell as a 4 hour activity around the lodge. We found our room easily on the Piney Path floor, near the elevator (I was cursing I forgot the sound machine or ear plugs) and got into our swim suits to hit the waterpark.

It was steamy and warm and vast and not crowded suprisingly. Loads of lifeguards paced and scanned, towels were readily available for the taking and there were chairs available to call homebase. My daughter kept saying the lifeguards were staring at her and I had to remind her that was their job.

Sidebar: as we walked in the Lodge we read a sign that said 'concealed firearms not allowed" which made me thankful that semi authomatics needed to be hidden from view at a children's resort.

We hit the wave pool first. Let me say that my daughter is cautious. About everything. Very safety conscious, shy, hesitant to try new things. Her friend is not and us moms love the combination of the two girls. One keeps the other in check and one makes the other branch out.

 This is what happened at GWL in the waterpark. As long as they stayed together the two 10 year olds were allowed to roam freely. It feels safe, there are lifeguards and staff everywhere supervising everything. In the first few hours my child actually went down a slide! It was a large raft with all four of us hanging on for dear life, but this was a major accomplishment for her. Mostly she liked the pools. The wave pool is huge and loads of fun. There is a phenomenal kiddy pool/play area with tiny slides and then there are the 6 major waterslides that range from 2 solo beginner slides to the Howling Tornado which is the one you see in ads. You sit in a large tube, go through the dark, drop on a waterfall and enter a huge, wide area before it spits you out at the bottom where attendants wait to help you to the stairs and send the raft up the lift to the top. The tornado was scary but fun. I went backwards and did not see the waterfall coming which I think was a good thing.

GWL has height restrictions and lots of rules in place that keep things safe. Everywhere you looked were happy people, kids especially. After our first day I felt a bit waterlogged and was glad to get into dry clothes and hit the gift shop then the restaurant for dinner. Unlike Disneyland, GWL is licensed which I took to be a good thing because a beer sure went down good with my delicious burger at the restaurant. Our food was excellent and not expensive at all.

Coming out of the restaurant we saw that story time was in progress with the little kiddoes at the grand fireplace. Earlier, bingo had been an afternoon activity. There's glow in the dark mini golf course, a virtual scavenger hunt and an arcade where you can drop $30 for a tickets that translate to a tiny prize at the end likeat Chuck E Cheese's. Our girls did this after dinner and won a huge thing on one of those claw games.

Everywhere you go are kids with those wands doing that scavenger course on all floors, down all halls. We opted out seeing our kids had no interest but anticipated a noisy night with a clue box just outside our room door. They must turn them off at night because the night was strangely silent until 9 am when the first person arrived at the clue box. Not like Disneyland where people come and go at all hours, screeching and talking up and down the halls.

We had a fabulous time the second day, hitting the waterpark early and getting back to Sammamish for dinner. Waterlogged and tired, it was an early night for everyone.

Here's my tips if you have yet to make it to Grand Mound Washington:

Moms, don't worry about walking around in a swim suit it's not a fashion show at all-just have fun! Swim shorts and swimskirts were everywhere, and underarmour worked to keep me warm on the second day.

Goggles are good to have. They don't allow floaties in the pools but have lifejackets for the smaller bodies to use in the pools and slides. Swim shoes can be worn too.

A warm coverup is nice when you get out of the water or take a break. The hot tub is hidden over in the corner too. Take bottles of water to drink so you don't get dehydrated.

Lines are smaller from noon to four.

Don't try to run across the lilypads. It doesn't work.

Big waves come every five minutes and there is no warning bell. 

Don't wear jewelry in the pools or slides. the lost and found is full of it there.

Be a kid again and try the slides, pool and shoot some hoops in the shallow pool. it's fun!