Great Wolf Lodge

Last weekend my lovely friend invited me and four other girls to spend a free night with her at with Great Wolf Lodge. I've been wanting to write a blog about it, but have had a crazy week, so what better time to write than while sitting in one of my favorite coffee shops?

So last Friday night, six of us girls infiltrated Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine on a mission to have some fun! We had a two bedroom suite and our stay (as does every stay) included access to the indoor waterpark.

For a greater part of Friday evening there were only three girls, as the other three planned to come much later. Not wanting to waste anytime, we set out to explore and soon decided to join all of the kids running around playing the hotel-wide game, MagiQuest. We began our quest by having our wand activated (yes, a wand) and consulting the wizard in the tree. Our first quest required us to light up four torches before gaining our first token which advanced us, the Mac Mamma Magis, towards becoming the Quest Masters. I know, it sounds pretty crazy, but you actually get into it and it's obvious that the kids love it. There are things to find on each of the eight floors and your quests are accomplished by waving your wand and lighting things up. Guess you'll just have to play to understand...

After conquering a few quests, we decided it was time for dinner and soon after that - the waterpark. One of my friend's co-workers told her that she would need to ride the signature ride, the Howling Tornado, at least four times to fully enjoy it and I do believe she was correct. Watch the video on their web site and you can see how amazing it looks, but you can never understand the rush without experiencing it first hand. It's completely safe, but as your tube soars from side to side it feels as if you will fly out.. Sounds scary but it's really cool. I will admit though, I would give it a try first in the daylight, when the funnel is lit, and then at night. Once the sun has gone down, the funnel is pitch black with a few strobe lights to enhance the ride into a heart-jumping experience.

Truly though, the entire park is cool. We were only able to experience the inside park as the outdoor park closes after Labor Day. But we rode everything from individual to group slides, floated through the river, and soaked in the hot tub. After about two hours that evening, we returned with more girls the next morning, at which point we re-rode the Howling Tornado and tried out a few more slides.

I can say with confidence that the Great Wolf Lodge lives up to its name of being great. There is so much for families to do together and it is set up to encourage family activities. Aside from MagiQuest and the waterpark, there is Storytime, an arcade and weekly activities. So book it for a family weekend or plan your next family reunion there, I highly recommend it. While you have no need to leave the lodge, in a place like Grapevine you can and still have plenty to do as the mall is few blocks away and Dallas is just a short drive down the highway.

Go, enjoy.
I did :)