Great Escape: Weatherproof Weekend Fun at Great Wolf Lodge

What do you do on a rainy spring weekend when you really need some fun and family recreation? There is one place I can think of to go: Great Wolf Lodge. 

Located in the nearby Poconos, Great Wolf Lodge has cornered the indoor waterpark market with its luxurious, yet rustic resort in Scotrun, just off Interstate 80. When you arrive, you will see a sign that says “CAUTION: AWESOMENESS AHEAD,” and it means what it says.

The Great Wolf waterpark itself boasts 14 huge slides within Coyote Canyon and Fort Mackenzie--the giant water play area--along with the Cub Paw Pool, which features a zero-depth entry and spray water features that will keep the wee ones occupied with pint-size play. All of this indoor adventure segues into an outdoor water park called Raccoon Lagoon. The Cub Club offers another level of adventure for children 12 and under, with educational activities and crafts available. Throughout May, the club is offering daily activities such as tie dying, a "Wolf Walk" and "Howling Bingo." Are you noticing the wolf theme yet?

Just in case the waterpark isn’t intriguing enough for your pack, Great Wolf offers a few upgrades, including the MagiQuest and CompassQuest options. MagiQuest and CompassQuest are both interactive adventure games that will take your family on a journey throughout the lodge. The goal of both games is to complete adventurous tasks, such as battling dragons and solving mysteries.

• MagiQuest is $12.99 plus the cost of a “wand.”
• CompassQuest is $14.99 and includes the compass and nine "quests."

Great Wolf offers many activities that don't involve an extra cost, but a scavenger hunt involving the whole family could be a really cool addition to your experience. You will have to pay extra for food during your stay, but the lodge offers a range of choices from Starbucks and Pizza Hut Express to Camp Critter Bar and Grille and the Spirit Island Snack Shop.

At the end of the day, younger guests are invited to sport their pajamas and bring their “blankies” to the Great Clock Tower in the lobby for story time. For older children and tweens, there are the Northern Lights and gr8 Space arcades.  The former allows kids to win tickets in exchange for prizes playing skeeball, dancing and playing games. The latter offers the latest in Wii and Xbox 360 games, karaoke and more for the rock star in the making.

It’s not all about the kids at Great Wolf Lodge, either. The resort includes a full-service spa for adults, offering everything from massages and stone therapy to manicures and pedicures. Elements is a great retreat and a little something special, maybe for mom. There is even a pint size "princess spa" called Scoops, offering ice cream-themed beautification for your little princess. There is just no topping a good mother-daughter manicure while Dad hangs with the boys in the pool.

The wonderful thing about Great Wolf beyond all of these activities is that after a long day of fun, you can retire to your room, where everyone will have a bit of privacy--even if you are all sleeping in the same room. The lodge's family accommodations are the perfect solution for families of 4-6 with small children. The rooms are rustic in theme, offering a “log cabin” feel in the midst of luxury, and all are complete with bathrooms, televisions, mini-refrigerators and balcony patios. Some upgraded features are a fireplace or a whirlpool. 

There are two special packages currently offered for May on the Great Wolf website. More Fun For Less offers guests staying two nights 4 passes to the waterpark for their entire stay and daily activities at the Cub Club along with a 20 percent discount on a future stay. Splash into Spring offers guests staying for one night an upgrade to the Northwoods theme suite, and passes for the entire family to the waterpark, from 1pm on the day of arrival until the park closes on the day of departure. Check in is at 11am and changing areas as well as showers are available in the waterpark. You’ll have to leave your luggage in the car before or after your stay.

For full details on accommodations and rates, visit the reservations page on the Great Wolf Lodge website.