Unexpected Magic at the Great Wolf Lodge

Today we woke up in 2010 with a heavy heart. After two wonderful weeks full of little girl laughter, sisters blogging side by side, and long leisurely dinners late into the night, it was time for everyone to say goodbye. We dug through the house to find all the dolls and socks strewn in far flung corners and piled everyone in the minivan one last time to make the drive to Cincinnati.



Two hours later, we exchanged last hugs at the terminal and turned them over to the joys of newly heightenned security checks. Instead of turning around and driving two hours back to our deserted house in Columbus, we decided to turn our sad parting into an exciting adventure by spending the night at the Great Wolf Lodge.



I'd been intrigued by the frequent radio ads for "the Lodge" with their deep baritone, but had thought the kids were too young to really enjoy an indoor water park. But now that two out of three are comfortable swimmers, I finally felt ready to give it a try.



I'll do a full review over at Chefdruck Reviews later this weekend once we're home, but so far, we're having a great time and have successfully diverted any sadness. The kids were thrilled by the little bunk bed cabin in our room and they, unlike me, were not deterred by the chilly water of the indoor water park. They went around and around the lazy river until their lips were dark blue.



Unexpectedly, the most fun was had outside of the pool, running through the halls of the hotel with magic wands looking for clues as part of an unbelievably elaborate magic quest. I balked at the price tag ($14.99 for a wand plus a ridiculous $9.99 "activation fee") but I have to admit that it was worth the expense as the entire hotel is filled with portraits that come to life and chests that come open with a slow creak to reveal dazzling jewels. The scavenger hunt was so clever and had so many levels that I saw many pimply teenagers running flushed looking for clues to become "master magi."



I don't think I could handle more than one night here. The crowds, the noise, and the pervasive faint whiff of chlorine are not exactly relaxing. But I'm sure this one night will live on in the kids' memory for a long long time.