Long weekends might just be the greatest thing ever invented.  The list goes iPod, microwave, Starbursts, and long weekends.  This past weekend I took advantage of the length and rolled to Great Wolf Lodge with the family...and it didn't disappoint.

 

If you haven't been, Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor water park resort located just over the border in Niagara Falls.  It is a hot spot during the cold winter, and a great place to bring the kids when you need to get out of the house for a night.

Tony P kids at Great Wolf Lodge
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I love everything about this place.  The location is perfect, and very easy to get to.  It's like a really quick road trip where you get to leave the country but really you haven't gone that far.  Once you cross the border (Rainbow Bridge) it is less then 10 minutes away.  That makes it nice for when it is time to head home.

 

There is so much to do at GWL, that you will run out of time to do it all.  That's always a good indicator of how great a place is.  The indoor water park is only facet of the complex, albeit the biggest one.  No matter what age your kids are, there are slides and pools for everyone.  They even have a water coaster that is like riding a roller coaster.  Check this out:

When the water park fun ends, the kids can hit the bowling alley, the kids spa, the arcade, and of course MagiQuest.  MagiQuest is a game that is played throughout the floors of the resort where kids use a magic wand (that you purchase) to complete quests.  It can be very repetitive for the parents, but the kids love it.  The game can take awhile so chances are it would take your kids a few nights to finish the entire game.  Once you buy the wand, you can bring it back for future visits where you just have to buy the latest quest.

 

My kids loved doing MagiQuest, and it affords an opportunity for the adults to relax.  Fortunately my kids are at the age where they can do it on their own, where we can sit and keep an ear out if they have any issues.  Plus they can do it in their pajamas, so once it's over and they are wiped out, it's right to bed!

Great Wolf Lodge Wands
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We only go up for the night, so it is a quick 24hrs. I would like to do 2 days in the future so that we have time to breathe in between activities.  Also, if you have the funds, I would recommend reserving a cabana at the waterpark.  It's not cheap, but it guarantees you a spot which can be hard to come by as the waterpark fills in.  If you have been to GWL in the past but not recently, one new water slide attraction is the Wolf Tail.  Basically you are put in vertical tube where the floor drops out and you plummet.  It is awesome, you need to do it.

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