(Long Island, N.Y.) Sure, gizmos and gadgets make great holiday gifts—but I’m suggesting you think outside the box this season. My top picks for all the members of your family: Great Get-Aways. That’s right; the gift that keeps on giving is something truly spectacular to look forward to in 2010. I’ve got a few great gift-certificate ideas up my sleeve for 1. him and her, 2. the kiddos, and 3. the entire family. Today I’ll share the second one:
Next up—my pick for a fun getaway for the kids: Great Wolf Lodge
For a howling good time, I strongly suggest a trip to Great Wolf Lodge—an indoor water park located in Pocono Mountains, PA. It’s not a far ride from Long Island. We live way out east in Suffolk County and it took us under three hours to get there. (We stopped half way in Wayne, New Jersey to eat and stretch out for a bit.)
How to package it: Get creative and wrap up some images printed from their website, along with new swimsuits and flip-flops—future family bonding time– in a bucket!
It’s a full-service family resort but the real draw is the “water, water everywhere” element. When you first walk in to the indoor waterpark, it’s a bit overwhelming but I guarantee, any kid will take one look around and proclaim the place: H2O-Heaven! In fact 380,000 gallons of swishing water to be precise. Trust me, the place is a blast.
What they’ll love: Smack in the middle of winter, when a pool is far from their minds—this is the ultimate kid-oasis. You do the math: What kid wouldn’t have a blast with 11 slides, 6 pools, (That includes a wave pool, a huge water-fort, a lazy river, and plenty more.) At night, there’s story time by the Clock Tower, where the kids gather in their jammies and mingle.
There’s also a kid spa in the resort—“Scooops”. If you’ve got a girl (4-12) who loves to get pampered, the spa is as cute as can be; with ice cream pedicures and manicures. I almost fainted when I got the bill for a Strawberry Shortcake pedicure, but it was really cool to see my daughter get the star treatment for her first time.
For the older kids, there’s “gr8_space”—where tech-savvy teens can connect to computers, docking stations for MP3 players, and gaming stations like Xbox360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.
What you’ll love: You don’t have to leave the resort for a single thing. There’s a buffet-style restaurant, a bar & grille, snack and gift shops, a Starbucks (oh, you’ll need it!), a spa, an arcade, tons of things to do when you get water-logged. If you can somehow book your Great Wolf stay with another family—the more the merrier. While our friends watched our kids, my husband and I snuck away and rode the “Hydro Plunge” coaster. We giggled like two school kids at the bottom, looked at each other and at the same time said, “Again, again!”
What you’ll really love: Sure, it’s an indoor water park and tons of fun, but why I strongly recommend Great Wolf Lodge is about how eco-conscious the property is. They’re very big on recycling and conservation with “Project Green Wolf”. Hard to believe from a water park, but among other impressive self-imposed standards, Great Wolf recovers most of their water, filters it, treat it, and returns it to the waterpark. Every where you look, there are signs of their dedication to creating a more sustainable world. It was duly noted–and appreciated.
Insider tip: If your kids aren’t big breakfast eaters, skip the pricey morning buffet and bring along some on-the-go cereal cups. There’s plenty of kid-fare inside the water park, like chicken fingers, grilled cheese and fries and lots to chow down on for dinner there. Also, if you think you might want to book a treatment at Scoops, make the appointment as early as possible—it’s usually booked solid. Just be prepared to pay a pretty penny for kiddie pedicure (50 bucks!) but hey, it was worth the splurge.
For more info, visit www.greatwolf.com or call 866.958.9653
