Travel - Trendy Mommies

Looking for a quick trip overnight someplace close with adventure, water and relaxation? We recommend the newest indoor waterpark resort @GreatWolfLodge. We were invited to the grand opening celebration last week in Fitchburg, Mass and what an adventure.Â I surprised my kids by not telling them their secret destination for the day. When we pulled up to the parking lot they were screaming!Â This really is a family fun destinationÂ as not only does it have 68,000 square feet of waterpark but 300,000 gallons of water and it’s more than a waterpark with interactive games, activities, a kiddie spa and more.

There is a waterslide for all ages from the kiddie Whooping Hallow and Tadpole Pond to the Howling Tornado and the exclusive Wolf Tale, you will not be bored at all. The girls and I loved the Slap Tail Pond which is the gigantic wave pool.Â I tested ALL the waterslides and I do mean ALL of them including the Wolf Tale, in which you step into a clear enclosed tunnel and then the clear floor drops right out from underneath you.Â The younger kids would love the Fort Mackenzie which is like a treehouse in water!

We were so impressed with the waterpark that we didn’t even venture back to the Howlin Timbers Play Park (next time!) There is a 9-hole mini golf course, family bowling and a 30 feet adventure climbing attraction! There is also the Howly WoodÂ® XD Theater which is a motion thrill ride that transports you directly into the movie action! We will have to check this out for sure next time we visit!

My girls also loved the Scooops Kids Spa which has ice cream-themed manicures, facials and more. There are three different gift shops and six restaurants/snack bars (which includes a Dunkin Donuts). Ok so where does the relaxation come in? I like how the lounge chairs are close by the pool so if mom and dad want to take a bit of a break they can. However, I was going non-stop with my kids!Â There is also the arcade and a restaurant close by in the arcade so parents can relax there too. My girls are all about a good arcade experience!

Admission is exclusive to resort guests. Head over to Great Wolf Lodge online and you can save 30 percent on your stay.

Disclosure: My kids and I were invited to the grand opening celebration for the day and got to enjoy the adventure. All opinions are my own.

The kids and the slides...quite an adventure — The kids and the slides…quite an adventure

What a winter….The holiday were so hectic.Â Here is it March already! Just came back from Disney – first trip with the kids. It is an exciting vacation but you need a vacation after your Disney vacation – lots of running around. I did read the unofficial guide to Disney before I left and boy did it stress me out!Â It was a bit overwhelming, so much that I was referring to my map every two seconds to make sure I did not miss a thing! (it was driving my husband crazy) Anyway… if I had time to write a book about Disney I would but here are the most important things I learned as a first time visitor.

I would advise to stay in the park if you have small kids. One stop on the monorail and we were at Magic Kingdom
Like a victorian mansion The Grand Floridian Resort was just magical. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/grand-floridian-resort-and-spa We loved the evening movie, campfire and smores for the kids!
Everyone needs a dip in the pool in the afternoon no matter what the temperature. It was only 59 degrees during the afternoon but luckily our pool was heated. It was very refreshing and a great way to decompress.
Each child is different and may react differently to the various, dark rides) Both my kids are daredevils. However, my 5 year old will go on any ride (tower of terror 2X), my 8 year old daredevil needs more specifics: what type of ride, how long, etc.
No matter how hard you try to follow a tour plan you cannot with little kids and oh yeah:Â kids and hubby despise tour plans. These tour plans that are listed out in the unofficial guide are very specific and require lots of back and forth which require a great deal of strategy – I was trying to be very strategic but my kids and hubby did not want to be! My husband did not like to run back and forth to obtain the fast pass – so we would walk through the park and go from site to site.
You need a recover day (or days!) The kids looked dazed going back to school and were exhausted after school the first few days back

There is so much to see at Disney and so many parks to choose from – it definitely requires a trip back for us!