by Jennifer Guterman and Fran Falkin

This year, FTF’s annual awards honor successful family retreats.  In the hectic 21st century workaday world, adults and kids are endlessly busy with jobs and school, meetings and homework, personal trainers and afterschool activities.  Weekends are full of household chores, more homework (for parents and kids) and separate relaxation activities.  Sometimes it’s hard for families to keep track of everyone’s schedules, and although many try, most are no longer successful at eating dinners together regularly.

When it’s time to get away from this routine, more and more adults are in search of a vacation where they can spend precious family-together time.  This doesn’t mean sleeping in the same hotel room and going separate ways during the day, but securing family bonds by experiencing both new and favorite pursuits together.

FTF “Top 10 Getaways for Family Togetherness” have been selected for focusing on the kinds of activities that put the “family” back in family vacations.  By offering a variety of outdoor adventures, watersports, cultural learning opportunities, crafts, classes, spa treatments and old-fashioned fun, kids, parents and even grandparents can reunite, create memories and, hopefully, return home inspired to find ways to nurture these connections.

Great Wolf Lodges, North America
800/559-WOLF

Indoor water parks are naturally family-family.  Great Wolf Lodge took this concept and ran with it when they decided to market to families with children 2 to 14-years-old living within driving distance of their many locations.  As of 2008, visitors from near and far can enjoy Great Wolf Lodges in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Michigan; Kansas City, Kansas; Williamsburg, Virginia; the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania; Niagara Falls, Ontario; Mason, Ohio; Grapevine, Texas; and Grand Mound, Washington. Each has a Northwoods Camp design, with rustic and whimsical touches that make for the most comfortable family “camping trip” ever.

Family togetherness and year-round water play distinguish the Great Wolf Lodge vacation, in keeping with the company's stated mission: “Create Family Traditions One Family at a Time.” Each property includes a 34,000-to 82,000-square-foot indoor water park, always heated to the tropical temperature of 84 degrees F (degrees C). Multiple slides and pools, totem poles, a lazy river, wave pool and squirting and splashing water make up the landscape, which centers on the four-story Fort Mackenzie, a play area that periodically dumps huge buckets of water. Toddlers have their own zero entry pool, while water gymnasts and basketball players have their own areas as well.  Everyone wears bathing suits, but landlubbers will find plenty of seating and snack bars.  There are always certified lifeguards and attendants at every attraction, because safety is a number one concern.

Family activities at Great Wolf Lodges go beyond the wet and wild, however.  Wiley’s Woods is an interactive arcade game center dispensing redeemable prize tickets.  The Cub Club is an on-site activity center where parents are not just encouraged, but required, to attend, and the club offers daily take-away crafts.  The resorts’ wolf and bear mascots join locals for bedtime storytelling in the lobby.  Seasonal celebrations include carol sing-a-longs, holiday card writing, and visits with Santa around Christmastime.  Each resort makes local sights, shopping and natural attractions accessible, but not babysitting.  No matter what the time of year, “We really encourage our families to do things together, to be sort of a wolf pack,” notes one resort executive.

The wolf pack theme continues in the variety of lodging and dining opportunities.  Each all-suite property features 270 to 400 “dens,” with microwave, a fridge and sitting area.  These range from Family Fireplace Suites to KidCabin Suites with bunk beds in semi-private sleeping areas themed like trees, tents and bear caves.  Hungry families can hit fun theme restaurants like the Camp Critter Bar and Grill or Bear Claw Café ice cream parlor, which of course have a plethora of kid-friendly options. For parents who want to take turns at pampering, most Wolf Lodges have an on-property Aveda Spa.
 
Suites sleeping from four to eight people run in the $250-$400/N range throughout 2006, including water park admission.  Cribs are available free of charge and toddlers under 2 enter the waterpark for free.  Add-on packages are also available, including the $99/N Family Retreat Package (more like hibernation package), which includes 20 arcade game tokens, a pound of fudge, an in-room movie, playing cards, and breakfast for four, in addition to some souvenirs.

Please log in to post a comment

Not an FTF Member yet? Sign up today for blog and boards access, our award-winning vacation deal alerts, and custom trip-planning assistance from our staff of family travelers.