Great wolf great for families

I had the occasion to spend part of two days at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound.  It is NOT the place to be if you’re an adult, but children and parents with children, will find the lodge exciting and adventuresome and pretty pricey.

Rooms start in the $200’s per night  and go up from there.  It’s not unusual to spend $350 per night for a family room, big enough for parents and kids.

The layout of the facility is designed to make you think that you’re in a great mountain lodge.  Activities for kids abound, most of them costly however.  The indoor water park is a big draw and an amenity that comes free with each room.  Every person in the room, up to four,  is issued a plastic wristband, which also doubles as the room key.  The band allows you access to the waterpark.

The park has a number of rides, some for little ones and some for bigger ones.  Adults will find the larger rides more to their liking.  The lodge has six restaurants and a Starbucks.  It wouldn’t be unusual to spend several hundred dollars a day for a a family of four.

I did see many families bringing in coolers and food to eat in their room.  That’s one way to cut down on the costs.

But adults, without children, will find little to do.  A bus runs hourly to the Lucky Eagle Casino about fifteen minutes away but that’s about it.

Those thinking of using the conference center should be aware that spouses will be left with little to do.  Some shopping is available at the Centralia Outlet Mall and downtown Centralia has a number of antique shops; but at the lodge itself there is nothing for adults to do.

However, if you have a family, the children will love the place and parents will be exhausted trying to keep up with them.