Great Wolf Lodge

The Great Wolf Lodge is a lots of fun for kids. I can see why we’ve heard rave reviews. However, there’s a few things to know before your trip that are not covered in the brochure or web site.
1. the beds are great for jumping on, but not so great for sleeping.
2. the pillows are extra firm, perfect for delivering that knockout blow during a pillowfight. Bring your own for sleeping on. We saw other families hauling them in and now we know why.
3. Beware of the zombies. They look much like normal humans, but because of sleep deprivation and too much chlorine exposure, they merely resemble humans, their faces devoid of emotion, being towed around by kids.
4. If you have really little kids, plan to spend lots of time in the tadpole pond. The water in the big pools is cooler and the 4 and under kids get cold quickly.
5. The wifi coverage is pervasive and slow. I eventually turned off wifi because AT&T 3G was faster.
6. The TV has only paid programming. Bring along options. Their internet is way too slow for streaming NetFlix.

The lodge is designed to be a one stop resort, where you eat, sleep and play without ever leaving the building. It accomplishes this, but after a couple days, we had experienced everything that was age appropriate. The kids would have been happy to stay another day or two but we were looking forward to sleeping in our own bed.

ski trip

On Tuesday, reports of a foot of fresh snow were heard in Seattle. Good news, to be sure, but not compelling. By Wednesday, another foot had fallen and snow was predicted through the night on Wednesday. Jen rented us skis. The snow and was still falling heavily on Thursday morning.

Even before we started  climbing up the pass, the snow was falling like nothing I’ve ever seen. I grew up in Northern Michigan, in the heart of the snowbelt, where words like lake-effect and whiteout are common. Michigan has 4 of the top 15 snowiest cities in the lower 48.*  I’ve seen a lot of snow but I can’t ever recall seeing snowflakes 3″ wide. They accumulate so fast they had been closing the pass daily for avalanche control.  

This is also the fist time I’ve been skiing in bounds, on the runs, in snow above my knees, and occasionally up to my waist. On the runs! Snow so deep it begged the little boy in me to get a good run and cannonball into it. Snow so deep that when Jen fell in, all I could see was her hat. Snow so deep that the momentum lost by carving a single turn stopped me dead in my tracks. 

What a day. 

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thrill issues

Dude. Dude. Focus Dude. Dude. Oh, he lives! Hey Dude!

…what happened?

Aw, saw the whole thing Dude. First you were like whoa (excited), then you were like woah (surprised), and then you were like woah (going limp).

…what are you talking about?

You! Mini-man, takin on the jellies, you got serious thrill issues Dude. Awesome.