Howlin' Tornado (courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge)

By Heather Caro

It’s that time again, folks: summer vacation planning time.

But if your tots’ wails for a certain mouse-filled getaway have you checking second mortgage options, don’t despair. Great Wolf Lodge offers a howlin’ good theme-park experience — and a lot closer to home.
Massive lupine statues greet guests to Great Wolf Lodge, located in Grand Mound, which is styled in a “north woods” theme. Official check-in time is not until 4 p.m. (or as rooms become available) but guests may stop by the front desk to pick up their water park wristbands (which also serve as room keys) as early as 1 p.m. to squeeze in extra swim time. And likewise, after checkout at 11 a.m., guests can play at the water park until it closes at 9 p.m.  The 398 rooms feature many family-friendly suites with separate kids’ quarters, complete with bunk beds and television.
The indoor water park is the premier Lodge attraction – and for good reason. The fully enclosed indoor park is

The Wolf Den Kids Suite (courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge)

maintained at a balmy 84 degrees and includes water play areas for all ages and skill sets, from puddle splashing to thrill seeking. The 78,000-square-foot park features seven waterslides: two tube slides, two body slides, two kiddie slides and the Howlin’ Tornado – a 65-foot funnel guaranteed to thrill any adrenaline junky. There are also four pools, including an enormous wave pool, an activity pool with floating lily pads and water basketball and a kiddie pool.  And kids will get a kick out of “Fort Mackenzie” – a four-story tree house with cargo nets, suspension bridges and a 1,000 gallon tipping water bucket.
Safety is strictly enforced by well-positioned lifeguards — the lodge employs more than 100 — and a few of the slides require adult supervision or have height requirements of 42 or 48 inches, depending on scare factor. Towers of warm towels are supplied for free, as well as lifejackets for weaker swimmers and tiny tots.
Once kiddies become water-logged, guests may enjoy touring the Lodge’s many family-friendly amenities – including an arcade, a teens-only videogame room, “The Cub Room,” which offers crafts and activities for youngsters and “Scoops Spa,” which is touted for “tweens” and features ice cream-themed products. The Great Clock Tower — located in the main lobby — features timed showings of the animated “Rhythm of Nature” show as well as a nightly storytime with a guest appearance from the Lodge mascot, Wiley the Wolf.
Well worth the money is the Harry Potter-inspired scavenger hunt, MagiQuest. The interactive adventure game spans two floors of the resort and will keep kiddos busy wielding wands and deciphering clues throughout their stay. Returning guests may bring wands back to be reactivated for another chance to complete the quests.
Lodge food options are plentiful but pricy. Two Lodge restaurants offer casual dining but there is also a Starbucks, Pizza Hut, ice cream and sweets shop, various well-placed snack shops as well as Grizzly Rob’s, the indoor waterpark bar for the over-21 crowd. Thrifty guests may want to venture outside the lodge to dine or bring along a few groceries. Guest rooms come equipped with mini-fridge and a microwave for easy meal preparation, and noshing on “outside” fare is not discouraged in most lodge areas.

Great Wolf Lobby (courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge)

And should parents find themselves needing a “vacation from their vacation” don’t forget to check out Elements Spa Salon, which features 10 treatment rooms as well as a 24-hour fitness room.

If You Go:
Great Wolf Lodge is located approximately three hours from Yakima at Grand Mound, Wash., just south of Olympia.
Lodge rooms are not cheap (prices start around $180), however two full days of water park admission are included in the fare, and admission to the water park is only available to lodge guests. For extra savings, be sure to check the website for seasonal and package specials.
greatwolf.com

“It’s not camping,” the sign on the office door said. “It’s kamping.”

My family spent last weekend at the Redmond/Central Oregon KOA, located about 3.5 hours south of Yakima off US Highway 97. Although I grew up “car camping,” I’d never stayed at anything quite as civilized as a KOA before. And, honestly, we chose the location only because my college BFF lives there (her husband works there), we hadn’t seen each other in a couple years, and it was a relatively inexpensive way to get out of town for a long weekend. Rates vary depending on how many people are in your group and whether you’re renting a “kabin” or bringing an RV, but our 4-person tent site was about $30 a night.

Naturally, we knew this was not going to be a rural, “roughin’ it” experience. But I was still a little shocked when I realized our “camp site” was a patch of grass roughly half the size of my front lawn (without so much as a picket fence for privacy). However, I have to say, the KOA’s amenities were kinda nice. We had flush toilets and free showers. There was a heated swimming pool and playground. The kiddos enjoyed sleeping in a tent and our fire pit was perfect for making s’mores. On Saturday night, camp staff led all the little ones (decked out with glow necklaces) on a boisterous “glow light parade” around the campground, complete with boosterish chant: “I don’t know, but I’ve been told, the KOA is the place to go.”

It’s not traditional camping, but this “kamping” trip definitely had its perks. One of them was definitely the patch of grass. We ran around in bare feet or flip-flops without the dirt-kicking and constant filth that I’ve come to associate with “kid camping.” KOA camping, I discovered, is actually pretty “klean.”

And that was perfect because we didn’t want to look like Pigpen when we drove into Bend to do some tax-free school clothes shopping. (You can do that when you’re kamping.) We found fun shops and lunch at the Old Mill District, a mixed-use development on the site of an enormous old lumber mill. Stop by the Central Oregon Visitor Center to pick up brochures and maps with loads of information about all the recreational opportunities in the area. Find pint-sized entertainment at the Working Wonders Children’s Museum is also located right at the Old Mill. (Find pint-sized entertainment for adults across the river at the Deschutes Brewery, but that’s a different vacation.) Just for kicks, we rented a surrey (with the fringe on top) from Wheel Fun Rentals; an hour cost $20. The kids thought that was hilarious good fun.

We were disappointed that we didn’t have enough time to tour Lava River Cave in Newbury National Volcanic Monument. The High Desert Museum is also definitely worth a visit. Guess we’ll have something to look forward to next time we go kamping…

Of course, we could save some gas if we tried the fresh pizza delivery and pony rides at the Naches/Mt. Rainier KOA at Squaw Rock Resort. Krazy, I never stayed at the KOA before.

Story and photos by Heather Caro

Looking for an excuse to take a walk on the wild side this summer? The Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge may be just what you’ve been waiting for.

Nestled in the lower Yakima Valley, this protective wetlands habitat has been created to enhance natural, historic settings and encourage wildlife habitation.

The tall grasses and secluded waterfowl sanctuaries make this outing perfect for budding bird watchers and nature aficionados.

More than 250 species of birds — including ducks, geese, hawks, eagles, herons, owls and songbirds — are known to reside here at varying times throughout the year. Other animals make the refuge their home as well. So, be on the lookout for river otters, badgers and beavers.

What to Expect
Though the refuge sprawls across nearly 2,000 protected acres, the most easily accessible trail ambles over a mile of mowed grass. The trailhead begins at the first parking lot and leads to the headquarters/maintenance office. The hike is flat and can be easily trekked by all age groups; however, there are no amenities available, so plan accordingly.

Getting There
The Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge is located approximately six miles south of Toppenish on U.S. Highway 97. The drive from Yakima is about 35 minutes.

The refuge entrance is located on the west side of the road. Parking is available in front of the Wildlife Observation viewing gazebo. No fees are required.

Tips for Wetland Walkers
For best bird watching, remind children to try to stay quiet so as not to frighten away wildlife. Binoculars are also helpful though not mandatory. The birds are most active during early morning and evening hours, and populations are most plentiful during spring and early fall. However, the refuge can be enjoyed year-round for wildlife observation, hiking and seasonal hunting in designated areas. Hours are from 5 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset.

For a quick lesson on habitats, ask your kids what they need to survive (food, water, shelter). Then talk about how the refuge is providing those same needs to the animals that live in it. They’ll learn something before they even saw it coming!

The refuge encourages discovery, but please leave all plants, animals, rocks and artifacts as you found them. Bring a camera instead, and take pictures of your discoveries to identify together later.

Watch for ticks in the spring and summer and bring plenty of sunscreen and water.

For more information, call 509-865-2405 or visit www.fws.gov/toppenish.

By Sara Bristol

Some mothers swear by it, but I just can’t buy into the idea of my kids watching movies in the car.

No, I’m not one of those anti-TV fanatics. My kids certainly watch more than their share of round-the-clock satellite programming in our three television household.

So I guess that’s why I draw the line at the driveway. When we’re on the road, the scenery should be different than that which we can watch from the sofa.

After all, the whole point of a road trip (or any vacation) is to do something that you don’t do everyday at home.

That said, long hours in little space can be uncomfortable and, yes, sometimes boring. Here are a few suggestions to keep your next road trip from veering off course:

MAP YOUR ROUTE
When children are in the car, driving straight through doesn’t make the trip go faster. It makes the kids whine.

* Schedule breaks. When MapQuest says the drive takes four hours, allow for five. Plan to get out of the car — at a rest area, park or roadside attraction — every couple of hours.

Do this religiously unless the kids are asleep, in which case our advice deviates: Drive, drive, drive until you’re running on fumes.

Hint: Kids love chicken nuggets and using public restrooms. The trip planner at mcdonalds.com can help you find every McDonald’s Playland between home and your destination.

EMERGENCY ROAD KIT
The question is inevitable: “Are we there yet?” Combat this by giving kids some tools:

* A map. Show the kids the route you’re traveling and encourage them to read road signs to note your progress. For very young children, try drawing a simple Dora-style map with major landmarks, i.e. “When we cross the river, we will be halfway there.”

* Audio books. Check them out from the library. If you choose a chapter book, listen for 30-minutes at a time when you need the gang to quiet down.

* Music. Sing-along CDs are corny good fun. The library has a good selection. If you’ll be using the car stereo, preview new tunes before you go to make sure they’re not too annoying. Or, choose “grown up” tunes everybody can enjoy; our kids go crazy for The Beach Boys.

Last Christmas, we bought simple MP3 players for about $10, paired them with $5 headphones and enjoyed the quietest drive to Grandma’s house in years.

* Travel games. The best car toys will pass the time without making a mess. Unfortunately, many games labeled “travel” are just smaller with lots of pieces — OK for the hotel, maybe, but not the car.

Instead, turn to the old faithfuls, including Etch A Sketch, Doodle Pro and auto bingo. (Find the classic Regal Travel Auto Bingo cards online at kidslovetravel.com; set of four is $5.95.)

Imaginetics makes a line of magnetic play boards and magnet stickers that are convenient for travel and fairly affordable at about $5-$10 each. My favorite is the Magnetic USA Map for its “puzzle factor,” which gives kids a job and helps keep them busy. Use caution when giving magnet toys to very small kids, however; magnets can be dangerous to children under age 3 or who might swallow them.

Activity books can be another good option for kids old enough to hold a pen. Crayola Color Wonder and other invisible ink products are perfect for messy preschoolers. Dover’s pocket-sized series of Little Activity Books include easy mazes and connect-the-dot puzzles that even non-reading youngsters can handle. (Hint: Tuck one in your purse for those when-is-our-food-gonna-get-here restaurant moments.) Older children enjoy crosswords, word search puzzles, Sudoko and Mad Libs.

PREPARE TO DETOUR
Even the best laid plans are likely to run into the occasional roadblock. Just when you think you’ve run out of tricks, reach into your bag and see if you can’t pull out another rabbit:

* Slug Bug. Even little kids can recognize a Volkswagen Beetle. This game’s pretty simple: When you spot one, call out “slug bug.” We play non-competitively and without slugging; everybody calls it when they see it. In our car, we also call the color: Green bean, true blue, bright white, etc. And, to mix things up, we also keep an eye out for PT Cruisers and Jeep Wranglers, which are each distinctive enough for a 3-year-old to identify.

* I Spy. You say, “I spy something blue,” and the other players guess what you see: The sky, dad’s sweater, a car, etc. Whoever guesses correctly starts the next round.

* 20 Questions. Think about anything; the other players have 20 questions to try and narrow down what it is. The first question is always, “Animal, vegetable or mineral?” Players then take turns asking pointed yes-or-no questions: Can it fly? Is it bigger than a car? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Only 16 more to go!

By age three, the Bristol kids had each been to at least five states and Canada. They’ll drive to Disneyland this summer.

This vacation is all about the destination — and the journey. An extremely family-friendly city, Portland has enough crowd pleasers to fill a long weekend or a week — and keep you coming back for more.

The drive from Yakima takes just over three hours. It’s an easy, beautiful trip through the Columbia River Gorge with multiple opportunities to stop and take in the scenery or enjoy a new adventure. (Detour ideas listed below.)

View of downtown Portland from the Eastbank Esplanade.

Getting there, it’s been said, is half the fun. With this transportation-oriented itinerary, the fun is all about the journey:

Portland’s public transit system is among the nation’s best. Of course, you’re not worried about commuting, so consider this: Kids love trains. Portland has light rail, modern streetcars and a vintage trolley — as well as an aerial tram.

Riding TriMet buses, trains and streetcars is free in the downtown area known as Fareless Square, which extends to the Rose Quarter entertainment epicenter and Lloyd Center shopping mall (with an indoor ice rink). A TriMet day pass, if you’re planning to ride into other zones, is $4.75.

But there are other perks: Ride the MAX to the Oregon Zoo and you’ll actually save $1 on admission, as well as $2 on parking. Put your savings toward a ticket on the zoo train; one route stops at the Japanese Garden, where you can take a short walk to the world-famous (and free) International Rose Test Garden. See? Everything’s coming up roses.

But why stop now? Portland offers more transportation options to explore: Hop a bus over to the hands-on Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), where you can tour the Navy’s last non-nuclear, fast-attack submarine, the USS Blueback.

In summer, Willamette Jet Boat excursions depart several times a day from the OMSI dock. Kids and grandparents alike will get a thrill from the fast-paced open boat excursions as that pass under Portland’s bridges and explore Willamette Falls.

Of course, Portland is a pedestrian and bike-friendly city, too. It would be a shame to visit Bridgetown without taking a walk through Tom McCall Waterfront Park. On a warm day, tots love to romp in the Salmon Street Springs fountain. Toward the park’s north end, bicyclists and pedestrians can cross the lower deck of the Steel Bridge to the Eastbank Esplanade, a 1.5-mile urban greenway that leads back to OMSI.

DESTINATION DETAILS
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), open daily; 1945 SE Water Ave.; omsi.edu; 503-797-6674. Admission: $11 adults, $9 ages 3-13; $2 parking. Separate fees for OMNIMAX theater, planetarium, laser light shows, submarine tours and motion simulator. Transit: TriMet bus.

Oregon Zoo, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Labor Day; Washington Park, 4001 SW Canyon Road; oregonzoo.org; 503-226-1561. Admission: $9.75 adult, $6.75 ages 3-11; $2 parking. Train rides: $3.50/$5. Chimpanzee Challenge Maze: $2. Summer Concert Series requires special tickets. Transit: MAX & TriMet bus.

View of Portland from the Aerial Tram.

Portland Aerial Tram, 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; runs from the South Waterfront up to Oregon Health & Science University; portlandtram.org. Fare: $4 round trip, ages 6 and under free. Strollers permitted. Transit: Streetcar.

TriMet, the Portland metro-area’s public transit system operates MAX Light Rail, Portland Streetcar and bus service. Schedules, fares and route information: trimet.org.

Vintage Trolley, runs every 30 minutes 12-6:30 p.m. Sundays between Lloyd Center and SW 11th Avenue in downtown Portland; trimet.org/streetcar. Free; donations accepted.

Willamette Jet Boat, multiple departures daily through Sept. 28; departs from OMSI; willamettejet.com; 888/538-2628. Fare for two-hour scenic excursion: $33 adult, $21 children 4-11; one-hour bridge tour slightly less. Transit: TriMet bus.

ROAD TRIP DETOURS
Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler, Cascade Locks, Ore.; portlandspirit.com; 800-224-3901. Fare for two-hour excursion cruise: $28 adult, $18 child; brunch, lunch and dinner cruises available.

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls, second-highest waterfall in the U.S.; visitor center open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; Interstate 84 Exit 31 (left lane); multnomahfallslodge.com; 503-695-2372. Free parking and viewing. Gift shop, restaurant and ice cream cart at the day lodge. To see the falls from the top, a 1.2-mile trail climbs approximately 600 feet; not suitable for strollers.

Mount Hood Railroad, Hood River, Ore.; mthoodrr.com; 800-872-4661. Fare for two-hour excursion: $25 adult, $15 children 2-12; four-hour excursions, special trains and dinner trains also available. Day Out With Thomas: Trains depart on the hour, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 19-22 and 26-28.

Vista House, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; vistahouse.com; 503-695-2230. Free admission; visitor center and gift shop. Take I-84 to exit 22 and follow the signs four miles to Vista House and Crown Point State Park.

Both railroads make regular excursion runs throughout the year, but during these special events, they’ll offer additional entertainment and activities aimed at young Thomas fans:

• Mount Hood Railroad | June 19-22 and 26-28 in Hood River, Ore., 42 miles west of Biggs Junction on Interstate 84. Drive time from Yakima is two hours. Trains depart on the hour, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $14-$16; advance purchase is strongly recommended. For more information, call the railroad at 800-872-4661, or visit mthoodrr.com.

• Northwest Railway Museum | July 10-12 and 17-19 in Snoqualmie, three miles off I-90 at North Bend. Drive time from Yakima is just shy of two hours. Trains depart every 45 minutes, 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Tickets are $18; advance purchase is strongly recommended. For more information, call the museum at 425-888-3030, or visit trainmuseum.org.

This quaint miniature theme park is a perfect day-long excursion for the entire family. In season, the farm offers U-Pick strawberries, raspberries and pumpkins. There’s also a variety of produce, baked goods and gift items in the market.

The Country Fair Fun Park has more than 25 rides and attractions, mostly aimed at young children. There are pony rides, barnyard petting pens and live entertainment by songwriter Eric Ode who puts on a fantastic interactive show that younger kids are sure to enjoy.

Most rides are suitable for children ages 2 and up, including a mini canoe ride, the Tolt River Railroad Steam Train and antique cars. Older and more adventurous kids will enjoy the roller coaster, a spinning pumpkin ride and a pint-sized Ferris Wheel.

In the Pioneer Homestead, you can visit with the pioneer woman who will explain and demonstrate some of the “olden days” ways.

Then find your way through the covered hay maze to the hay pit and try the rock climbing wall. In the fall, the farm also offers a corn maze and wagon rides to the U-pick pumpkin patch.

Admission is a bargain at $11 per person, but this varies during special festivals. There’s no admission fee for the market, restaurant or U-pick fields.

For more information, call 425-333-4135 or visit remlingerfarms.com.

— Melissa Paul

How to get there:
Take I-82 north toward Ellensburg, then merge onto I-90 west toward Seattle. Take Exit 22 (Preston/Fall City).

Follow the signs through Preston into Fall City. At the stop sign in Fall City, go right over the Snoqualmie River Bridge. Take an immediate left on the other side of the bridge. Traveling north on Hwy 203, continue 5 miles toward Carnation until you see the Remlinger Farms sign. Turn right onto NE 32nd Street (in front of the sign). This road dead ends at Remlinger Farms.

Looking for an easy day trip? Pack up a picnic, pack up the kids and head down to Maryhill for a day of art. Just 90 minutes south of Yakima, you’ll find Stonehenge, an art museum and a chateau dedicated by a queen. (For real.)

Set in a three-story mansion overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, the Maryhill Museum of Art offers 26 acres of park-like gardens and shady picnic grounds. Be sure to take a stroll through the Outdoor Sculpture Garden and admire the (literally) gorgeous view.

The historic Beaux Arts mansion was dedicated in 1926 by Queen Marie of Romania. Built by Northwest entrepreneur and visionary Sam Hill, the castle-like structure is now an art museum featuring an extensive Native American collection and more than 80 sculptures and watercolors by the French master Auguste Rodin, including a pedestal-sized plaster version of The Thinker.

The museum’s EyeSEE Resource Room features games, kid-friendly exhibits and artwork by kids from throughout the region.

The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 15 through Nov. 15. General admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $2 for children ages 6-16; younger children are free. Kids receive free admission with a paying adult during the museum’s Family Fun Day events. Check the museum’s Web site for the schedule of events and exhibit information. Café Maryhill serves espresso, pastries and lunch, and there’s also an on-site gift shop.

GETTING THERE
Maryhill Museum is south of Goldendale on State Route 14.
It’s well marked with signs. (Just a few miles away from the museum, you’ll find life-size replica of England’s Stonehenge. Stop and let the kids out of the car for a few minutes; it’s funky and it’s free.)

For more information, call the Maryhill Museum at 509-773-3733, or visit maryhillmuseum.org.

January and February are the best months for viewing elk at the Oak Creek feeding station near Naches. Kids will enjoy bundling up for a ride on the safari-style truck tours that provide an up-close look at the animals.

Each winter, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife provides a supplementary feeding program for up to 1,500 elk — including as many as 150 branched-antler bulls — to keep them from damaging private property. (Humans, you see, have inhabited the herd’s winter range.)

For families, the feeding station is a cheap and easy field trip, located about 20 miles west of Yakima on U.S. Highway 12. The elk are fed daily at 1:30 p.m., though you’ll find animals there throughout the day.

A fence separates the elk from the viewing area, but the animals are free to head up to the hills, so their numbers vary throughout the season. More will visit the feeding station when snow and extreme cold prevents them from grazing naturally.

Also worth a stop, bighorn sheep are fed mid-morning at the nearby Cleman Mountain feeding site, just a couple miles up the road. Feeding season for both the elk and bighorns is typically mid-December to early March.

There’s a visitor center at the elk’s Oak Creek Headquarters, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during the elk’s feeding season. The center has a video program, exhibits and a hands-on kids’ corner where children can get a feel for elk fur and antlers. There’s no charge, but donations are accepted to help support the feeding program.

Volunteers can take you for a ride into the feeding area on an old open-air Army truck. Tours typically depart at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tours are first-come, first-served, but reservations are accepted; call ahead at least 48 hours in advance if you’re visiting with a large group, as the trucks are limited to 14 passengers. Call 509-698-5106 for tour reservations.

During the tour, the truck will drive slowly out into the field and then kill the engine so you can quietly observe the elk. A docent provides some information and answers questions. Bring a camera, and be sure and dress warmly; the tours typically last about 30 minutes.

If you have preschoolers, please note that the volunteers prefer a 1:1 adult-child ratio for younger kids. Also, the children need to refrain from yelling or making other loud noises since the elk are easily startled.

If you’re hungry for more details, there’s a ton of information about the animals and the feeding stations on the Naches Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Web site. Or, call the Oak Creek Wildlife area at 509-653-2390.

HOW TO GET THERE
Oak Creek Headquarters (elk): Drive west on U.S. Highway 12 and continue past Naches. At the junction with Hwy 410, turn left, continuing on Hwy 12. About two miles past the junction, the feeding station will be on the right.

Cleman Mountain feeding station (bighorn sheep): Drive west on U.S. Highway 12 and continue past Naches. At the junction with State Route 410, stay straight, heading west on SR 410 for about one block, then make a sharp right on the Old Naches Highway. The feeding station is on the left.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FACTS
• Rocky Mountain Elk from Yellowstone National Park were introduced to Yakima County in 1913.
• Bulls weigh an average of 450-900 lbs.
• Cows are pregnant for 270 days (about 9 months).
• Twin calves are rare.
• Antlers (found only on the bulls) fall off in the spring and regrow by August.
• Wintering elk may eat 3 to 10 lbs of hay per day at the feeding stations.

— Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

ABOUT BIGHORN SHEEP
• Both Rocky Mountain and California bighorn sheep are native to Washington.
• Can live up to 17 years, but general life expectancy is 10-12 years.
• Rocky Mountain bighorns are larger than the California sub-species. Rocky Mountain rams weigh 160-315 lbs, while a California ram weighs about 180-205 lbs.
• The gestation period for ewes is 180 days (about 6 months).
• Twin lambs do occur.
• Both rams and ewes have horns, which never fall off and continue to grow through the sheep’s lifetime.

— Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Even in the dead of winter, a little splash of summer is closer than you might think. Of course, you’ll need a reservation.

At the Great Wolf Lodge near Centralia, just a three-hour drive from Yakima via White Pass, the resort’s exclusive indoor water park is always a balmy 84 degrees. It’s a Disney-esque family fun palace promising a season-defying escape from typical “wetside” weather. Just don’t expect to stay dry inside here.

Amenities include an arcade, spa and craft room, but the resort’s major draw is the sprawling indoor water park featuring a little something for everyone — from a relaxing hot tub to a rockin’ wave pool to the Howlin’ Tornado, a stomach-knotting slide through a bright yellow six-story funnel.

“That was horrifying,” recalls Zillah mom Kelli Olsen. “Never again.”

“That was the best water slide ever,” counters West Valley 13-year-old Hailey Lozano. “It was awesome. You’re just winding around and you can’t see anything and then all of a sudden you just drop and you’re in this tornado going back and forth.”

When my own family visited in March, I appreciated that the Howlin’ Tornado was the only slide that my 3- and 5-year-old kids weren’t quite tall enough to try. There’s a 48-inch height requirement.

However, my junior adrenaline junkies each met the 42-inch benchmark for riding with an adult on the park’s other major slides — including the 500-foot River Canyon Run — and also were able to independently (with supervision) enjoy most of the other attractions, including the 1,000-gallon soaker bucket that sits atop Fort Mackenzie.

Fort MacKenzie

So, what’s the price tag for all this madness? As you’ve probably heard (or suspected), it ain’t cheap. Admission to the water park is limited to guests of the resort. In other words, it’s a package deal; you have to stay to play.

Good news is that there’s a quite a range of room options — and deals are fairly easy to find. Accommodations range from a standard room with two queen-sized beds (starting at $190) to the Grizzly Bear Suite (starting at $370), which has two private bedrooms, two bathrooms and a shared living area (i.e. enough space for two families with younger children to comfortably share).

Grand Lobby

Prices include water park admission for 4-6 people, depending on the room. And guests are able to access the water park from 1 p.m. on arrival day until closing (generally 9 p.m.) on the day they check out. That means, according to the mamas I talked to, you can get a pretty good value from a single night’s stay.

“After a whole day, I was exhausted and felt like I had been at Disneyland for a week,” says Janine Taylor of Yakima. “One night is definitely enough.”

The Taylor family — including Bethany, 7, and Micah, 5 — visited Great Wolf to escape the winter doldrums in early 2008, just a few weeks after the resort opened.

“I thought it was great for that purpose, an outing to do in the middle of the winter blahs around here,” says Janine, who booked a good rate on one of the lodge’s camp-themed family suites featuring a private bunk area for the kids.

“They thought it was fun to have their own bedroom space,” Janine says. Yet, “you’re spending so much of your time in the water park, a regular room would have been fine.”

West Valley mom Megan Calhoon liked that the resort had activities that appealed to everybody in her blended family, which includes four girls, ages 8 to 16. The youngest, Hannah Lozano, enjoyed a bedtime story in the lobby and MagiQuest, a high-tech scavenger hunt located throughout the resort. The older girls danced and checked e-mail in gr8_space, a teen lounge.

“And then there was the arcade,” Megan adds. “My husband loves arcades.”

The resort has a couple different snack bars and two restaurants, including an extensive gourmet-style buffet and a wait-to-be-seated grill, which serves up sliders, salads and steaks.

Food isn’t included in the package price and it can be spendy. The breakfast buffet, for example, runs $13.95 for adults and $7.95 for kids ages 4-12. Though it’s fast and convenient, that’s a steep tab when you have “two small kids who eat like birds,” says Kelli Olsen.

Families with younger kids will likely get a better deal by heading outside the resort or sharing plates at the lodge’s Camp Critter Bar and Grill (think Red Robin).

“We found that, even in there, they are so kid-friendly,” says Selah mom Tanya Bauman, who visited last year. “They catered to the kids and filled sippy cups.”

Good to know, Tanya says, is that both resort restaurants will package up food to take to the room. Also, all suites have a mini fridge and microwave.

Tanya says her family, who met up with another, had a good trip and she would consider going again when kids Becca and Jonathan are tall enough to try more of the activities. But, she offers a word of caution to parents with younger kids: “My 5-year-old had fun. For my 2-year-old, it was way too overwhelming. It was way too loud in there. We weren’t thinking about that.”

Kelli Olsen also visited the park with young kids — Sam, 6; Henry, almost 5; and Olivia, 10 months; as well as a pair of preschool-aged cousins — and also noted the noise inside the waterpark, as well as safety concerns due to the park’s size and unsecured exits. She recommends visiting midweek, when the crowds are lower, and meeting up with another family so the adults can take turns watching kids and enjoying the rides.

Of course, Kelli didn’t really enjoy the Howlin’ Tornado: “It was so horrible. I was so mad at my husband for thinking I’d enjoy it.”

But Janine Taylor has another take: “I am an adrenaline junkie. I love all kinds of roller coaster rides. That thing scared me to death. It was really intense. To me, that’s a positive. It’s not just namby-pamby stuff.”

Sound like a cure for the wintertime blues? For more mommy-oriented trip planning advice, visit the Ask-A-Mom blog at askamom.greatwolf.com.

— Sara Bristol

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IF YOU GO
WHAT: Great Wolf Lodge resort. Use of the indoor water park requires staying at the 398-room, all-suite lodge.

WHEN: Open year-round.

WHERE: Grand Mound, Wash., just north of Centralia off Interstate 5 at Exit 88-B. It’s about a three-hour drive from Yakima via U.S. Highway 12.

HOW MUCH: Rates start at $189.95 for a family suite, including waterpark admission for four. Rates vary based on date of stay, accommodations and occupancy.

To hunt for deals, poke around on the reservations calendar at greatwolf.com. Then click on “Great Deals” at the very bottom of the page to learn about upcoming promotions. Also, sign up for the mailing list if you’d like to receive notices with special deals.

FOR MORE: Visit greatwolf.com or call 800-640-9653.