Wilderness Lodge Resort: budget travel for families

Spring break… I’m breathing a big sigh of anticipatory sadness right here. I’ve been lucky enough to work in a profession where that term still means something exciting. I have also been blessed with a beautiful boy to celebrate. He and I are without a doubt the dynamic duo of travel adventures.

Last April I surprised him with a trip to the Wilderness Lodge Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. I had seen this particular resort on the Travel Channel in October or November. It was in an edition of “World’s Biggest”, and this place was listed as the “largest indoor water park in North America”. I booked it for spring break at the time and it became her “big gift” for Christmas.

I expected big. I grew up The “Hurricane” water slide is the biggest water slide I’ve ever been on in my entire life. My son’s wide-eyed expression on that first drop was worth the entire trip.

I was hoping to find many activities that the two of us could do together. The Wilderness Resort also passed through here. There was 3D miniature golf, arcade games, flower pots to paint (if we had been organized enough to do so), movies to watch, plenty of restaurants to go to, and more water activities than I could have ever imagined.

There’s nothing like playing Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” on Guitar Hero with your 12-year-old son…and reminding him (once again) that you’re a bastard in a girl’s suit who reads bedtime stories and insists . to buy wheat instead of white bread.

What I didn’t expect to catch my attention was all the other families out there having their own spring break adventure. My son and I were newbies to this place, but I could tell from all the gear and loaded snacks that we were sharing space with professionals. The resort charges per room and the room can sleep six people. There is also a microwave and mini fridge in each room. For families of 5 or 6 this was a fantastic and inexpensive way to spend time together.

I saw more dads in action than I’ve ever seen, and lots of family bonding moments that I cherished. I saw beautiful women with their beautiful children, and was reminded again that the version of “hot girl” I’m usually surrounded by on a college campus blossoms with age and experience and seems to radiate most noticeably from people who are genuinely happy.

As my son and I were walking towards one of the big slides, I saw a very large, shirtless, hairy man with his head thrown back and his eyes closed as his 3 or 4 month old baby slept on his chest. I would like to be a photographer. It was a beautiful photo.

The Wilderness Lodge Resort is a fantastic place for families to enjoy their children while they are young. My son and I loved it. It gave me the opportunity to “be” with my son and fully participate in his life. He also gave me the opportunity to find beauty where I didn’t expect it.

We would absolutely visit this place again. Next time I’ll pack my own snack supplies and do a better job of planning our time to ensure we get an even bigger bang for the buck.

If this is something you want to try, book now! They fill up fast for spring break!