Playing Hooky at Great Wolf Lodge

Friday and Saturday were the big reward.

Way back in May, when we discussed the 100 book challenge for the summer, my husband and I decided to let the boys choose their final reward. The words that immediately escaped their mouths: Great Wolf Lodge.

The Great Wolf Lodge money suck idea was stuck in their heads from our first trip there in February. There's lots to love about the indoor waterpark in Williamsburg. First, it's a water park that's always 84 degrees inside. The kids hop from the massive waterlogged jungle gym to the wave pool to the obstacle course to the slides. Little ones only need to be 42 inches tall to go on the waterslides -- unlike Montgomery County waterparks at MLK pool and Gaithersburg, where the height requirement is 48 inches. And both can't get enough of MagiQuest, a game inside the massive hotel in which the kids use a light-sensored magic wand to find things, get runes and eventually go on adventures to fight a dragon and an ogre. Note: If you go, basic wands cost $15 and the game is another $10. Games hold over from trip to trip.

Fun, yes. Expensive. You bet.

Now, in general, we have a family policy around here: The kids don't miss school without a really good reason. But a look at prices for GWL left a lot to be desired. We'd pay a good $50 more if we went on a Montgomery County teacher workday rather than Friday's half day. And so, with a slight bit of guilt, we sent notes to the teachers that the boys would miss school on Friday and went off to the Lodge with another family who'd done the book challenge along with us.

Needless to say, ALL the kids had a fabulous time. The park experience when it was not crowded was so much more relaxing than the President's Day weekend lines for everything last year. The dragon succumbed to boy power multiple times. Pumpkin Pie befriended other children, teaching them how to slay the dragon as well. Nipper (the 5-yr-old) needed some parental help; but he, too, slayed the dragon. A note to any parent who attempts this feat: The dragon sensor is in a skull on the floor, so raise your little ones up high to point their wand in the right place.

Other Great Wolf Lodge lessons from two trips to the water park: Bring food, lots and lots of food. Everything, and I do mean everything, is way overpriced. A small container of milk cost $2.50! Plan to eat your main meals outside of the lodge. While Jungle Jim's Eatery right across the parking lot seems convenient and the decor is kid-friendly, the breakfast foods were mediocre at best. I'd recommend you head elsewhere. But for a fabulous meal and good service a short drive away, try Food for Thought, one of the independent places around town. Meanwhile, good friend Kristy, who's family has spent some time over the years in Williamsburg, recommends Pierce's barbecue just down the street. Leave yourself plenty of time for that place, though, or go at an off time. It was so jam packed at Saturday night dinner, that we gave up and ate elsewhere on the road home.