Part of the Pack - Great Wolf Lodge and a little bit of Niagara Falls

MBG 2022 Places Ontario Series - Jul 23-24, 2022

The pack howled, and we answered. To the lair of the wolves, we go, not to hunt but to play. Lovely weekend trip to the great lodge of the wolves and a whole lot of splashing from the raging strength of Niagara Falls.

The Drive.

Driving to Niagara was no scenic trip, not all long drive gives you marvelous nature display but is nevertheless worth 2 hours of your time - with good music, chips, zzz's, and a soft plushie squeezed in your arms. No one dared complains about that.

Day 1

A little bit of Niagara Falls.

Before marching into the wolf's den, we took a detour to Cliffton Hills at Niagara Park. We indulge ourselves once more in the magnificence of Niagara Falls. We took a boat cruise getting closer and closer to the raging beauty above us. We left soaked and satisfied.

We found our way back to Cliffton Hill where we hunted for lunch - a full rack of ribs oozing with barbeque glaze, burger, and chicken fingers. A glass of lady drink, beer, and Coke for Biw. We wanted to do more before leaving for our hotel, the entertainment area warrants extra time but we didn't have the luxury to delay and so we left, promising to return for the night.

To the Place of Magi, Treasure Chests, and the Wolves.

Leaving the ever-dazzling Cliffton Hills for an equally stunning haven just 10 minutes down the road was Great Wolf Lodge. The exterior facade screams a lake-side cabin feel with all faux wood design of maple brown decorated with  Canada's signature "Muskoka chairs" and statuette of animals popping out here and there.

The grand living boasts a party of shows, dance, and giggles. The whole place screams vacation wherever you look. A litter of little cubs with cute little fox ears (comes with a paw pass), happy faces, beaming moms and dads, oh the fun and excitement in the air!

Impressed we were right there and then and the judgment will be passed after we see the rooms. We arrived earlier to enjoy the waterpark and the rooms will only be available at 4 in the afternoon.  reserved my judgment but the initial score was already beaming grandly.

The Indoor Waterpark

Getting a room at Great Wolf Lodge is not wallet-friendly, an overnight stay in a Family Suite amounted to $578, the deal? - the hotel stay pays for a 2-day splash at the waterpark - an attraction we really crave to beat the summer heat.

The waterpark is big in everything structured in it, the space, albeit small was efficiently utilized for every water adventure one might fancy. From the slides, splash area, and lazy river - Gabby had too much fun that it was hard to pull her out from the water. She left the waterpark with wrinkled skin, pale-colored lips, and happiness. Exhaustion was a stranger to her, adventure was a friend, and having fun was the best friend.

Mama and Papa had enough fun plunging  and decided to have drinks and cheers by the outdoor pool. I had the best Moscow Mule and Marlon got a not-so-impressive Margarita.

The day ended with me trying out the Niagara Rapids with Papa and Biw. I vowed never to try that again. 

Access to our rooms was granted, I excitedly stroll the long hallway of talking wall paintings and curious treasure chests. The Family suite did not hold a candle at all to the grandeur of the exterior facade and the grand lobby. The room and furnishing look old, odd, and unsavory. For a $600 stay, the room didn't worth much.

Nighttime came with a promise of returning to Cliffton Hill. We had midnight golf, we could have our adrenaline-bursting moment at the midway but decided a single game is enough to turn in for the day.

Day 2: Back splashing and Paw Pass

The first thing the very next day was spent collecting stamps for the Paw Pass. We started by exchanging the pass for complimentary wolf ears to parade the property with. 

The second quest was exchanging the pass for a magic wand that ultimately turned Gabby into a wizard for a day. The Magi Quest involves walking the property’s every nook and cranny, stopping at every curiosity that reacts to every wave of the wand. It is like a treasure hunt with a touch of magic. Gabby managed to complete 3 out of the many laid challenges. 

The Magi Quest got us starving for breakfast. Instead of trying out the restaurants in the hotel, we drove to Niagara and grabbed a bowl of Pho, a plate of Vietnamese pork chop, and coffee. We head back to the hotel to complete the remaining activities on the pass.

The arcade was done next, the stuffing followed and the activity center and the bowling were done last. The paw pass served enjoyment for half the day and Gabby excitedly changed to her swimming clothes and rushed back to the waterpark.

Mama and Papa decided to spend the rest of the afternoon sipping Moscow Mule and Pina Colada. This pleased us greatly and as soon as Biw was satisfied, we packed and headed to Mazy, leaving the great wolf lodge and the many memories of fun our 2-day stay had.

The Experience Overall.

If we came looking to relax in our expensive suite, the experience will be as bad as the dented mattresses on the two queen-sized beds in our rather ancient-looking suite.

But we came in search of fun and fun we did have, from the busy grand living room, activities aplenty for the kids, and mostly the thrill at the water park. We had an overall awesome weekend - and Gabby begged to come back again next time.

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