Great Wolf Lodge - Williamsburg, VA

Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg is a newbie on the list of hot vacation spots in Virginia, but this resort's year-round appeal is sure to keep your family entertained . . . and wet!

Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg is actually located just a bit north of historic Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que, which makes a great place for lunch while waiting to check into your room at the resort.

The fantastic indoor water park is Virginia's first indoor waterpark and one of several developed across the country by Great Wolf Lodge's parent company. Most of the parks are located in the north and Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg is one of the companies new forays into the south.

The obvious question about an indoor water park in Williamsburg is "Why would I want to do that?" That's the same question I asked myself, with Water Country just a few miles away and Virginia Beach a short drive down the interstate, how can an indoor water park have much to offer?

Answer: one of the most fantastic family oriented hotels in the Williamsburg area!

The lodge at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg is the part of the vacation that makes it so spectacular. The lodge offers several different room packages that include variations for kids bunks and suites. Most of the rooms have game stations for the tv's to keep your kids happy after the water park closes.

The water park itself is not as thrilling as Water Country. The water park at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg is designed more for younger children than the slash and burn rides of Water Country. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to entertain your entire family but you will feel much safer having your children at the Great Wolf Lodge waterpark if they aren't great swimmers.

The lodge is open year round and will probably be packed in summer as well because it's air conditioned! There are also tons of people out there who just can't take the sun and want to experience water park fun.

If you are planning a trip to the Williamsburg, VA area, you might consider using Great Wolf Lodge as the base of operations for your family. If you are going to visit the great theme parks in Williamsburg and get a hotel, why not get a hotel with a theme park in it? Makes perfect sense to me!

If you go, be sure to take advantage of the underwater camera deal they have going. Great Wolf Lodge will give you an underwater digital camera for free to use at the park. Before you leave, you take the camera to the gift shop and they will burn a really cool CD of your pictures from your fantastic Virginia vacation.

Don't forget those neoprene pool shoes before you go, they can help save some skinned knees on the trip. You can leave the sunscreen in the room.

Memorial Day - Virginia Beach, VA

Virginia Beach is the hot spot for memorial day vacations in Virginia. The Virginia Beach locals know that memorial day marks the end of their quiet winter respite from the tourist filled beaches of the Hampton Roads summer.

Just a couple of quick tips for your memorial day in Virginia Beach:

• Memorial Day Weekend starts off the fireworks season in Virginia Beach, fireworks can be seen from anywhere on the beach around 9:00 on weekend nights
• Consider taking the Monitor Merrimac Tunnel to the beach to avoid the traffic at the Hampton Roads tunnel, the drive is only a few miles longer, but might save a ton of time
• Memorial Day Weekend marks the start of full time lifeguards at all city beaches
• Visitors from Quebec can get a $50 gas voucher, click here for more info
• For the golfers, Jack Nicklaus has just opened a fantastic new golf course in Cape Charles, VA, just a short drive from Virginia Beach

Drive safely!