Some of my fondest childhood memories involve recreational trips to Mason, Ohio though to this day, I couldn’t tell you a thing about the city itself. To me, that area, which is a short drive northeast of Cincinnati, is and always has been the home of Kings Island amusement park and while Kings Island continues to thrive today, it is no longer the only major attraction in Mason. The Great Wolf Lodge, which sits adjacent to Kings Island just off Kings Island Drive, opened its doors, and flood gates, for that matter, in 2006.

     In case you haven’t heard of it, the combination resort and indoor water park is one of 12 Great Wolf locations scattered across the country. This particular facility boasts 401 all-suite guest rooms with 12 different configurations. During my family’s recent visit there, we stayed comfortably in the Wolf Den Suite where the kids had their own sectioned-off sleeping area, complete with a bunk bed and video game console.
 
     But we didn’t drive to Mason just to play video games, although I will say the Great Wolf Lodge also has an impressive video game arcade. The focus of our stay was to experience the facility’s water park and after a continuous seven-hour sampling one afternoon, I’d say our mission was accomplished. The resort’s 93,000-square-foot Bear Track Landing entertainment area features a 79,000-square-square foot indoor water park. Guests of all ages can enjoy a lazy river, an interactive tree house water fort, a variety of water slides, a wave pool or one of many easy-to-find land-based chairs.

Tip No. 1 – The water slides are outstanding but accessible via stairs so pace yourself or suffer a potentially sore hammy as a result.  Additionally, nearly all of the slides require the use of an inner tube or raft and in most cases, you’ll have to carry them all the way up. Sound easy? Try doing so multiple times over a period of seven hours!
Tip No. 2 – Take only your absolute necessities to the water area and leave everything else in your room. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself wanting to continuously move your articles from location to location as family members elect to focus on different parts of the entertainment area at different times. Besides, you can always go back up to your room if you really need something.
Tip No. 3 – When you find a table or collection of chairs in an area that you really like, make that spot your “base” if at all possible. Once you pick your things up and move on, someone else will swoop in and lay claim and when the park is really busy, finding anything more than an isolated chair here or there can be a challenge.

     Yes, a snack shop with burgers, hotdogs and pizza can be found in the water park area and the Great Wolf Lodge also offers other dining options on property.

     One other note, there is a walking path that leads Great Wolf Lodge guests directly to the Kings Island parking lot. Yes, you can walk from the lodge to the park’s admission gate but be warned, the trek is a little more than just a hop, skip and a jump. The option is very convenient but somewhat tiring so be sure to wear a pair of comfortable shoes if you plan to navigate between Mason, Ohio’s two major attractions by foot.

     There are other Great Wolf Lodge locations – anybody been to one?