Grand Bear Lodge--Who The Heck Designed The Water Park?
Written: Jan 06 '06 (Updated Jan 06 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: This is probably good for kids who won't mind just two slides.
Cons: A lot of money for little return.
The Bottom Line: If you can head to the Dells, go there instead.
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| Barefooter's Full Review: Grand Bear Lodge at Starved Rock |
Every year, we take a trip to the Dells and hit one of the water parks in the winter. This year, we decided to try a new water park, Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Lodge located in Utica, Illinois. Utica is a tiny town located near Starved Rock State Park and the site of a tornado that slammed through town in April of 2004.
We tried not to expect much, but it sure was difficult not to compare this water park with several that we've been to in the Dells. Grand Bear Lodge also has another lodge located in the Dells: Great Bear Lodge.
We booked our room using the 800 reservation number. With three adults and six children, we decided to book a villa instead of two rooms. When I called, I was assured that the villa could sleep 10. For $321 a night, we figured we might as well grab a little luxury for the two families and let the kids have a blast together.
The 1,800 square foot, two-story villa consisted of two bedrooms, one with a king-sized bed and a twin-sized pull-out couch. The other bedroom had two queen-sized beds. Another pull-out couch was located on the first floor. There was a tv in each room and on the main floor and a fireplace. The master bedroom also had a fireplace and a soaking tub. The tub was located in the bedroom, next to the pull-out bed. Not much fun for a couple to jump in the tub if a kid is sleeping nearby. The two bedrooms shared a bathroom that was connected to the master.
The first floor consisted of a full kitchen, complete with dishwasher, microwave, stove/oven with plenty of cabinets and counter space. All we needed was a maid and a chef and we could fully enjoy the villa's kitchen and laundry. My idea of a vacation is going to a place where I don't have to see a kitchen, but the bowls and plates sure came in handy when we ordered a pizza and had cereal the next day.
Try as we might, we simply couldn't figure out how the villa could host ten people. When I inquired at the front desk, I was told that the king-sized bed could sleep two adults and a child. Deceptive advertising, if you ask me. We tried to request better accommodations, but the front desk receptionist simply shrugged our request off. We quickly debated whether or not to involve a manager, but decided not to delay the kid's fun.
Off we went to the locker rooms to enter the water park. What a shock. The changing area consisted of just one bench. Yes, you heard me. One. Bench. For all of the ladies and the kiddos to change and put down a bag. One bench. 50 lockers in front of one bench. I wonder how the architects could design 92 hotel rooms, several villas and soon to be added, 2,800 square feet cabins and end up with a locker room that could hold about 15 people. What were they thinking?
It gets worse.
We entered the water park and quickly realized we had a problem. There were no unoccupied tables or chairs. After a few minutes, we finally snagged a single, plastic table with four plastic chairs for our party of nine. Three hundred and twenty one dollars and we end up with K-mart tables and chairs. I'd like to meet the knuckleheads who designed this place. The next day was no better. The only table we could snag was next to the first aid station and sitting in an inch of water.
The water park consists of a wave pool, lazy river, toddler area, and a splash station that dumps buckets of water at regular intervals. The light and sound water slides consist of four selections of music and lights that one can select before going down the slide. There are just two slides, one body slide and one inner-tube slide (single or double riders). If one compares this to Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells, the water park comes up woefully short. The lazy river is quite small, and one zips around so fast that it seems incredibly short.
The Wave Snack Shop is small, but serves the usual pool-side fare (hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, pretzels, nachos, etc.). The kids enjoyed Dipping Dots ice cream and the hubby and I split a margarita. Nothing exciting, just the run-of-the-mill fare.
We ordered pizza from Jack's Place, a steakhouse connected to the main lodge. We ordered two large pizzas for $19.99 and they were rather tasty. The rest of the menu consists of elegant fare, averaging $10 to $24 per entree.
Grand Bear Lodge plans to add an outdoor pool in the summer. Other outdoor activities include Grand Bear Island, a playground with a fire pit for story time and a waterfall. Bean Bag tournaments are held in this area. An 18-hole miniature golf course is also located here.
So I guess this review boils down to the ultimate question, would we go back?
I honestly don't think so. Perhaps we've been spoiled by Wisconsin Dells and the variety of water parks there. Perhaps it is just simply the lack of exciting features to keep the kids going for hours. After all, how many times can you go down two water slides?
Recommended:
No
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Barefooter
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Member: Karen
Location: Chicago area
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