The Spread:

Find the best rate at the: Great Wolf Lodge, Sandusky here.

Near Cedar Point Amusement Park and Soak City, the outdoor water park, the Sandusky's Great Wolf Lodge debuted March 2001. And like its seven other sister properties in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions (plus one over the border in Niagara, Canada), it marries family-friendly rooms to an indoor, mega-water park. Probably one of the things you liked best when traveling with your parents was afternoon splashtime in the motel's pool, however humble. With the Great Wolf formula, the roadside hotel has turned into a northwoods log lodge and the pool's moved indoors ("weatherproofing the family vacation") and morphed into a monster-sized water playground. Unlike the other properties, however, Great Wolf Sandusky lacks a spa.

Why Families Love It:
Instead of drop-the-kids-off children's programs, the Great Wolf Lodges emphasize family-focused aqua action. At the 271-room Sandusky property, 34,000-square-foot Bear Track Landing lures families with three pools, nine water slides, plus a water play areas for kids. Little kids get wet at Soak'n Oak Springs, a 16-foot treehouse with mini-slides and squirting bear cubs. Float on Caribou Creek's lazy river, and climb on Fort MacKenzie, a four-level concoction with sprays and more than 50 guest-activated water effects. Get in line when the big bucket dumps 1,000 gallons of the wet stuff over the entire fort, or challenge yourself by climbing the 25-foot aqua rock wall. In warm weather there's also an outdoor pool.

Out of the water, do crafts with your kids at Cub Club, when it's not being used as a birthday party room. Two of the seven types of accommodations include adult sleeping areas, plus themed kid corners. The Wolf Den creates a rock-patterned nook, and the KidCabin offers a log-cabin area for kids. Rooms with two to three queen beds and a living area aim at multi-generational families. Get out of the water long enough to dine at Lumber Jack's Cook Shanty, adorned with bear traps and saws, or the Gitchigoomie Grill, a fishing camp-themed grill.

Special Events & Activities:
Gather the kids round the Grand Clock Tower in the ersatz log cabin lobby at 8 p.m.—pajamas preferred—for story time and an appearance by mascot Wiley the Wolf.