Chris and I spend 8 months of the year coming and going in the opposite direction of each other. Except for the months of December, June, July and a few weeks in August Chris works an extended hour day. During his club's "soccer season" he works in the office until 4 and then is on the field training until dark, sometimes later if the field has lights. On weekends there are the games and because Chris coaches two teams that means both Saturdays and Sundays are work days. The good news here is that unless he's traveling to an away game he's usually home by 6 or 7. So when summer comes along and he doesn't have to train we try to make the most of our time together. I had been seeing commercials for a resort that caters to families. A resort with a HUGE indoor waterpark. Liam loves the water and I love a nice hotel so it seemed like a good fit. I did some research online to be sure and found that in the waterpark there is a kiddie pool, a wave pool and tons of waterslides and rides that only require children under 42 inches be accompanied by an adult. Outside the waterpark, there is a family style restaurant, that doesn't frown upon noisy children and at 8:00pm there is a huge puppet show in the lobby followed by story time. I was hooked. After a few weeks of following Chris around blathering on about how fun it will be for all of us he finally handed over the credit card. Twenty minutes later we were 250 dollars poorer. Granted we were only staying for one night but our passes to the waterpark are included! Can you really put a price on being together?
So Tuesday morning we jump in car and head to Charlotte. We arrived around 1pm and were able to check in right away. We all put our suits on and headed for the waterpark. We walked through the huge glass doors into the massive 84 degree complex and Liam's eyes grew wide. We thought we would first get our feet wet with the wave pond. It was nice but it was a little boring after a while. Plus when a wave knocks you down you don't have a soft sandy landing, its concrete.
Next we moved to the kiddie area. A zero depth entry pool that's max depth is a foot and a half. In the center of it all there is a jungle gym, of sorts, with lots of hoses and overhead buckets on pulley systems splashing and dumping water on you. Off the center and side of the gym deck there are two small waterslides. We brought Liam in and headed straight for the jungle gym/slide structure. We had put a life vest on him for safety's sake and though he wasn't pleased about it he didn't have his water legs and acted like a weeble unable to stay upright in waist deep . I carry Liam up the three steps to the top of the slide platform and then we get situated to slide down. A split second later its over and Liam has absolutely no reaction, which, it seems, is a reaction in itself. We are making the trek back over to the steps when I'm greeted at the stairs by a lifeguard who smiles politely and informs me that adults are not permitted to go down the slides. No problem. There are two of us so I sit at the top of the slide and Chris waits less than 2 feet away at the bottom. This is only necessary because the slide ends underwater and Liam will inevitably go face first into the water. Next we advance to the twisty slide this one is a bit longer, curves around and has more water rushing down it. Our first try Liam flopped over onto his side and kind of went down on his face, but it didn't really seem to bother him. We got it right, eventually, and he was squealing with excitement in no time.
But soon, as happens, Liam grew tired of the kiddie pool so we decided to head over to "Fort Mackenzie." At the base of the huge four story play structure we noted the "rules" and as the sign said children must be 42 inches OR accompanied by an adult. The twin waterslides at the top were one of two reasons we came. A four story waterslide! I think I was excited enough for the both of us. As you wind your way to the top you cross over suspension bridges and pass by cargo nets loaded with spray stations and soaker buckets. We got totally soaked just making our way to the top. We waited patiently in line for the slides and finally it was our turn. There was an orange slide and a green one, I asked the attendant if they were both the same and after being told the orange one was a bit slower, Liam and I opted for the orange and pointed daddy to the green. I get myself situated and go to pull Liam into my lap and the attendant says: "Oh, you cant go down WITH him, lap riding isn't allowed anywhere in the park..."
What do you mean I cant go down with him? I thought children under 42 inches must be accompanied by an adult! "...But he can go down by himself"
Are you nuts? He's a year and a half old and you want me to send him down a four story gushing waterslide, by himself? HOW is that safer than him sitting in my lap so that I can keep him from banging his head or going under at the bottom? Tell me. Please.
Why I didn't argue with him or put up ANY kind of fuss I have no idea. Chris and I just looked at each other frowning and shrugged our shoulders. I send Liam and daddy back down through fort Mackenzie so I can take the slide down. What? Just because Liam can't have any fun, I should be miserable too? Besides, I needed to see how crazy the suggestion to let him ride it alone really was. And it was pretty crazy. The slide wast too fast for Liam to go it alone, for sure. I reach the bottom, find my boys and look around for our next adventure.
At this point we are realizing that there isn't going to be much we can do with Liam. All four of the big slides are out as well as the River Run, a ride where a family climbs into a river raft and rides together down a water run. So essentially we came to a water park to play in the kiddie pool. great.
After a few hours indoors we were getting chilly. I know, Iknow. But in my defense Chris was skeptical of the claim that they keep it 84 degrees. I was shivering. So we ventured to the outdoor pool to warm up. And look, there is a bar! with a TV! A TV with soccer on! Everybody wins.
I order myself a plastic bottle of beer while Chris fixes himself in front of the TV. We spent the rest of the afternoon out at the pool and headed back to the room to get cleaned up when our stomachs reminded us it was dinner time.
The lobby restaurant was yet another huge disappointment. I ordered the half rack of ribs and had hard time getting the meat from the bone with a fork and knife. Chris ordered the cheeseburger which was overcooked and Liam wasn't at all interested in the mac and cheese- this being a first.
After dropping 40 bucks for the meal we grabbed our cocktails to go and hit the lobby for the evening puppet show. We got there a few minutes early to scope out our seats but by the time the show started Liam was passed out. He slept straight through the whole thing and didn't wake up until I gently laid him in the pack 'n play back in our room.
All in all the mini vacation was a bust. The room was nice, and the bed was super comfy but you don't spend much time in your room, at least not when you're vacationing with your toddler. So if you've got an extra three or four hundred bucks just laying around then fine, but if not wait until your child reaches 42 inches before going. I fired off a letter to the management team but I doubt anything will come of it... Of course if we got a free night out of it, I'd go back just for the pool bar.... I'm just sayin.
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