If you have kids, chances are you've heard of Great Wolf Lodge. With 11 locations throughout the United States, it's the largest family of indoor water park resorts. The Poconos location opened in 2005, and is a sprawling, four-story, 401-room den of family entertainment. About a two hour drive from both New York and Philadelphia, this popular resort is packed year-round. The faux log-siding, entrance carved with bears, wolves and other animals, and giant clock tower in the entrance lobby will be a big hit with kids. Even though it's staged; they really do manage to create the feeling of being in a genuine, old-fashioned lodge. It doesn't hurt that this is the Poconos.

Great Wolf Lodge is all about the kids. Most of the fun centers around the water parks; so if you or your kids aren't keen on getting wet, and staying wet for long periods of time, this is not the place for you. But for the rest of us, welcome to waterpalooza! With a 78,000 square-foot indoor water park open all year, and a giant outdoor pool area open in summer, there's water, water, and more water: 500,000 filtered gallons a day, to be exact, PH-tested every hour by hand. Given the sheer volume of wet feet traipsing through the place, it was remarkably clean during our summer stay, inside and out. Carpeting throughout the inside of the resort is forgivingly dark, as is the lighting; but even so, this place is well-maintained -- not immaculate -- but well-maintained. Wisely, both the indoor and outdoor parks are accessible only through the hotel (not from outside), so feet stay pretty clean.

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