A model of the Escape Van (though this one is in somewhat better shape) |
WaKeeney, KS to Kansas City, KS
Note: I feel like this
entry is a little boring. But maybe that’s fitting for Kansas.
As if we didn’t spend enough time driving across Kansas last
night, today it was here to torment us again.
We eventually got to the children’s museum in Topeka (another children’s
museum! The kids couldn’t believe their
luck) which provided a good diversion for a couple of hours. Then it was on to Kansas City, a destination
the kids have been awaiting with great anticipation.
The museum had this cool glass room and let the kids paint on the walls. It was a very popular attraction. |
The water park was a lot of fun. There were five big slides – some of them
began and ended in the indoor water park, but went outside in between. There was a four-story “tree house” filled
with climbing structures and lots of water features. (Every few minutes a huge bucket on the top
tipped and dropped 1000 gallons of water to the floor below – that is a lot of water. Unlike the kids, I wouldn’t stand under it.) There was a “lazy river” tubing float ride, a
few pools, some small kids’ slides, and various other water-based activities.
This is what 1000 gallons of water looks like |
Lanie was thrilled because she was able to go on almost
everything, despite her age. She has no
fear of anything water-related, which is both a blessing and a curse. (Luckily, she has no objection to wearing a
life vest all day, which helps our stress level.)
For dinner we walked across the street to “Famous Dave’s
Barbeque”, where, hungry from climbing all those water slide stairs, we
proceeded to order way too much food.
Barbecue leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!
Our camera has developed this issue where the lens cover doesn't open all the way. Therefore, about half the pictures we take end up looking like this. |
From Bob:
One of the drawbacks to three or four Disney vacations is
that every trip you take tends to have mouse ears stamped on it. You’ve already heard us mention Disneyesque a
few times in relation to places with natural wonders that seemed too perfect to
be natural.
This
place, the Great Wolf Lodge, does not exactly fall into that category. It is the least natural place imaginable; but
it is a wonder, and very Disneyesque. It falls on the calculated, orchestrated,
fabricated side of the mouse ears, very well done, in its way, but not a bit
subtle.
They pack
a theme park into this hotel (www.greatwolf.com/). They have their own lineup of cartoon
characters who show up in the grand lobby and are on signs all over the
hotel. There are restaurants, themed
hallways, and, of course, the water slides.
It’s pretty decadent, but it also meshes nicely with the way our trip is
going. We can’t live by peanut butter, national parks alone, and wholesome
family resorts alone. I’ll admit that I’ve
even purchased a few loaves of white bread on this trip – and not the crusty
French or Italian kind, either. But
there are no regrets.
If
this, and the Discovery Center, are the memories that the kids bring home of
Kansas, don’t be surprised if one or three of them wind up settling in Kansas
City. Or Topeka.
No comments:
Post a Comment