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Other stories in "Travel with kids"

• Duluth rocks!
  With a pizza train, a bike path and beaches lined with boulders, this is a kid’s kind of town.
• Scenes from the fur trade
  At re-created forts, meet the adventurers who shaped the Upper Midwest.
• Playtime in Milwaukee
  For children, this easygoing city is just the right size.
• Renting a vacation house
  If you have pets, small children or teens to feed, try making someone else's home your castle.
• The last Little House
  Laura Ingalls Wilder's home in rural Missouri was the final stop on a famously winding path.
• Wisconsin for kids
  From farm to city to beach, the state is one big playground.
• A week at the lake
  Other destinations beckon, but few can beat the classic summer vacation.
• Escape to Eagle Bluff
  A center near Lanesboro welcomes families for weekends filled with nature and good food.
• Packer country
  Like Oz, Green Bay glows green and gold.
• Gooseberries on ice
  In winter, the North Shore waterfalls turn into a big, frozen playground.
• Snow asylum
  In northeast Wisconsin, Afterglow Resort stays on top of the heap.
• Making waves
  Now that they've inspired a deluge of imitators, Wisconsin Dells' popular indoor water parks are paddling hard to stay on top.
• Going abroad in Bemidji
  At Concordia Language Villages' family weekends, parents get to join the fun.
• Madison for all ages
  Famous for collegians, Wisconsin's capital also fascinates children.
• Chicago with kids
  For curious children, this inviting city overflows with treasures.
• Baraboo's gilt complex
  In Ringlingville, the golden age of the circus never ended.
• The first American Girl
  Before Laura, before Kit, there was Caddie Woodlawn on the Wisconsin frontier.
• Break on the lake
  A week at a full-service, family-run resort is a Minnesota tradition.
• Laura land
  "Little House" fans trace Pa's meandering path, looking for echoes from the past.
• Little pageants on the prairie
  A scrappy pioneer family is brought to life each year in two towns that played a prominent role in the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
• Fun with Dick and Jane
  Want to have a good time with your children? Then go back to basics.
• Autumn on horseback
  For a treat, enjoy the fall scenery on a guided trail ride.
• Grand sand
  Along Lake Michigan, the Sleeping Bear Dunes are a giant playground for all ages.
• In Caddie and Laura's back yard
  In western Wisconsin, a loop tour explores the homeland of two real-life heroines.
• Farmers for a weekend
  At peaceful inns, guests relish the simple pleasures of country living.
• Fast times in Nisswa
  Swift turtles mix with power shoppers in a Minnesota lake-country oasis.
• Agate stampede
  Every year, Moose Lake introduces budding rockhounds to the thrill of the hunt.

Water, water, everywhere

The Dells were first, but now indoor water parks are popping up everywhere.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the Wisconsin Dells must be very, very flattered.

Indoor water parks are everywhere now and still opening. Now that many people don't have money for a spring-break trip to Florida or Mexico, they're likely to become even more popular.

Water-park hotels are busiest in spring, when people are tired of cold weather, and room rates reflect that. Look for specials on-line and travel midweek if you can; weekday rates stay low until late March, when school breaks start.

Some resorts are better than others; the quality of the water features and design of the park matter more than square footage. If you're wondering about a certain place, check on-line reviews.

The Wisconsin Dells still have the biggest and flashiest indoor parks; for a comparison of the water-park hotels there, see Making waves.

But now, there's likely to be one closer to you. Below are some to consider.

Wisconsin

In Wausau, the Grand Lodge at Stoney Creek has a 50,000-square-foot indoor water park; 800-659-2220.

On the shore of Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, Blue Harbor Resort has a 40,000-square-foot indoor water park, 866-701-2583.

The Tundra Lodge in Green Bay has a 30,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, 877-886-3725.

In Lake Geneva, the Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark at Grand Geneva includes Moose Mountain Falls, a 30,000-square-foot indoor park, 866-636-4502.

In Milwaukee, the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, a block from the beloved Milwaukee Public Museum, has a nice 20,000-square-foot water park, 877-543-7785.

In the western Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, the Country Springs Hotel includes a 45,000-square-foot water park, 800-247-6640.

Minnesota

In Alexandria, two hours west of the Twin Cities, Arrowwood Resort has a nicely designed 38,000-square-foot water park, 866-386-5263.

There are three indoor water parks in Brainerd/Baxter. The Lodge at Brainerd Lakes includes the 30,000-square-foot Paul Bunyan Water Park, 877-843-5634, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites includes the Three Bear Waterpark, 888-824-3232, and Rapid River Lodge, a Comfort Suites hotel, has a large park, 877-543-8938. All three sell day passes.

The Edgewater Resort & Waterpark in Duluth, on the shores of Lake Superior, has a 35,000-square-foot Polynesian-theme park, 800-777-7925.

The Water Park of America next to the Radisson Hotel Bloomington (and the Mall of America) in the southern Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington has a 70,000-square-foot park, 952-698-8888. For rooms, call 888-201-1718 or 952-854-8700.

At The Depot in downtown Minneapolis, Marriott has a 15,000-square-foot water park between its Depot Minneapolis, 612-375-1700, and Residence Inn hotels, 612-340-1300. Some day passes are available.

In Owatonna, less than an hour south of the Twin Cities, the Holiday Inn has a 14,000-square-foot water park called Great Serengeti. Cabela's and the Medford Outlet Mall are nearby. 888-465 4329 or 507-446-8900

Just south of Thief River Falls in northwest Minnesota, Seven Clans Casino has a pleasant 40,000-square-foot water park. 866-255-7848.

In the northern Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, the Ramada Grand Rios Indoor Water Park Hotel has a 45,000-square-foot park, 866-472-6374. The water park sells day passes, 763-566-8855.

Iowa

On the shore of the Mississippi in Dubuque, the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark is attractive and well-run, with a 25,000-square-foot indoor water park and fun activities for kids. 866-690-4006.

The Clarion Inn of the Amana Colonies includes the Wasserbahn Waterpark Resort, 800-633-9244. It sells day passes and is near a Tanger Outlet Mall.

Illinois

In the northern Chicago suburb of Gurnee, Keylime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort & Spa includes the 65,000-square-foot Lost Paradise Waterpark. 877-360-0403.

In the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, the Sheraton includes Co-Co Key Water Resort, a 65,000-square-foot indoor park. There's also a Co-Co Key Water Resort at the Clock Tower Resort in Rockford, near the Wisconsin border, and in Kansas City.

Elsewhere

In Sioux Falls, S.D., the Ramada Inn and Suites includes Buccaneer Bay, a 30,000-square-foot water park, 605-336-1020.

Great Wolf Lodge has water-park resorts in 11 locations nationwide, including Kansas City, Kan., and Traverse City, Mich.

Last updated on February 16, 2010