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I love the holidays.

Don’t you?

• Cinnamon stick brooms.
• Wool blankets.
• Crackling fire.
• Flavored hot cocoa.
• Soft Christmas tree lights.
• Bing Crosby.

Family.

But with all that goodness comes a certain level of stress…Right?

You know what I’m talking about…

• Booking flights and airfare costs.
• Christmas parties.
• Christmas budgets.
• White elephant gifts.
• What to do with the crappy White Elephant gifts you’re given?
• Is Santa real, mommy?--questions from your 4 year old.
• Maintaining the focus of giving, not getting, this season.

Yes, I understand that these stressors are definitely first world problems. And no, I’m not complaining.

I’m actually suggesting taking a break from it all.

Have you ever considered a Christmas vacation?

"Get a grip," you might be saying. "How am I supposed to plan a getaway amidst all of the holiday hullabaloo?"  

Yes, I actually used the word: hullabaloo.

Take a break from all the holiday chaos and skip town. 

It's not unrealistic.  Your Christmas vacation can be simple, inexpensive, and family-friendly. 

I have the perfect recommendation.

Head to Wisconsin.

Nestled in a tiny town called Wausau, Wisconsin, a wintery family adventure awaits you.

Wausau is:

3 hours from Milwaukee

2 hours from Madison

3 hours from the Mall of America

4.5 hours from Chicago

Your easy, Christmas getaway could include all or one of the following:

a trip to Wausau, a stay at the Grand Lodge Waterpark Resort, family skiing on Rib Mountain, and a ready-made holiday dinner from Trigs Supermarket. 

Little mess, no clean up. Lots of family time. Midwest affordability. Sound like something you could get behind?

Here's a little more about the resort:

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Grand Lodge Waterpark Resort

We were fortunate to be hosted by this family resort last month, and we were blown away! We can't recommend this place enough! From the wonderful log cabin decor, to the black bears hiding in trees, and the elevator disguised as a bookshelf; it is an adventure from the moment you check in. 

Here's what we loved:

• Staff was friendly and ultra helpful!
• Water slides were a good mix of mellow and thrilling--making it fun for entire family. See for yourself! Ride this slide with our 5 yr old! (see video)
• The decor made you feel like you were escaping to a mountain chalet.
• There was story-time and complimentary movie/snacks on Fri and Sat evenings. It was precious seeing groups of children skipping merrily in pajamas through the halls on their way to movie night.  Literally, not exaggerating. 

Here's what we didn't love:

• Park towels were small, so we ended up having stacks of 3-4 towels each after swimming.
• We wish the water was a little warmer, and by "we" I mean the adults. The kids jumped right in, and didn't seem bothered one bit. The adults, on the other hand, were super grateful for the giant hot tub!
• Wifi signal was sporadic in the room, which was especially stressful when making frantic last-minute changes to one's fantasy football lineup!

Here are some tips for you:

• Buy the pizza package offered at check-in. For $20, you get a pizza, pitcher of soda, and 25 arcade tokens. It's a super deal!
• Book a room with a fireplace. After a day of swimming, the fireplace will make your room feel like a cozy cabin.

For more info about other activities to add to your Wausau vacation:

• Skiing
• Curling
• Other fun attractions

*We were not paid to write this article. Opinions of The Grand Lodge Waterpark Resort are our own.