Go for a Fun Filled Family Stay-Cation at Hope Lake Lodge

Fun-filled Family Stay-cation at Hope Lake Lodge in New York's Finger Lakes region.

By Elle M. Kay

Quality family time is very important to my husband and me. While busy schedules often have us running in a million directions, we try to make sure to plan vacations that are not so structured, allowing for new adventures to experience together. With two children – 5 and 6 – we're discovering that hitting the open road isn't nearly as challenging as it used to be.

One of our favorite family destinations is actually very close to home, yet when we go there, it feels like we are on vacation 1,000 miles away! The bonus to us is that we save money too. I've figured out how to have fun with a certain "f-word” that many of my mommy-friends despise: FRUGAL.

Planning a "stay-cation” at a four-star resort probably doesn't sound all that frugal at first, but to me – it's more than a bargain. At Hope Lake Lodge and Cascades Indoor Waterpark in Cortland, NY we enjoyed Adirondack luxury accommodations, personalized service, extreme water fun and delicious meals all under one roof! No airfare, no parking fees and no tired children frustrated by a day-long journey.

Nestled in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the brand new hotel and indoor waterpark is the recent addition to a 50-year winter tradition in this part of the world. Greek Peak Mountain Resort has been known to many snow enthusiasts as a great place to learn to ski. Skiers, snowboarders and their families have been traveling here for decades to enjoy the winter months. Now, with the addition of Hope Lake Lodge, families can enjoy the resort all year round.

We arrived at the hotel just a bit after 12 o'clock in the afternoon knowing that while our room might not be ready just yet – our tickets to the waterpark were! What better way to start the adventure than to head straight into 80-degree weather and a giant wave pool! The kids were thrilled to say the least. I was instantly impressed with the safety measures in place.

The size of the waterpark put my mind at ease. While my children are doing well with swimming, it was nice to be in an area large enough for them to have countless hours of fun, but small enough that I could keep my eye on them when they wanted to exercise their well deserved independence.

While my children enjoyed tubing in the wave pool, sliding down the various level slides and experiencing the fun of the indoor / outdoor swimming pool, I was quite excited to be able to enjoy a few quiet moments in the indoor / outdoor hot tub. This was something I had heard about and was looking forward to almost as much as the spa treatment I had planned (yes, there's a spa at the resort too!).

When the little ones were hungry, food was only steps away. The Edgewater Café is situated just as you enter the waterpark, but set up a level above the actual swimming and sliding area. Kids and adults alike can choose from a wide variety of menu options. Dad even had a cold beer.

After only being in the waterpark for an hour, I called the front desk to see if by chance our room was ready early. Sure enough, they far exceeded my expectations, and while the kids were playing with Dad in the pool, I had the chance to take our luggage up to our room.

Calling it a "room” just doesn't do it justice! When I turned the key and walked through the threshold, I was thrilled instantly! The full kitchen was beautifully crafted and I thought that I could still smell the scent of fresh pine that trimmed the entire living area. A long dining table looked perfect for our eat-in meals (there's that f-word again!).

The kids' bedroom area had two queen beds and a full bath while our room on the opposite side had a comfy bed with the best comforter and pillows I'd slept on in ages. We had our own bathroom as well and all three rooms had flat screen TV's. No amount of hospitality was spared in this design that's for sure. I did hear, however that the entire hotel was LEED-certified which means that every effort was also taken to be sure that when built, this destination was a "green” construction.

I embraced my few moments of comfortable silence and then phoned my husband to let him know I'd be back down shortly. I knew that when the kids would soon see the room they would be instantly excited about our "home away from home”. It really felt just like that – without the laundry!