October is a magical month for my family. It is the start of a celebratory season filled with special occasions – from birthdays to Halloween, from pumpkins and u-pick to the preparations for the brimming holidays to wrap up the year. As a family, we take a lot more day trips and staycations starting in October, and one of my son’s absolute favorite local destinations is the Great Wolf Lodge Northern California in Manteca, just outside of the East Bay. This October, Great Wolf Lodge is hosting a Howl-O-Ween celebration, and we just couldn’t pass up the chance to join in all the howlin’ good times. Let me tell ya, they did not disappoint!
I’ve always been a fan of the TV show, So You Think You Can Dance, and have even followed some of the alumni’s careers. Now, I always have a good time whenever my little one is having fun, but Great Wolf Lodge kicked it up a few notches by inviting the beloved husband and wife dancing duo Stephen “tWitch” Boss & Allison Holker (two of my favorite dancers) to their Monster Bash Dance Party last week. For the first time ever, tWitch and Allison showed off some high-energy choreographed dances that you can easily follow along to (perfect for Tiktok), and really got the party going for everyone! Although we didn’t need it, the sugar rush from the Trick-or-Treat trail after the party keep us hyped and active for the rest of the evening.
If there’s one thing that Great Wolf Lodge does really well, it’s how to expend kids’ energy in a controlled setting. You’d think that with the wet feet from the water park, arcades and interactive touchpoints everywhere, confectionary shops, as well as dance parties, they’d make the perfect mocktail for chaos, but Great Wolf Lodge proves to take great care of ensuring that everyone is kept safe and actively having fun at all times.
Great Wolf Lodge Northern California is one of the select resorts that feature a brand new Pumpkin Patch Pool Bash, where we get the opportunity to swim through a sea of floating pumpkins to find our favorite gourd, gain a one-hour early VIP water park access, and enjoy seasonal treats like cider and delicious pumpkin spice donuts while we decorate our pumpkins. The floating pumpkin patch was my son’s favorite part of our stay, and his decorated pumpkin is now proudly displayed as the centerpiece of all pumpkins on our front porch. From the howlin’ monster bash dance to decorating our fa-boo-less pumpkin picked straight from the floating patch, we just can’t get enough of the ghoulish fun at Great Wolf Lodge! 👻
