Kids are allowed, but accessing the restaurant from the water park requires a walk through the main casino floor. The only on-site option other than the basic Buffy’s restaurant off the lobby is Flatwater Bar & Grill, which has a bigger menu and is more of a sit-down restaurant. When it was time for dinner, we asked for advice from the front desk. It’s the main thing I remember when I think back to the experience. There’s an adult-only casino on the second level of the addition that has windows overlooking the water park, and the windows must not be completely sealed because the water park smells pretty strongly of cigarette smoke. I even saw one dive in after a kid who was struggling at the obstacle course. And the water park was more-than-adequately staffed with young lifeguards, who were carefully watching everything going on. After a couple of hours, the kids were done, and they didn’t’ beg to stay and stay and stay. I also kind of liked the smallness of the place. The big water parks, after years of use by big crowds, seem to develop an impossible-to-remove film of body grime over all the toys and pool walls. Mainly, I loved that because it’s all still so new, it’s all still so clean. There were several things I liked about the park. The teens spent a good hour giggling their way across - and tearing up the skin on their hands hanging on to the rope. Rope netting is hanging above, and you have to hold on if you want to make it across without falling in. The older kids, though, had the most fun on the obstacle course, which includes a a big floating alligator, tree branch and starfish that are loosely anchored to the bottom of the pool.

There’s also a snack bar in the lobby called The Bear’s Brewing Den, which serves coffee drinks, pastries and breakfast sandwiches, as well as a restaurant called Buffy’s that serves basic salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes for lunch and dinner. On the way down, we inspected the hotel, which includes a bright and airy lobby and a small arcade with air hockey, Pop-A-Shot and several video games. The older kids, having giving the water park a precursory viewing, announced they were not impressed and took their time coming down. each day, and the younger kids were eager to get their suits on and get in. The room also had two television sets designed to let guests easily sign into their own Netflix accounts as well as free Wi-Fi.

We checked in and rushed to check out our room, a “bunk suite” that included a queen bed, a small sofa and coffee table, and a cozy alcove that had two sets of bunk beds. Our group arrived on Easter Sunday night and included a 3-year-old, an 8-year-old, a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old.

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