Kalahari–Our Favorite Family Getaway
You may have seen a few of our Kalahari Instagrams or Facebook posts throughout the month of September. If not, head over and scroll through to check them out. We were so blessed to have the chance to head to Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky twice in one month!
Disclosure: We had these two trips planned for a long time, and go to Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky at least once or twice a year.The resort was fabulous and generous in providing our family with two services to try – the KidSpa for the girls and Flow Rider lessons for the big kids. No other compensation was given, and I’d planned to share about our trip anyway because we adore Kalahari. All opinions, thoughts, experiences, and photos are my own. You can view my full disclosure policy here.
The first time was with a group of local homeschoolers on our annual Not Back to School after Labor Day trip. A big group of us have headed there for the past few years and are completely spoiled since most people are back in school and we have the place pretty much to ourselves.
Seriously, if you homeschool, and are looking for a fun and inexpensive getaway, head to the indoor waterpark in the middle of the week. There are really short lines, and the kids can pretty much have the run of the place. The arcade isn’t crowded, it’s quick and easy to take advantage of the food stands, and the gift shops are empty.
A family can get totally spoiled and begin to think that the lifeguards are there for them alone.
For our second trip in two weeks, we tagged along with Brian for a professional development conference he needed to attend. Kalahari Resorts has an amazing conference center, and it’s fabulous because the whole family was able to go into the waterpark while he attended meetings and he joined us when he was finished.
The biggest downside was that his conference was on a Friday and Saturday and the lines were a bit longer. When you homeschool, you get picky about things like lines. I don’t know about you, but I avoid the hustle and bustle of weekends at popular recreation destinations when I can. I take the kids to zoos and parks during the week, and we stay home on the weekends.
Typically, we arrive at Kalahari around noon and can usually {though it’s not guaranteed} get into our room right away, and we head up to unpack. Because we are a large family, we tend to book a room with a kitchen. It’s only a little more expensive, but saves us a ton in food costs since we can make our own breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The rooms are awesome, and this time we had a view of the wild animal park in the center of the complex. {Closed along with the outdoor waterpark for the season.}
Once we head into the waterpark, we park near a group of tables, and stay there until the waterpark closes for the night – I want my kids nice and tired.
This time, however, the girls were going to get pampered before we headed toward the slides. Molly and Logan each experienced their first ever pedicures in Spa Kalahari Junior. And Molly, who definitely takes after her godmother, sighed in pleasure and informed me, “I could get used to this,” as her pedicurist massaged her feet before painting them a sparkly, confetti-coated purple.
Trevor, who recently discovered his courage and fell in love with Kalahari’s Flow Rider, an indoor wave for boogie boarding and surfing, was so excited to hear that we were going to get the flow rider to ourselves so he could have a private lesson. One of the things he really struggles with is his perfectionism, and it can be paralyzing. In many cases he won’t try something new because he’s afraid he’ll fail publically. Can you relate? I know this is a common gifted trait.
This was an incredible blessing, and since the wave can be so tiring, Molly was able to trade off with him so they could each rest in between. The kids had an amazing time with two fabulous instructors, and passed out in our hotel room almost as soon as we got back.
In fact, the private Flow Rider lessons were probably the best thing we’ve ever done at Kalahari in all of the times we’ve been there. If you ever have a chance to go, I highly recommend checking with the front desk for current prices, and booking your own 1/2 hour or hour lesson. We will be paying for uninterrupted Flow Rider time with friends in the future – it was SO worth it.
Honestly, you can’t beat Kalahari Resorts for an affordable family getaway, especially if you live close enough to drive and can take advantage of the lack of crowds during a school week.
We will be back – many, many more times.
What are some of your favorite ways to sneak in little family mini-vacations and take advantage of having your kids home with you instead of only off during peak times? Where do you like to take your kids during school week-days?