Family-Friendly Travel Tips: Mobile!

There's no need to book a plane ticket if the whole family is longing to splash in the water in the middle of winter. These 10 indoor water parks stay warm all year round, and have everything from lazy rivers to a 10-story-tall waterslide. SEE THE PARKS! Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound, WashingtonAmerica's largest family of indoor water park hotels, Great Wolf has 12 lodges to its name. Its only West Coast location is in Grand Mound and draws much of its attendance from nearby Seattle. Those looking for thrills either head to the Howlin' Tornado, a raft ride that swirls riders up its funneled 30-foot sides, or the River Canyon Run, where a round raft drops six stories through a chute, sailing over 500 feet of water in all. There's also Fort Mackenzie, a four-story tree house loaded with suspension bridges, cargo nets, and full buckets to keep climbers soaked. 20500 Old Highway 99 SW, Centralia, WA, 800/640-9653, greatwolf.com. Park access for resort guests only; rooms from $199 (includes water park tickets and sleeps four).Short drive from Tacoma (55 miles), Seattle (84 miles). Wilderness Territory Waterpark Resort, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Four distinct parks make up this massive 600-acre resort, which stays a balmy 88 degrees regardless of the temperature outside. It may take several seasons to experience all of the rides here, but the park's tour de force is the Hurricane—a family raft ride that drops 58 feet then spins into a funnel that mimics a hurricane in enough detail (lightning and fog machine alert!) to be as terrifying as it is fun. Kids and adults alike attest that filling up the kiddie pool with "Bumper Boats" was a sheer stroke of genius, and a word to the wise: The Great Wave—a 15,450-square-foot wave pool that pits swimmers against five-foot swells—is addictive. 511 E. Adams St., Wisconsin Dells, WI, 800/867-9453, wildernessresort.com. Park access for resort guests only; doubles from $99. Short drive from Madison, Wis. (55 miles). Splash Lagoon, Erie, Pennsylvania The first water park in the U.S. opened in 1989, and 13 years later Pennsylvania finally caught on onto the trend with Splash Lagoon. It may have taken a while, but as this park proves—some things are worth waiting for. The Tiki Treehouse is right at the top of the park's greatest hit list—half fortress, half obstacle course, the attraction is a favorite among kids who love the bridges, slides and the huge bucket of water that periodically deluges unsuspecting guests. Of course, waterslides feature prominently here and the two standouts are: Shark Attack, a furiously fast body slide that twists and turns outside the building; and the Black Hole, a tunnel slide that leaves you in the dark until the very end. 8091 Peach St., Erie, PA, 866/377-5274, splashlagoon.com. Day passes from $40. Short drive from Cleveland (102 miles), Buffalo (96 miles), Pittsburgh (128 miles). Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, Boyne Falls, Michigan In Michigan's northwestern region, Boyne is best known as a ski escape. But the area is also home to the 88,000-square-foot Avalanche Bay, where skiers often thaw out in the 84-degree temperatures. Adventure-seekers should head to the South Wall, a 25-foot-high climbing wall that pours H2O on daredevils attempting to summit. Those keen to stay on the ground should listen for the Splasherhorn's rumblings—the four-story play structure dumps 800 gallons of water on passers-by throughout the day. The park is also home to Michigan's only surf simulator, the Rip Zone, where guests can try either stand-up surfing or boogie boarding. 1 Boyne Mountain Rd., Boyne Falls, MI, 800/462-6963, avalanchebay.com. Day passes from $22. Short drive from Traverse City , Mich.(58 miles), Grand Rapids (169 miles). Kalahari Resort, Sandusky, Ohio The African-themed Kalahari is an expansive 173,000 square feet (it's the largest water park under one roof in the U.S.) and features a spectrum of thrill rides, from the 55-foot-tall Cheetah Race waterslide to the speedy, 400-foot-long Rippling Rhino tube ride. But a must-do is the 500-foot-long Zip Coaster: Utilizing a conveyor belt system, it launches two-person rafts into a series of free-fall drops, on-a-dime turns, and tunnels, all in a 30-second blur. 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky, OH, 877/525-2427, kalahariresorts.com. Day passes from $39. Short drive from Toledo (60 miles), Cleveland (62 miles). Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Indoor Waterpark, Galveston, Texas Meet the chain that invented the lazy river—a concept so popular that it's now practically a requirement at any water park worth its salt. The latest outpost from Schlitterbahn—a family-owned operation with four parks in the U.S.—has put a twist on the concept by adding waves to a river that is nearly a quarter-mile long (called Torrent River, this splashy adventure is anything but lazy). The company has another first under its belt with this Galveston Island park, too; it's the first "convertible" water park in the world, which means that it can convert from indoor to outdoor, depending on the weather. Of the dozen indoor attractions at the 26-acre park, the steep, 60-foot-high Rohr! is a favorite, where riders break speeds of 30 mph while whooshing down a 244-foot-long body slide. 2026 Lockheed St., Galveston, TX, 409/770-9283, schlitterbahn.com. Day passes from $26. Short drive from Houston (50 miles), Austin (215 miles). Water Park of America, Bloomington, Minnesota This 70,000-square-foot water park is right next to the gargantuan Mall of America, refreshing tired shoppers with more than 300,000 gallons of water daily. The park's signature is a 10-story-tall tower waterslide for raft riders that drops and curves for more than a mile (the enclosed-tube ride is so long that it even takes a loop outside the building!). No water park would be complete without a surf simulator, and the Water Park of America delivers with a wave-maker that moves water between 25 to 30 mph. For younger children there are three body-slides and activity pools. After drying off, kids can hit the huge arcade with more than 100 games. 1700 American Blvd. East, Bloomington, MN, 952/ 698-8888, waterparkofamerica.com. Day passes from $30. Short drive from Minneapolis (13 miles), Cedar Rapids, Iowa (266 miles). Massanutten Resort, McGaheysville, Virginia Massanutten offers more than just warm water temperatures and eight big attractions: The 42,000-square-foot glass-walled, pyramid-shaped structure also has views of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. As for rides, the Melting Mogul body slide sends folks on a heart-stopping descent into total darkness, and the Peak Splash slide is more than 440 feet high and moves 2,000 gallons of water per minute. Parents can recover from it all in the Shenandoah Hot Springs, an indoor/outdoor hot tub that's open year round. 1822 Resort Dr., McGaheysville, VA, 540/289-9441, massresort.com. Day passes from $38. Short drive from Richmond (106 miles), D.C. (146 miles). KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort, Gurnee, Illinois Part of a 414-room resort, KeyLime's 65,000-square-foot water park is decorated in dazzling colors, easily brightening up any Midwest winter. The real claim to fame is the dizzying Hurricane Vortex, which shoots raft riders 40 mph into an orange-and-yellow swirling bowl and then drops them on a 44-foot plunge. Kids can't get enough of a pair of body slides named Wahoo and Screaming Banshee (the names really say it all), and parents are pleased with the adults-only whirlpool at the KeyLime Grotto. 1700 Nations Drive, Gurnee, IL, 877/360-0403, keylimecove.com. Park access for resort guests only; double rooms from $190 (includes water park tickets). Short drive from Chicago (40 miles), Milwaukee (50 miles). Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark, Kellogg, Idaho Idaho's largest indoor water park was built especially with teens in mind. The park's calling card is Hoop Lagoon—a court-sized, three-foot deep, warm-water pool with real basketball hoops suspended overhead for friendly games. There's also a Flow Rider surf wave that moves at 35 mph and the Crossing, where kids can jump between floating obstacles like lily pads. For together time, families flock to the Moose Sluice, a raft waterslide that sends parties of four careening through a dark tunnel. 610 Bunker Ave., Kellogg, ID, 866/344-2675, silvermt.com. Park access for resort guests only; rooms from $179 (includes water park tickets and sleeps four). Short drive from Spokane (68 miles), Missoula, Mont. (129 miles).

1. Sweepstakes Description. This sweepstakes is sponsored by Budget Travel LLC, the publisher of Budget Travel, 530 Seventh Avenue, Second Floor, New York, NY 10018 ("Sponsor"). The sweepstakes begins on January 18, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. EST and ends on March 15, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST (the "Sweepstakes Period"). Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST March 15, 2011. Sweepstakes is void where prohibited. By entering, each entrant accepts and agrees to be bound by these sweepstakes rules. 2. Eligibility. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. This sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and its territories, except Arizona, who are 21 years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees of Budget Travel LLC, Outrigger Hotels Hawaii, a limited partnership dba Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and OHANA Hotels & Resorts, and each of their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, and immediate family members or persons living in the same household of such individuals are not eligible to participate in this sweepstakes. Acceptance of prize is subject to the policies and rules or restrictions of winner's employer. 3. How to Enter. One entry per person. Individuals must go to budgettravel.com/sweepstakes and fill in their name, address, phone number, e-mail address and all other applicable fields. All entries must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on March 15, 2011 in order to qualify. All entries become the property of Sponsor, and Sponsor reserves the right to use any information submitted by entrants. Entries must be filled out completely and legibly in order to qualify, and will be void if they are, in whole or in part, incomplete, illegible, damaged, irregular, counterfeit, altered, or obtained through theft or fraud. No mechanically reproduced, software-generated or other automated multiple entries are permitted. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, misdirected or mutilated entries, including due to transmission, technical, and/or network failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any hardware or software (whether originating with sender or Sponsor), telephonic failures, human error, or any other error or malfunction. For online entries, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at time of entry will be considered the entrant. An "authorized account holder" shall mean the natural person assigned to such e-mail account by the Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with such e-mail account. A potential winner may be requested to provide proof that he or she is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with a winning entry. Entrants agree not to upload, post or transmit any materials which contain any computer viruses, Easter eggs, worms, Trojan Horses or other harmful component or programming routines that are intended to damage, detrimentally interfere with, surreptitiously intercept or expropriate any system, data or personal information. Any attempt to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the operation of the sweepstakes is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any person who makes such attempt(s). Entry materials that have been tampered with or altered are void. Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted by an individual or the authorized account holder of an e-mail address shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the sweepstakes. 4. Prize. Eighty (80) Prizes will be awarded. The Grand Prize will be a voucher for seven (7) day, six (6) night complimentary stay for two (2) at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach hotel, Waikiki, Hawaii, plus roundtrip economy class airfare for two from a major US airport to Honolulu, Hawaii. Voucher must be redeemed within one year of issuance or prize will be forfeited. Accommodations are subject to availability and blackout periods. Other restrictions may also apply. The approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is U.S. $4,893. Seventy nine (79) First Prizes will be awarded. 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Eighty (80) Winners will be randomly selected. Winners will be notified by telephone or e-mail on or about April 1, 2011. In the event that any prize notification or attempted notification e-mail is returned as undeliverable, or if any attempted notification by phone is not successful within seven (7) days, the prize will be forfeited and Sponsor reserves the right to randomly select an alternate winner from among the remaining eligible entries. 6. Odds of Winning. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. 7. Conditions of Acceptance of Prize. Winner must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. Valid mailing address is required to claim a prize. Winner is subject to verification by Sponsor, whose decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the sweepstakes. 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In the event of a dispute, all decisions made by Sponsor are final and binding. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any person who tampers with the entry process or the operation of Sponsor's web site, or who otherwise acts in violation of these Official Rules. Sponsor further reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to rescind, cancel, terminate, or modify this sweepstakes in whole or in part, at any time, without notice or liability, for any reason, including, but not limited to, if the sweepstakes is not capable of completion as planned due to infection by computer virus, technical corruption, force majeure, or non-authorized human intervention that compromises or affects the administration, fairness, integrity, security, or proper conduct of the sweepstakes. 10. List of Winners. 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JETBLUE: ALL YOU CAN JET PASS (Editor's Pick) U.S. and Caribbean JetBlue built its reputation around good value, and its clear-cut, 30-day unlimited pass is no exception. Buyers can go anywhere JetBlue flies: more than 60 airports, from San Diego to Boston and the Caribbean. Restrictions are minimal; you can book and change reservations as little as three days in advance. It usually takes three domestic flights to make up the $700 investment, but one round trip can offset the cost (we found a flight from Portland, Ore., to Barbados for $718). The 2009 and 2010 airpasses sold out quickly, so we're betting that JetBlue will offer the pass again in 2011. And when it does, we'll be buying. jetblue.com, $699; $499 for passes that exclude Friday and Sunday travel. Bottom line: The best all-around pass for aspiring vagabonds. LAN: SOUTH AMERICAN AIRPASS South America This pass from Latin America powerhouse LAN has more in common with buy-in-bulk discount stores than all-you-can-eat buffets. Travelers can use a dedicated booking site to build a 16-flight itinerary connecting three or more of the over 50 available cities in one year. After you buy an international flight, the cost is based on the number of cities you visit, with most flights from $100 to $300 each. A sample four-city airpass out of New York that included Buenos Aires, Lima, Cuzco, and the Galápagos Islands came in at $2,540—about $1,200 less than the same itinerary priced through Kayak. The value isn't only in ticket prices: LAN has no checked-bag fees, and you can change any airpass flight for just $30. lan.com, prices vary. Bottom line: A good value for visiting far-flung spots. CATHAY PACIFIC: ALL ASIA PASS Asia Although Asia has no shortage of budget airlines, Cathay Pacific trumps them all in the customer-service department—no small concern when flying halfway across the world. One of the first large-scale passes to launch, Cathay Pacific's 21-day All Asia option starts at $1,599, and fliers can choose from 42 destinations. The potential savings are massive. When compared with booking on Orbitz, the All Asia Pass base rate for an L.A.–Hong Kong–Bali–Tokyo–L.A. trip was $2,400 cheaper. One drawback: There are numerous restrictions, from traveling in the summer (a $500 upgrade) to which days of the week you can fly. cathaypacific.com, from $1,599 in 2010 for Hong Kong and two cities. Bottom line: A great deal for comfort junkies and the obsessively organized. MULTIPLE AIRLINES: ONEWORLD EXPLORER Worldwide With more than 750 destinations to choose from on carriers such as American, Iberia, and Qantas, Oneworld's comprehensive reach is impressive. Travel to three continents from $3,499; four from $5,099; and so on, with a 16-flight limit over a year's time. The idea of stopping in spots like Budapest, Athens, Amman, and Auckland for about five grand on one itinerary seems like an incredible deal, but you can find similar trips on a site like Expedia for less; our independently booked 12-city sample cost 24 percent less than Oneworld's pass. The offer also comes with some undesirable restrictions, including a limit of four stops per continent, with no backtracking. oneworld.com, from $3,499. Bottom line: Worth it only for those who want a huge range of destinations. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Any one of these five red flags could be a dream-trip deal breaker. Limited Flight Segments Sixteen flight segments sounds like a lot, but if it takes two connections to get to one destination, your travel options decrease fast. Overland Travel Detouring through a scenic area in a rental car is often more fun than cruising over it at 30,000 feet, but many airpasses will penalize you for doing just that. Eligibility Requirements Some airlines require you to purchase a separate round-trip intercontinental flight in order to qualify for an airpass. Make sure your flight qualifies. Taxes & Fees These can add a staggering $700 or more to your ticket price, particularly in Asia and Europe. Don't buy anything without doing the math first. Single-Direction Travel Think twice about airpasses that require you to travel east to west or vice versa, hampering your perfect route.

You wouldn't believe the demands of the job: I start training in July!Because of the physical demands of suiting up as Santa, I have to take care of my body on and off of the job. I get up everyday at 6 a.m. to walk a mile. I take vitamins, and my wife, Marilyn, fixes me balanced meals. My employer, Noerr Programs Corporation, hosts a three-day Santa University conference in July where RBSs (Real Bearded Santas) learn proper posture and sitting and breathing and techniques. I also depend on moms and dads to help me by lifting their kids onto my lap. Looking the part is expensive and sweatyI've got a real beard, but my hair's dark, so I have to get it bleached by a professional twice each holiday season to keep it snow white. My Santa figure is all natural; I'm 256 pounds and 6 feet tall (what can I say—I love to eat). Noerr makes the best custom-made suits in the country in an unusual burgundy shade, and they retail for more than $1,000. A full-time employee works on the costumes year round, and mine gets dry-cleaned weekly. Then there are the white gloves. My wife washes mine, and I keep several pairs near my seat so that I can switch when one gets dirty or covered in drool. It heats up underneath that 35-pound suit, when I've layered on a shirt, a vest, and a robe. Add three or four kids squirming on my lap, and I've got to really concentrate to keep from passing out. When a child gets off my lap, that's the time I most want to wipe away the sweat, but I can't. It's a total mind control exercise. I get the third degree about whether or not I'm the real SantaChildren are much savvier than they were 40 years ago, and you can't play around with them as much. A kid will start off by questioning me: "Are you the real Santa?" Years ago, I could've said, "Well yes, Tommy, I'm the real Santa," and he would've believed me in a heartbeat. These days I say, "Well, what do you think? Take a look at my eyes—do you see the color of my eyes?" Thankfully, they're blue, like Santa's. "Feel my beard," I'll say. "Do you think I'm the real Santa?" Then finally I'll hear, "Oh, Mommy, you were right—he is the real one!" But, there are some that you just can't convince—or console. It happens frequently with the young ones, usually around the age of 2, who get really scared. I'm this strange-looking man, and they're terrified that their parents might abandon them. I use a distraction and reward method; I try to find anything I can to get them to calm down, usually a candy cane or a stuffed Elmo. I make sure the photographer quickly snaps the photo and then give them back to their mom or dad. Usually, even if the child is sobbing in the photo, the parent will still buy a package of copies. "Santa, I'd like Viagra this year"Forget a hula hoop or a Barbie doll. It's all about the electronics now, which I'm sure cost hundreds of dollars. These kids as young as 3 are asking for things like a Nintendo DSi, a cell phone, and an Xbox 360. I love to watch the facial expressions of the parents, especially the mothers, who just roll their eyes when they hear these kinds of requests. But they get weirder. One time, a boy came up to me who was about 8 years old. He stood about five feet away from me with his hands on his hips, and I could tell by his body language that he didn't believe in Santa. Finally he stepped up to me and told me that he wanted Viagra for Christmas. I responded with "What's that?" He said, "A pill." And I said, "Why do you want to take a pill? He answered, "I want to be strong, and my Dad says Viagra will make me strong." I had to think fast on my feet without getting flustered, so I told him, "Son, I just don't think my elves know how to make that pill." It was wild. Santas don't get any breaksI work six-hour shifts from November 2, the first day we open up in the Burlington Mall, through the last shift on Christmas Eve. There's usually a two-hour wait to see me, so it's a nonstop job. I don't even take a break to go to the bathroom because I have to make sure that every single kid gets about two minutes of time with me. When I arrive at work, I head straight to the dressing room, change into my costume, and fuel up with a quick snack like a PB&J sandwich. Then a staff member escorts me to my place on the set. Sunday nights are the craziest. The mall closes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for pet night. People bring in their snakes, birds, dogs, cats, turtles—I've even had a horse come in—to take a photo with me. A lady once brought in her three golden retrievers. They all sat around me, and then she called them by name to get up and switch positions without her touching them—and they did! My favorite part is taking the kids by surpriseAt least I still have some ability to make magic. Kids are always taken aback when I call out their names as they approach my lap. I have the photographers to thank for this. They help me by asking the parents for the kids' names, then step forward and whisper them to me right before the children walk up. If I get a skeptical reaction, I tell the child that I know his or her name because I've seen it before in my big book of wishes. And yes, that works.