Thanks to Grizzly Jack’s for hosting my family for a weekend stay and for making my Mother’s Day special. All thoughts are my own.
A couple weekends ago my mom and I took my three kids to Utica, Illinois for a memorable Mother’s Day weekend celebration at Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Resort. Grizzly Jack’s is full of fun for families with young children and the perfect place to stay after a day of exploring Starved Rock, a nearby popular outdoor tourist destination. The resort has an indoor water park, miniature golf, an arcade, an ice cream shop, and a playground on the property.
We stayed in a family suite with a balcony and I loved the lodge feel that the room, and really the whole resort, has. The room sleeps six with two queen sized beds and a sleeper sofa. I felt the room was very clean and also spacious which was great since it was my first time traveling with a baby and I brought way more than I needed for a two-day stay. I loved that the room had a refrigerator we could put soda in and a microwave for making popcorn.
Need a room that fits more than six people? Grizzly Jack’s has a variety of options for larger families and groups including Vacation Villas that sleep up to 9 and Luxury Cabins that sleep up to 18. I think it would be fun to stay in one of the cabins with a group of other families!
Now let’s get to the most important part of any resort (at least in my tweens’ eyes)….the water park! Grand Bear Falls is the resort’s 24,000 square foot indoor waterpark with play zones, slides, wave pool, lazy river, kiddie pool, and hot tub. The water park itself was just remodeled this year.
While the water park is smaller than many we’ve visited in the past, I actually think it’s the perfect size for families with little ones. I liked that it wasn’t too spread out since I like to give my older kids independence but still like to be able to keep my eye on them in the water, especially while they are in the wave pool. Since it wasn’t very crowded I could easily play with my 4 month old in the shallow end of the pool while watching my older boys in the “deep” end jumping around in the waves. I also appreciated that the boys could stand in the deeper end of the pool which they typically can’t do.
My family also enjoyed the water park’s lazy river. My boys loved chasing each other around it while my mom and Emma floated around. The lazy river also had a “cyclone” like area that was pretty unique and kids seemed to enjoy swirling around in. There were also water slides the kids went on a few times. One thing they didn’t do for the first time ever? Play in the “kiddie” area called the Ranger Station. Guess they have finally outgrown that part of water parks which kind of makes me sad but I’ll have another one who will love that portion of water parks in just another year or two!
One thing that should be noted about the water park is that parents really need to be diligent about watching their children since I felt like the number of lifeguards was pretty low. We went off season while it was slower so maybe that is why, or maybe I’m just used to larger water parks with more lifeguards working, but just wanted you all to be aware. Other than that I thought the water park was nicely remodeled and we loved playing there.
Another thing I appreciated about the resort was that Jack’s Place, the on-site restaurant, delivered to the water park area so we had barbecue chicken bacon pizza delivered to us to eat while we were taking a swim break. There is also a snack shop adjacent to the water park where people can grab snacks and drinks. I felt like they had a decent amount of tables and chairs as well which was nice because I feel like some other water parks we’ve been to do not have enough seating for everyone so we are usually stuck sharing chairs and balancing food on our laps. Upstairs there is also an ice cream shop for those that have a sweet tooth!
The resort also had a nice brunch for Mother’s Day with complimentary mimosas, made-to-order omelettes, a carving station, kid-friendly food, and a dessert table (the part Lucas was most excited about). The staff also gave all the moms flowers which I thought was a sweet gesture. I asked how frequently the resort has brunches and they said they often do for holidays. The next one will be on Father’s Day which would be a nice way to celebrate dad! I know my husband is all about food :)
Other than the water park, my kids enjoyed the arcade which has over 60 fun games. Our family also played miniature golf before we left for home. The 18-hole course was really nice though hard to navigate with a stroller. Next to the mini-golf course there is a great playground which the boys wanted to check out but it was cold and rainy so we skipped it. The resort also has family movie night on Friday and Saturday nights which is a nice way to end the day and get kids ready for bedtime after a busy day of fun.
Overall we had a great weekend at Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Resort! If you are in the Chicagoland area and looking for a short staycation to take with your young children you’ll want to check it out! Book your stay here.
