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With the temperature so low and wind chill so high, my wife and I have longed for the great indoors. We found solace from the cold and a magical experience at Mason's Great Wolf Lodge.

After making reservations weeks in advance, my wife, our son (who is almost 3 years old) and I arrived on a frosty Sunday. We were immediately impressed with the log-cabin exterior and two gigantic statues of wolves at the entrance.

We were given radio frequency identification wristbands with microchips that act as room keys and tickets to the water park. (When tied to a credit card, guests can charge purchases or put a cash value to their rooms with the wristbands.)

Our family suite, was spacious with two queen beds and a living area with a sleeper sofa, a 25-inch TV, refrigerator, microwave oven and table with chairs. Every detail had rustic charm..

After unpacking, we headed to Bear Track Landing, the Great Wolf Lodge's 90-foot tall, 78,000 square-foot indoor water park.

My son especially liked going down the children's water slides.

For my own entertainment, I enjoyed some adult water slides. My favorite was Coyote Canyon, which sends riders on tubes down a slide that simulates being flushed down a toilet.

The Great Wolf Lodge has two full-service restaurants and four take-out eateries. We had dinner at the Loose Goose Cottage because it is a buffet restaurant and our son is a finicky eater. My wife and I ate much more than usual as the fare was better than the buffet restaurant we usually frequent.

We then watched a performance of Rhythm of Nature, an animatronic musical show that lasts 10-15 minutes.

We went to the Great Wolf Lodge expecting a "been there, done that" experience and left as fans who will return every year.