Written by: Tisha Smith, Travel Agent
In case you didn’t know, Maumee is located between Bowling Green and Toledo, Ohio. Over the Labor Day weekend my family took a trip to the Toledo area to visit with family. We stayed in Maumee at the Holiday Inn, home of the new Splash Bay Indoor Water Park. We had a great time! The travel time was six hours round trip and the boys were completely entertained with some snacks and a few movies.
The Holiday Inn is family-friendly, very clean and accommodating. The water park has a great play area for toddlers, kids, teens and adults. There is a lazy river and slides for adults and the little ones. The hotel room and admission to the water park is quite reasonable. Don’t worry, if you just want to be a spectator, like my father-in-law, the cost is only $6. Park passes can be included with your room reservation.
Dining out as a family can be pricey, but we ate at Frickers and not only enjoyed some great wings and mini corn dogs, but also the fact that the kiddos ate for free. If that wasn’t enough, there is a little arcade room with ski ball, air hockey and a few video games to keep the fidgety ones entertained until the food arrives.
If you are not much of a risk taker and prefer the chain restaurants, have no fear, there is a Cracker Barrel, Smokey Bones and Outback Steakhouse just around the corner.
On Sunday, we visited The Toledo Zoo. What a great place to go for family exploring and phot shoots. Some of our highlights included the polar bears, elephants, apes and of course snow cones! No matter if you just had a meal, there is something about the zoo (or any place for that matter) that makes kids want something to eat or drink. I know I’m not alone! The drinks and snacks were reasonably priced. All of us enjoyed the exhibits and got some great photos. It is smaller than the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium but perfect for an afternoon of sightseeing.
If you would like more information feel free to give me a call or email me with questions. I have included pricing as a comparison to Fort Rapids and the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium. It was definitely a nice time away with the kids without breaking the bank.
Rates as of September 2011
- Holiday Inn and Suites – Approximately $120 for a room with two queen beds
- Splash Bay Indoor Water Park – $25 Adult, $17 Kids under 42”, $6 Spectators over 18
- Fort Rapids Indoor Water Park – $30 per person Saturday/Sunday, $24 per person
Monday through Friday, $9 Spectator - Toledo Zoo – $11 Adult, $8 Kids 2-11, Free for kids under 2
- Columbus Zoo – $14 Adult, $9 Kids 2-9, Free for kids under 2
