Grand Bear Lodge

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Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort is an indoor waterpark resort in Utica, Illinois next to Starved Rock State Park and the historical Starved Rock area. It opened in the Summer of 2005 and is Illinois' first indoor waterpark. The three-story resort has 92 rooms, an indoor waterpark, a fitness center, and 2 conference rooms. Guests can also buy or rent log cabins and villas located throughout the resort. Included in all cabins and villas are standard televisions, located in the main living room, and each bedroom.

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[edit] Waterpark

Inside the 24,000 square-foot waterpark, there is a large wavepool with two styles of waves, a smaller kiddie pool, two water slides, a lazy river, a hot tub, and an interactive water play area. One of the two water slides allows the rider to "personalize" their ride by choosing what types of colors and sounds they would like as they descend the 330 foot slide. Both slides empty into the Lazy River which is very fast-paced indoor river, it is advised not to go against the current, as one could get swept away and get scraped on the wall of the pool. The staff is also experimenting with staying open till midnight on Friday nights to see how well that goes.

[edit] Waterpark Improvements

Recently the Waterpark was closed and the staff cleaned the park from head to toe. All water was drained and the pool was cleaned. The staff also replaced some posts by the spa. The floor was power washed and the locker rooms were cleaned for the reopening. The filters for the waterslides were cleaned, which will help keep the water clear. Everyone worked hard and spent many hours cleaning the waterpark.

A former superviser has returned and the current supervisers are planning to get their LGI's. A new Life Guard Trainer is planning to take over in the summer and will do a class the beginning of June. The Waterpark Manager is looking to hire new Guards and Attendants.

[edit] Enchanted Forest

The new Enchanted Forest is a mini theme park within the resort. At Enchanted Forest, tickets are required to go on the rides, and the amount of tickets required for each ride varies. As a guest of the resort you are given full access to the Enchanted Forest and no tickets are necessary. There are nine total rides inside Enchanted Forest, including "The Eclipse". The Eclipse is one of only three of its kind in the world. There are also arcade games scattered about the facility, including ticket-redemption games, and other no-prize games. From the games that you can win tickets from, there is a small counter near the entrance where you can redeem them for prizes. The tokens you obtain are also usable at the Arcade next to the waterpark.

[edit] Arcade

Adjacent to the water park is a decent sized arcade. Instead of using quarters, token machines are placed throughout the area. Each token has a cash equivalent of $.25. There is a fairly wide variety of activities, ranging from racing, shooting, sword-fighting, ticket-redemption games, capsule machines, sport-related machines and more. Tickets earned from certain games can be used to redeem prizes, ranging from small prizes like rubber toys to larger prizes like lava lamps and stereos.

[edit] Bear Island and Bandit's Bar & Grill

During the summer, the Bandit's Bar & Grill and Bear Island are open. Bear Island is a playground for smaller children and features an 18-hole mini-golf course for everyone. The Bandit's Bar & Grill is located next to Bear Island and has a deck that sits in the middle the 80-foot Curtis Canyon. The restaurant serves a variety of sandwiches, Pepsi brand beverages, and snacks.

[edit] In-House Restaurants

There are six restaurants and cafes located throughout the Grand Bear Resort. Jack's Place and Jack's Bar are located next to the conference rooms and offers a variety of food including pizza, burgers, steak, and ribs. Jack's Place also offers carryout for those who want to eat in their room or cabin. The recently opened Lumber Jack's Pizzeria and Sports bar has three large high-definition TVs for watching sports games and also offers a delivery service. Inside the waterpark, The Wave Snack Shop, sells sandwiches, ice cream, salads, and a variety of Pepsi products. The Honey Pot Sweet Shop candy shop offers twelve flavors of ice cream and sweet treats such as chocolate-covered strawberries, hand-dipped taffy apples, and fudge made right in front of you. Finally, the Grizzly Bean Cafe offers a private blend of their coffee, along with other food such as muffins, pastries, and bagels.

[edit] External links