Great Wolf Lodge

• Great Wolf Lodge combines water attractions, on-site lodging and games in an enchanted, nature-themed resort. The resort boasts 19 slides, a wave pool, five wading pools, a lazy river and an outdoor pool area. Guests can choose from suites with a variety of outdoor and wildlife motifs, equipped with large-screen televisions, refrigerators, microwaves and other modern amenities. The Lodge provides an evening story-time, breakfast and dinner buffets and a venue to play "MagiQuest," a game involving magic wands, puzzles, enchating objects and dragons. Great Wolf Lodge is located in Concord, approximately fifteen miles northeast of Charlotte. Nearby attractions include the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Outlet.
  
  

Ray's Splash Planet

• North Carolina has waterslides at resorts and municipal recreational facilities.red water slide fun image by .shock from Fotolia.com
  
  Ray's Splash Planet features a 3-story slide named "The Blue Comet," a lazy river that orbits around the large slide, buckets called "Meteor Showers," squirters known as "Sun Drops," a "Moon Beach" pool and other space-themed attractions. The "Sea of Tranquility" offers two lanes for lap swimming and a venue for water basketball and water volleyball. An elementary school houses Splash Planet, which is open year-round. A joint effort of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department created the Planet. According to its website, the Planet does not limit use to only Mecklenburg County residents, though county residents qualify for a discount.
  
  

Waynesville Recreation Center

• The 64,000 square-foot Waynesville Recreation Center includes a small indoor waterpark with a slide, pop jets that shoot water vertically and "mushrooms" under which guests can sit admist falling water. An indoor pool consisting of 8 lanes, each 25-yards long, sits adjacent to the park. Waynesville rests in the Great Smoky Mountains and is approximately a 30-minute drive southwest of Asheville.
  
  

Waterpark safety

• Swimming knowledge and skill can keep you safe at a waterpark.learn to swim image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
  
  Avery Safety Consulting, Inc. suggests on its website that park guests learn to swim, not swim alone, assume the face-up and feet-down position before sliding, follow lifeguards' directions and note the differences among attractions in water depth and how to use the attractions. Parents should not leave their children unattended. Many parks, such as Great Wolf Lodge, issue Coast Guard-approved life jackets and prohibit the use of other life jackets.