Trifter

Our Stay at Deer Valley Lodge in Barnaveld, WI

Every once in a while, I load up my kids and we head out of town for the night. It’s what keeps me sane, no- joyful, as a mother. Somehow when we get away together we find more time to be together in the moment, more time to talk, more time to play. Since my husband’s been laid-off due to the recession, and my own employer, a state agency, is not able to pay me regularly due to budget problems, getting away has gotten much harder to pull off. But I have found one destination that we can afford: Deer Valley Lodge in Barneveld, WI.

Deer Valley Lodge is a real hotel- not a motel. While this might not be a big deal to many readers, it is a big deal to us. Decorated with log walls, bare rafters, and deer antler toilet paper dispensers and lampshades, the hotel had a quaint, rustic feel. The lobby was complete with sofas, several computers with Internet access, tables and chairs in the breakfast area, and a t.v., where I could go to watch the news without disturbing my sleeping nine and eleven-year-old.

We swam for hours in their 10,000 square foot indoor water park. We played water basketball, kicked back in the jacuzzi, which is the biggest jacuzzi I have ever seen. The pool area was immaculately maintained, and the hotel even provided large toy boxes filled with water toys for the kids to use. The hotel kitchen is available 24 hours per day to provide made to order pizza at just $8. The continental breakfast included Cheerios, Raisin Bran and Fruit Loops, as well as bagels and cream cheese, pastries, donuts, coffee and juice. The hotel looked brand spanking new- no mildew smells, no smoke smells, just a brand new smell. Here’s the amazing part: We got all this for just $69 per night.

There’s a couple of things you should be aware of. First, the $69 rate is their midweek special. Second, the big water slides are not open midweek. The pool does, however, have a smaller water slide on the deep end that was exciting enough for my nine and eleven year-old children to enjoy. My kids enjoyed the water park area enough that they hardly noticed that the giant slides were not operational, and didn’t seem to mind this detail. They just loved getting away from home, swimming for hours, and playing with mom.