Thanksgiving for Fat People

Right now, I'm at Great Wolf Lodge, a resort in the Niagara region with my little cousins and uncles/aunts. It's a huge indoor water-park. If I had to pick one word to describe this place, it would be "excessive". First of all, the resort is HUGE. There are rooms and rooms and rooms... it just circles around the place. And the rooms aren't a small little deal, they are rather exquisite. Each room has two televisions, two beds, a fire place, a balcony, a couch area, mini fridge, appliances... and are quite nice. The lobby is grand. Huge fireplace, chandelier lights, wooden fixings...Second, the vacationers here have large body proportions as well. They are fat and their children are getting there.

It makes sense though. Lazy people book their vacations here because its relaxing and if you're too lazy, inevitably, you'll become fat. There's a buffet dinner, and only five floors and an elevator if you don't feel like walking. Most people vacationing here remind me of fat Americans.

The environment at the resort is so artificial. Everything is indoors. It could be snowing, the leaves could be changing into the prettiest shades of gold but you wouldn't know from being in this luxurious, over-elaborate resort.

There's a huge water park- it has slides that go outside the building and back inside, they loop everywhere, it goes up and down like a roller coaster, it has machinery to make it go faster (it's not just hydrolics that make the rider go), it's an absolute kid's wonderland. There are two hot tubs, one is indoors, and one is outdoors. There are ample amounts of snack bars in and around the water park with fattening foods like fries, cookies, sweets, fudge, ice-cream, cakes... If I were to compare this water park with Wonderland's waterpark, this one would beat Wonderland in terms of innovative technology and "wow" factors (the slides are really long, with bigger drops and machinery). There is a wave pool, a shallow pool for kids, a playground that is much larger than Wonderland's, an obstacle course in the water where you have to travel across the pool using the rope above the pool and if you lose your balance, you end up in the water...

Oh and if you're bored of the water-park, you can always visit the salon, the spa, the adequately-sized (read pretty big) arcade (with updated games such as Guitar hero), the mini golf course, one of the various eating places, the gigantic candy store.... did I mention that there's a spa for adults and a spa catered for young girls? They can get manicures and pedicures for $25 each. I thought that was a bit crazy because I make my own money and still I wouldn't pay $25 for a manicure or pedicure, yet parents would spoil their little princesses like this?!

And that's why I think this place is just a little excessive. I believe that kids should grow up spending their Thanksgivings hiking outdoors, exploring the wilderness like I once did. This sheltered environment is fun, but a tad materialistic. How can kids appreciate the great outdoors, everything natural- when they are raised in an artificial environment like this?