Krisha

Our daughter happens to be a water baby. She loves splashing in anything – kicking her feet in the bath, slapping her hands under a running faucet, jumping in small puddles and lately, slushing through melted snow. Pool season can’t come fast enough – it’s hard to resist those pleading eyes asking: “Mommy, is it splash, splash time yet?”
Many people rave about the indoor water park at Great Wolf Lodge, and I had seen it on Undercover Boss. Friends cautioned that it is a little pricey. The attractions are only open to overnight guests, so a day trip to save money wouldn’t work.
Honestly, the idea of an indoor water park didn’t appeal to me. I envisioned the thick smell of chlorine and mold growing on the walls due to all the humidity. But the Great Wolf Lodge marketing – commercials of little kids splashing joyously on water slides — did me in. There are special offers for booking early, staying multiple nights or being flexible on weekdays.
Great Wolf Lodge has 15 locations across the US and Canada with two more on the way. There is one in Williamsburg, but the closest one to the New River Valley is in Concord, N.C., about three hours away.
The Concord Great Wolf Lodge is the second largest and the eighth largest indoor theme park in North America. It is conveniently near the popular Carowinds amusement park and close to restaurants, malls and shops. Before checking in, you might pop in to a grocery store for snacks, drinks or cereal as every room has a sink, microwave and fridge. You can stretch your budget if you eat something in your room in the morning, hit the water slides and then take a break for lunch at one of the cafes. I recommend getting dinner out and maybe ordering one of the special desserts on the room service menu later. The water park also has an outdoor section and ropes course, so don’t forget sunscreen.
There is no valet service, so grab a cart and unload at the entrance before self-parking. At check-in, pick up wolf ears for the kids and get the lay of the land. In Concord, the Great Clock Tower comes alive throughout the day with woodland characters that are the central theme to the parks, lending awareness to the outdoors and wildlife preservation. Evening story time, as well as character shows, adult and child dancing and yoga instruction all take place at the clock tower. Surrounding it are the two main restaurants – a buffet and a more formal (but still family casual) choice – along with a gift shop and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Youngsters are running around the resort waving wands and pointing them at the walls. Besides the wilderness theme, the lodge has a “magical forest” undertone with fairy holograms, talking trees and shiny amulets. Children’s imaginations soar when battling the “Shadowlord” on their quest to collect evidence, uncover secrets and cast spells to save the light before it vanishes forever. Questing is an extra cost – at least $35 per child – but if you are staying for a few nights, it definitely adds another dimension to the experience.
The real fun, however, is the water park. It only takes moments to understand that this concept holds water. Although the place does smell of chlorine, it is not overpowering and it IS clean – no mold despite the warm water mist and wet, rubber padded floors. There is a large wave pool, cabanas for rent and a warm pool with an obstacle course. The eight, fast water slides are tucked in the back corner and although you enter them on the inside, they are built on the outside of the water park and require either a mat or a two or four-person inner tube that you pick up before you climb to the top. Most memorable of the slides is the Howlin’ Tornado. Using a four-person tube, you twist and turn until you are dropped six stories into a funnel where you swing your way down the walls before a splashdown going through the last tunnel.
The cute cub paw pool is for little ones, complete with gently sloping water slides and toddler-sized jet skis that squirt water. There are towel stations and floaties all over the park. Arrive early and find a seat with a table or stake your claim to the few lounge chairs by the wave pool. Remember to first see how far the giant water bucket at the top of the interactive tree fort dumps every 10 minutes after the bell tolls. You don’t want to be sitting in the thunderous water’s wake.
Take a break from the water and indulge in a massage at the Elements Spa – they have a pampering experience for little girls at Scoops kid’s spa where young ladies are treated to ice cream-themed fizzy scrubs and delicious nail color manicures.
Still, the most exciting sound is your kid’s laughter that lasts throughout the trip. Our daughter slept soundly every night, exhausted by the day’s excitement. Every morning she awoke refreshed asking: “Mommy, is it splash, splash time?” And this time I could look into those eyes and say: “Yes, it is splash, splash time – always at the Great Wolf Lodge!”

Text and Photos by Krisha Chachra

Originally published in NRVMagazine

Although you don’t need a passport to get there, a trip to Sedona, Ariz., may feel like a foreign experience. There aren’t many places in the country that claim to be built on a vortex – an area where electromagnetic lines intersect to enhance linear energy flow. Although Sedona is enveloped by them, the city has four main vortex sites, which are havens for spiritual meditation and finding balance – Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Airport Mesa and Boynton Canyon.
The native American population, including members of the Hopi, Navajo and Yavapai tribes, consider Sedona sacred ground and recognized the power and energy of the vortexes long before Page Bryant, a local medium, named them in the 1980s. Once detected, a vortex is said to have an upward flow which boosts the expansion of one’s spiritual energy or an inward flow which enhances spiritual introspection. It is said that the life within a vortex is amplified; everything that grows in its radius is more beautiful and robust.
People from worlds away come to sit among the giant red rocks that look like they’re on fire during the sunset. The landscape feels magical with nothing but rust colored land and towering mountains that look like they’ve been built out of sand. Walt Disney was so taken by the site line in Sedona as he sat on a ledge overlooking Thunder Mountain that it inspired him to design his popular train-like roller coaster. So much energy, creativity and spiritual balance is centered here that even the local government doesn’t want development to compete with the perfection of nature’s surroundings. Strict ordinances and style books forbid retail and restaurants from building higher than two stories or deviating from the acceptable earth-tone colors for signs or paint.
If you’re not in Sedona to find spiritual fulfillment, it is still a beautiful place to replenish your energy, even if you don’t believe in sitting in energy fields.

Take a Pink Jeep Tour

The Pink Jeeps pop out against the red mountainside. This off-road adventure tour has thrilled visitors for more than 50 years taking up to seven passengers in a souped-up Jeep up and down the steep terrain. Definitely not designed for babies (although they do provide car seats for infants, I wouldn’t recommend it) or anyone with health issues, we opted for the Broken Arrow tour which took us in the heart of Sedona’s outback. During a thrilling ride of bumping and bouncing over steep hillsides into canyons, we learned the history of this great land from our knowledgeable adventure guide who managed to get us back in one piece despite driving down a dried out waterfall as a shortcut. Tamer, scenic options are available – pinkjeeptourssedona.com

Get a Spa Treatment

This city is a magnet for those who study the art of mindfulness and massage therapy. The resort spas are over-the-top exquisite – The Enchantment Resort being the most decadent and aesthetically pleasing. Boutique spas downtown, however, can restore and relax just as nicely. We chose Sedona’s New Day Spa which offered some desert nature body treatments with local flair such as the Turquoise Sage Mountain Arnica or Cedarwood Citrus Wild Chaparral. A traditional sweat lodge steam experience is also on the spa list. Come early to dunk yourself in the outdoor hot tub and sit around the table fire while you sip healing stone infused water and learn about your spirit animal.

Have a Fabulous Meal

If all this New Age living isn’t your cup of tea, try a modern dinner. Honestly, the restaurants in Sedona are top-notch – up there with what I know to be the best of the best. The experience at L’Auberge might most accurately be described as ethereal. In dining on the banks of Oak Creek, listening to water rushing by, you might feel like you’re in your very own Thomas Kincaid painting. The fairytale backdrop sets the scene for the rustic dishes, beautifully presented and garnished with elements of nature for dramatic effect (think moss and tiny twigs surrounding a smoky mushroom and onion soup bowl). The spectacular views from Che Ah Chi restaurant at Enchantment Resort go unmatched. The name comes from what Apaches call Boynton Canyon which is said to have prehistoric ruins, sacred spaces and healing waters. Get there a few hours before dark and grab a drink on the expansive patio. When the sun hits the rocks, the deep reds, oranges and yellows glow around you like a warm fire and you instantly feel at peace. That’s Sedona – energetic, breathtaking, spiritual – a place that’s good for your mind, body and soul.

Originally published in NRVMagazine

If you’re a traveler, you know the feeling of eventually wanting to land somewhere different. Nothing gets old about the beauty of the Caribbean, the adventures of Central America, or the history and delicious food of Europe. But sometimes you just want to travel somewhere new. And that somewhere is the continent of Asia.

Traveling to the other side of the world can be daunting; it’s hard to pick a destination. After all, Asia is the biggest continent in the world. Each country is so different and carries unique traditions and cultures that have been cultivated over thousands of years. But there is one place that retains the deep-seeded Asian history while still inventing itself as a modern metropolis. So if you’d like to get a taste of Asian flavor but don’t want to feel like a fish out of water, visit a corner of the continent that could easily be called its stepping stone: Hong Kong.

Packed with people, Hong Kong is on the southeast tip of China and is one of the world’s most densely populated places. The people, who represent diverse nationalities, are on the move and create the hustle of an authentic experience of what most Asian cities feel like. Built around Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong (which means ‘fragrant harbor’ in Cantonese) is characterized for its impressive skyline which seems to be ever-changing with the rapid construction of tall office buildings and hotels. Visitors speculate that as the population increases, Hong Kong responds by cutting land from the mountains and dumping it in the sea to create more space. Locals joke that you might own waterfront property one year but by the next, you’ll have a building blocking your view.

Despite the morphing landscape, it is relatively easy to get around in Hong Kong. The territory was a British colony until 1997 when it was handed back over to the Chinese. Still, most of the locals speak English with a high level of proficiency from the business professionals. Striking up friendships with the residents isn’t hard if you have the time. But if you’re on a tight schedule in Hong Kong, I recommend hitting three highlights.

First, find the Big Buddha. Located on Lantua Island near the airport, the Tian Tan Buddha sits on a platform shaped like a lotus flower and towers at more than 112 feet high. It is the largest outdoor sitting Buddha in the world. The statue is named Tian Tan because its base is a model of the Altar of Heaven Mountain of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Visitors have to take the hike up 268 steep steps to reach the Buddha, and it is handicapped accessible by car. The area surrounding the Buddha is serene, quiet and magnificent. But if you visit in late April or May, prepare for a big party and hoards of people who make the pilgrimage in honor of Buddha’s birthday.

A trip to Hong Kong is not complete without hitting one of the famous markets. There is a goldfish market, a ladies market, a men’s market, a night market, a flower market and a jade market just to name a few. Markets are a great way to meet locals, get great bargains on clothes, name-brand knock offs and immerse yourself in the authentic, Hong Kong experience. By far, the most interesting market is the Hong Kong bird market. Adjacent to the flower market on Yuen Po Street, the bird market is more than just a bazaar for any breed of parakeet or wooden, handmade cage. The bird market is the gathering place for old men who sit together and tell stories and for housekeepers who meet on their time off to gossip. Among the birds, chirping of all kinds comes from the locals as tall tales and personal scandals are exchanged in the open air for anyone to hear.

Finally, don’t forget to relax a little by taking a ferry to the Kowloon side of the harbor that offers shopping, hotels and museums. The ferry from Central – what residents call the main Hong Kong Island – takes 10 minutes and offers a calming, short respite from the chaotic foot traffic along the financial district. At less than a dollar a ticket, hop on as the sun sets at dusk and float away from all the chaos and energy of the big city. Take a deep breath and gaze at the glowing Hong Kong skyline. The next time you visit Asia, it won’t look the same.

Krisha Chachra serves on the Town Council of Blacksburg and is a regular columnist and author. She has traveled to over 40 countries in 6 continents and reported and hosted shows for public radio and television. Her columns are taken from her journals and personal insights from traveling nationally and internationally throughout her life. Her book about returning to Blacksburg, Homecoming Journals, may be found online or in local bookstores.

Originally published in NRVMagazine