Castaway Bay

One of my personal goals for 2017 and especially for the direction I am hoping to take A City Explored, was to get out and do more exploring in my very own state. I have been doing a pretty good job so far {the past two weekends} but I often think I have to get on an airplane and travel to some far off location for it to be considered a true trip or vacation. But truthfully I see pictures, blogs and reviews of places all over Ohio that make me say, I want to go there, try those or see that. 

There are so many hikes, tours and covered bridges on my list for this summer, there’s no way it can probably even be done in one summer, maybe that’s a challenge in the making…? 

I’ve never even been to High Ball! A huge, epic, annual, Columbus defining event; I have never ventured out to truly experience the madness. I don’t know when I will accomplish the High Ball goal, it will have to be a perfect storm of the best costume idea and some serious global warming in effect with at least a 70 degree day at the end of October. Very small asks for my first venture.

One thing I have done is ride every roller coaster at Cedar Point, the best amusement park in the world. I am still trying to cope with the fact that Manfriend not only isn’t a fan of the thrill rides but has no desire to ever ride them! I’m pretty convincing when I want something but he seems pretty set in his no roller coaster riding ways. Stay tuned on that debate.

I was thrilled when Cedar Point’s indoor water park, Castaway Bay reached out with an opportunity to give their water slide’s a run. It is an indoor water park that any age child can enjoy but who was more excited Evelyn or I? Since Evelyn didn’t yet understand what a real water slide was, I was the most excited one about this opportunity.

Located next door to Cedar Point and about 2.5 hours North of Columbus, Castaway Bay is the perfect overnight or weekend getaway with fun for the entire family.

The Caribbean is brought to life at this family resort destination. With its tropical theme, guests at Cedar Point’s Castaway Bay feel like they have just landed on an island paradise upon entering this lush indoor water park resort. 

Castaway Bay features 237 hotel rooms and suites including family-oriented units, a 38,000-square-foot indoor water park loaded with water activities for all ages, a fitness center, a 6,000-square-foot arcade, a craft and child activity center, three restaurants, retail shops, an adjacent marina and space for meetings, group events or birthday parties.

Here is my one big and really only complaint about our entire experience…

The entrance doors {pictures behind us} are constantly sliding open, as sliding doors often do.

In this picture our room was to the right, the water park entrance was to the left. In order to get to and from our room to the water park we had to walk past those doors. Granted, we were in towels/swimsuit cover-ups and sandals, making walking past that door an incredibly cold ordeal.

My Mom sense’s really kicked in when we were trucking it back to our room wet, and had to walk past that blast of freezing Northern Ohio air. There just has to be a better, warmer way than making a cold entrance such a vital passing point for half of the hotel.

Any Mother will tell you, that’s how you’ll catch your death of cold!

The rooms were nice, very clean which I always appreciate.

We were greeted with some sweet treats.

The best part of the room was easily the porch and the view that came with it. Looking out over a bay of water with Cedar Point’s highest coasters looming in the background, it was a view I could have sat and enjoyed all evening had it been warm enough.

When Cedar Point is open, overnight guests of Castaway Bay can take advantage of ONE HOUR EARLY ENTRY at Cedar Point.

2001 Cleveland Road  | Sandusky, Ohio 44870

419.627.2500

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Wave Pool

A 100,000 gallon wave pool that generates 3-foot-tall waves and adorned with a cascading waterfall as the backdrop. Screams can be heard every fifteen minutes when the buzzer sounds to notify swimmers of oncoming waves. Took me right back to my Wyandotte Lake days as a kid.

You can see a glimpse of Evelyn’s favorite water slide in the background of this photo. 

Rendezvous Run

A Rousing 35-foot-high, 520-foot-long water roller coaster that propels riders uphill using water jets. This unqiue water coaster twists its way through the water park, shoots outside the resort’s structure in an enclosed slide and then spirals back into the complex.

It is a crazy ride. Really fun but fast and dark. I screamed the entire way down our first ride. I expected Evelyn to freak out either before, during or after but she didn’t make a peep until the very end when she yelled, 

My daredevil child was a water slide lover. She get’s it from her Mama.

Toddler’s Tide Pool

A children’s play pool with a tandem slide, water pipes, spraying gadgets and sea creature play structures designed specifically with kids in mind. They do have a height maximum for this play area which is nice to know that no big kids are going to trample the smaller kids.

I think this is an appropriate place to mention the facility is very heavily life guarded with what appear to be very capable lifeguards. I never once looked around in search of a lifeguard or to check to see if someone with authority was paying attention. The entire facility seemed like a very well maintained, safe place to enjoy with your family and little ones.

Cargo Crossing

An interactive play area in which guests have to cross a pool of water using floating lily pads and a cargo net.

Creature Cove

A pool that offers basketball hoops and numerous flotation devices.

Located inside Castaway Bay, Big Daddy’s Shack is one of four dining options located on the premises.

Tropical Tube Slides

Covered, indoor/outdoor tubes that shoot you down dark, winding curves. 

The only slides Evelyn could not ride in the water park. Must be 46 inches tall to ride.

Lookout Lagoon Family Fun House

A gigantic multi-story interactive play area with more than 100 different elements, including a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket that drenches guests every two minutes with a downpour of water.

Day Passes are available for Castaway Bay Water Park for $29/day. Day passes can be purchased at the resort’s front desk. Subject to availability, the day we were there it was sold out for the day. Blackout dates do apply.

After we worked up an appetite on water slides and in wave pools we headed to Quaker Steak & Lube for dinner. Of course it was freezing outside so I bundled us all up in preparation for a walk around the corner to the restaurant. We quickly discovered Quaker Steak & Lube is actually connected to the Castaway Bay Resort with an indoor walkway. Extremely convenient since the majority of the people are arriving with wet hair.

We looked really cool all bundled up barreling into the entrance after walking through an indoor hallway!

It was in 1974 that our country had its first gas crisis. The price of gasoline was skyrocketing, gas stations were closing nationwide, and car makers began exploring how to develop cars that got better mileage.

But for George Warren III and Gary Meszaros, it wasn’t about better mileage or even obeying the new 55MPH speed limit. It was about finding a home to preserve the culture of those old gas stations and high-powered muscle cars.

That is how Quaker Steak & Lube, a ‘cook your own steak’ restaurant that gave old muscle cars a permanent home was created.

Today, Quaker Steak & Lube serves over 30 million wings anually, has bottled sauces for retail sale, has won the title of “Best Wings USA,” and has hundreds of local, national, and international awards for their sauce recipes. With over 50 locations throughout the United States, Quaker Steak & Lube is still rescuing muscle cars, vintage cars, trucks and a vast selection of custom and antique motorcycles, giving them homes hanging from the walls and ceilings in each restaurant.

My favorite flavors: Arizona Ranch, Buckeye BBQ & Smoked Jalapeno Honey

After filling our bellies, we could have headed back into the water park for more water adventures. The park stays open until 10PM on weekends, to ensure you can really wear your kid’s out. I somehow convinced Evelyn that going into Crabbie’s Arcade would be more fun then 10 more rides on her favorite water slide.

I guess looking back, Crabbie’s is bigger than the local Chuck E’ Cheese so it wasn’t a hard case to argue.

Arcade insanity!

My game of choice. 

I now hold the high score at Crabbie’s.

Sunday morning the water park opens at 9AM so Evelyn and I rushed down as soon as the doors were open. I recommend this to anyone staying overnight. Most people went to breakfast before hitting the water park so when we first got there, there was nobody in line for anything. We rode Evelyn’s favorite, Rendezvous Run five or six times without having to wait longer than a minute or two to catch a raft. No lines provided for an extremely thrilled four year old.

The only down side to being the first ones in the park, some of the attractions are not open. Thankfully the only slide Evelyn wanted to ride was functioning so it was not a problem for us. But it took them about an hour or two after opening to get everything up and running.

Almost any question you have about the park, times, prices, rules etc., answers can be found HERE.

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