As I strode across the lobby of Great Wolf Lodge, I caught a glimpse out the entrance. A foursome, bundled in hats and mittens, scampered toward their car. I, on the other hand, wore a swimsuit and towel and was headed to a tropical bubble dome where, impervious to the cold, I would splash in a wave pool, float along a lazy river and plummet down slides.

The switch from snowsuit to swimsuit is not uncommon these days given the growing popularity of water parks.

In 1994, the Polynesian Resort Hotel in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., covered a water park to bring summertime fun into the heart of winter. Since then, 17 more such parks have opened in the Dells, the self-proclaimed "Waterpark Capital of the World" (a title the Wisconsin Dells Visitors & Convention Bureau trademarked). In Minnesota, a scattered few enthrall the goggled set. And -- good news for waterlogged thrill-seekers -- many developments are engaged in a competition to build the tallest, scariest, swirliest slide of all.

I found the tallest one close to home, at the Water Park of America, near the Mall of America. My knees nearly buckled as I waited in line -- 10 stories above the pools below, where swimmers looked like toy dolls -- for my turn on the fast-flowing family raft ride. Other spots generated adrenaline as well. At Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, I watched as less timid visitors grabbed boogie boards to surf the "FlowRider." I raced down a slide lit with flashing lights and pulsing with music at the Paul Bunyan Water Park in Baxter, Minn.

On my tour of water parks, I had to remind myself to breathe more times than I care to recount. But I also soaked in an indoor-outdoor hot tub and lazily bobbed on waves in an inner tube. Spending weekends at these five water parks, I discovered, was a great way to ward off chills -- and bring on thrills. Turn to G8.

Kerri Westenberg • 612-673-4282