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FUN AND ESCAPE:
HOW TO HAVE A GREAT VACATION FOR UNDER $1000. |
.R.A. Allred Ft. Dix
NJ |
When the warm weathercomes, I discovered that some of the the priciest ski resorts in America become the biggest vacation bargins for family-friendly hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and brushing up on your golf swing or your tennis serve. All for a fraction of the prices they charge in peak season wintermonths. Many of these ski resorts also feature first-rate kids' camps that let you get away to enjoy some primo couples' time.
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six-night Family Getaway packages at Steamboat Resort in western Colorado for a family of four include lodging, rodeo admission, two days of kids' Adventure Club, and a gondola ride, goes for less than $1,000 (800/922-2722 or steamboat-ski.com).
Just 90 minutes from Denver, Keystone Resort's Mountain Passport package is an even better deal. For under $650, a family of four can stay and play for a week jr (800/404-3535 or keystoneresort.com).
Northstar-at-Tahoe in California will give you aa stay-and-golf-or-mountain-bike deal that starts at roughly $100 a night for a family, including some free daycamp time (800/GO-NORTH or skinorthstar.com).
These are just a few of the deals I found. I'm sure you can find more at the ski resorts in the northeast as well. |
FEEDBACK: Last year my family and I went up to Killington Vermont and we were able to rent an entire ski lodge for $250 a week. The countryside was just beautiful and the owner of the loge threw in a pass to his Health Club swiming pool and tennis courts for free. We shopped at the local stores and saved a bundle on food and beverages and the kids found a video store that let them rent ten videos for $10. We got away for $800 including gas from Boston for a family of six. Now that's a bargain. D.L. Boston, MA
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J. Kitt
Newton,
KS
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If you have young children and you are looking for a stress-free getaway from it all I heartily reccomend a stay on an old-fashioned farm, where the kids can gather eggs, learn to fish, and feed the goats. I guarnatee you will enjoy the hearty meals you don't have to cook and the relaxed pace far from hustle and bustle of city life. My husband and I discovered that many of the farm families at the following locations have been welcoming guests for decades.
Green Acres Farm Bed and Breakfast in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania is in the heart of Amish country. It is surrounded by streams, great biking roads, and even has a trampoline and playhouse for the kids. The charge: $85 a night for a family of four, including a big breakfast (717/653-4028 or thegreenacresfarm.com).
The Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy, New Hampshire, is as much a resort as it is a farm. They provide you with three meals a day, square dances, magic shows, baby animals galore, an outdoor pool and pond, an indoor pool for rainy days, and a children's program complete with crafts and story time. Rates for a family of four with two preschoolers average just over $200 a day, including meals and activities ( 800/242-6495 or east-hill-farm.com).
Bluffdale Vacation Farm, outside of Eldred, Illinois, in the Illinois River Valley, provides 320 acres for horseback riding and boating. Rates average under $250 a day for a family of four, including activities and meals (217/983-2854 or bluffdale@irtc.net).
I have found that farm life makes a great vacation for a week or so, but the pace is slow and if you have young children they tend to get bored due to the lack of excitement, so bring plenty of games and videos to keep them engaged. |
FEEDBACK:There are a great many farm families turning their farms into Bed and Breakfast resorts. If you are into antiques and country fresh fruits and veggies look at the farms near your city. They make great weekend getaways and shopping excursions. Especially during crop festival seasons. G.H. San Dimas, CA
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N.R, Watkins
Valtos,
CO
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If you are a history buff like me, you might want to consider Colonial Williamsburg, America's largest outdoor living history museum. The entire place is full of colorful reinactments of historic moments that the kids won't be in a hurry to leave. They can help make bricks barefoot, bid at an auction, be a guest at a ball, play a game of lawn bowling, meet eighteenth-century colonials at the market, argue politics with Tom Jefferson, and make small talk with George Washington. Nearby are two other first-rate living history museums--Jamestown Settlement, where children learn the truth about the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas, and Yorktown Victory Center, where they can visit a Continental Army encampment. Our family was able to get a tour package that covered four nights' lodging and unlimited five-day admission to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and Water Country U.S.A. Prices average $815 for a family of four (800/211-7169). Three years later our kids are still telling people they met George Washington. Like the commercial says..."Priceless." |
| FEEDBACK: Williamsburg is among the living-history sites that have suffered declining attendance in recent years. But even those that haven't recognize that as competition for leisure time and dollars grows, and as younger audiences become more technologically sophisticated, they need to find fresh techniques for relating their stories. I fear unless Williamsburg makes their experience more exciting it will find itself in danger of the thing it portrays. A vanishing America. T.R. Biloxi, MS |
N.R.
Jackson
Calista,
MT |
Some lucky folks actually live in the locations that we think of as vacation paradises. Places like Orlando, FL and Malibu, CA can be yours for a song. That's because you can save big bucks renting a spacious, multi-room condo where you can cook some meals for the gang and throw in a load of laundry on the way to the pool or the tennis court. Companies like ResortQuest International (877-588-5800 or resortquest.com) and Condominium Travel Associates have plenty of summer deals in the hottest vacation spots for under $100 a night. My family snagged a two-bedroom condo on Sanibel Island overlooking the ocean, complete with pool and tennis courts, for $700 a week. In Orlando, Condominium Travel Associates can set you up for $99 a night at a first-class one-bedroom condo right near Disney Village (800/492-6636 or condotravel.com). |
| FEEDBACK:Vacation condos are a great deal but make sure you check out the neighborhoods. I rented a "vacation" condo in Venice California that wound up next to a "crack" house. We had everything stolen the second night we were there. D.F. Muncie, IN |
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EXPERT OPINIONS |
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YMCA of the Rockies runs resorts at Snow Mountain Park |
Center in Colorado, and so many families use them for reunions that there's an entire staff to help organize activities, which include horseback riding, mini-golf, crafts, and hiking. There are children's day camps at both locations. At YMCA of the Rockies, a family of four can stay for a week, waking up to mountain vistas, for under $500. And all-you-can-eat bargain meals - $9 for dinner, $5.50 for kids - are available daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Call Snow Mountain Ranch (970/887-2152, Estes Park Center at 970/586-3341,
Ralph Chan
Travel Agent
Troy, MI |
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Marco Island, a resort destination located three-and- |
a-half hours from Miami by car, offers plenty of water activities such as boating and fishing, and low-season rates in the summer. For weekend trips to the island, we found a Stay for Breakfast package at the Marco Island Marriott Resort starting at $149 per night that includes island-view accommodations and breakfast for four each morning. You can stay two nights ($298) and add a visit to the nearby Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens ($52), and a half-day dolphin watching and shelling sail tour ($135) to make a fun-filled weekend escape for a total of $485, plus taxes.
Gloria Witherspoon
Travel Writer
Philadelphia, PA
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Walt Disney World Resort doesn't discount its vacation |
packages very often, but for travel late this summer or fall, you can book a Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining, which covers accommodations, theme park passes and meals at Disney restaurants. Walt Disney World is only a four-hour drive from Miami, so taking advantage of this offer is easy for Florida families who have a few free days before school starts. A three-day package including accommodations at a Disney Value resort is about $1,000 plus taxes depending on travel dates.!
Jan Fielding
Travel Editor
Washington DC |
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The first step to quit smoking is to set a quit date. Setting a quit date |
| Cancun is easily one of the most beautiful places on earth. Believe it or not there are a tremendous amount of package deals that can be found on the cheap for a Cancun vacation. One to look at is Dreams resort. You and your loved one can have a three night/four day getaway on the pristine white sand beaches of Cancun for less than $1000!
The Dominican Republic is also one of the most affordable island getaways in the Caribbean sea. Hotel rates are extremely reasonable compared to it's neighboring islands. Most of your food and other expenses are relatively cheap.
Mavis Walters
Tour Guide
Orlando, FL
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Two things come to mind when making a Cheap Vacation |
to Europe: Hostels and Eurorail. Hostels can be found in most major European cities and offer a warm nights stay for little to no money. With a Eurorail pass, you can travel around to many different cities for a very affordable price. For less than $400 you can get a round-trip airfair from New York to Paris. If you plan it right you can use your overnight tain trips instead of a hotel and hopscotch across Europe for the cost of food and drink and your Eurorail Pass.
Kathy Hunt
Travel Consultant
Danbury, CT
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Believe it or not, Boston can make for a truly affordable vacation |
vacation since so many of the historical attractions are free and in walking distance of downtown. Airfare, if applicable, and lodging will be your primary expense. Check out the Freedom Trail while there and give your family a history lesson they will not forget! If you live in the northeast consider Amtrak to breeze up to Boston in just a few hours without the hassle of a car once you get there.
Mary Worthington
Travel Agent
Pinecrest, UT
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Denise Alvarez ,
Production Artist
Fantazzzmia |
| I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica. My airfair on SpiritAlrlines (spiritair.com) was $233 from Ft. Lauderdale to San Jose, Costa Rica, Round trip and i stayed in a Time Share Rental in San Jose for $240 for the week. I had a great time "Going Native" and eating in local restaurants. It was a great time and it cost me $800 all in. I highly recommend Costa Rica as an American-friendly destination. |
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Beth Jerkins ,
Art File Manager
Fantazzzmia |
| You can take the whole family to a State or National park for a full week for under $1000! This includes traveling by car, supplies and food. Invest in some basic outdoor cookware and pack some coolers full of food and drink to grill in the great outdoors. Just don't forget the bug repellent and plenty of batteries for the kid's various electronic gadgets. The other thing that is essential in the American outback is a cell phone that works. Check with your phone service provider to determine if they have coverage in the area you are planning to visit. As for food, I recommend that you buy as much of it near the campsite as you can. You would be amazed at how much you can save on gas if you keep your car as light as possible. Foodstuffs are the heaviest items you will carry on vacation by far. Happy camping. |
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Debbie Fong ,
Legal Dept.
Fantazzzmia |
If you don't mind the cold here is a low cost vacation that is way cool. In Cochran, located in Ontario, Canada, you and your family can stay in an actual igloo mad of snow and ice. Now, I know what you're thinking..."cold!" Actually, the igloos are cozy and supplied with modern amenities. They are designed to keep warm on the inside when it's cold outside. What an adventure! Check the major discount airlines for the best deals in airfare such as AirTran, Southwest, and JetBlue.
My family and I had a great time and when we came back and started showing our vacation pictures around, everybody wanted to hear the stories. |
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