AUTUMN LONG WEEKENDS
Vacation Duration Three days each
Your Assignment Pretend it's still summer and hit the beach
The water remains warm enough for splashing, and the dreaded towel-space encroachers of
summer are gone. Now's the time to spread out: set up a volleyball net, play tidal-flat
touch football, and build a driftwood bonfire (first nab a permit from the town
hall).
THREE A+ BEACHES IN AUTUMN
Menemsha, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Is that James Taylor tossing his dog a Frisbee? You never know who you'll run into on
this calm west-end stretch—perfect for shallow wading, surf casting, and sunset
picnics. A short stroll takes you to Menemsha Inn Cottages (508/
645-2521; menemshainn.commenemshainn.com; doubles from $145; cottages from
$210), a gray-shingled compound on 14 acres bordered by stone walls and roses.
Ocracoke Island
North Carolina
Migrating songbirds fill the sky above this southern Outer Banks island, and ocean storms
litter the 16-mile-long Atlantic beach with shells—watch for the elusive egg-shaped
Scotch bonnet! The waterfront suites at Captain's Landing Hotel, Dockage &
Suites (252/928-1999; thecaptainslanding.com; suites from $210) put you right on
Silver Lake, Ocracoke's historic harbor.
Orchard Beach State Park
Manistee, Michigan
In the fall, there's terrific steelhead and salmon fishing at this Lower Peninsula
preserve on Lake Michigan—with soft sand and grassy campsites—just north of
the Victorian lumber town of Manistee. 231/723-7422; michigandnr.com; campsites, $24;
four-person cabin, $45.
THANKSGIVING
Vacation Duration Five days
Your Assignment Give thanks for a chance to get away
Thanksgiving is a terrific but often overlooked time to carve out a real
vacation—and you don't have to skip the cranberry sauce or the postfeast nap.
HOTELS THAT TALK TURKEY
Hotel Colorado
Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Check into this 1890's castle for the T-day brunch buffet and annual Pageantry of Lights
(November 24, 7 p.m.), when the switch is thrown on some 200,000 holiday bulbs and
animated displays. Don't miss a soak in the giant hot springs pool across the
street—so welcome after some early-season skiing at nearby Sunlight
Mountain Resort (970/945-7491; sunlightmtn.com), a cozy mom-and-pop alternative to Aspen, 41
miles up the road. 800/544-3998; hotelcolorado.com; doubles from $145.
The Breakers
Palm Beach, Florida
What's new at the glamorous 560-room mansion is a free-form family pool surrounded by
posh day-use bungalows with chaises, bathrooms, flat-screen TV's, Wi-Fi connections, and
refrigerators. On the docket for Thanksgiving weekend: family football on the lawn and
laser tag in the ballroom. 888/273-2537; thebreakers.com; doubles from $560.
Hotel del Coronado
Coronado Island, California
Seaside ice-skating, anyone? This San Diego institution serves up dinner buffets with
live classical music in its ballroom and waterside Crown Room, and opens its artfully lit
oceanfront outdoor rink for skating sessions daily. 800/468-3533; hoteldel.com; doubles from
$295.
WINTER BREAK
Vacation Duration Ten to 16 days
Your Assignment Give each other the gift of a reunion
Instead of exchanging presents, pool your clan's resources and organize a grand getaway.
FAMILY ASSEMBLY SPOTS
The YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch
Winter Park, Colorado
This 5,000-acre spread in the heart of Winter Park's alpine and Nordic ski country ranks
high for active groups. 970/887-2152; ymcarockies.org; lodge rooms from $45; cabins from $150.
Tanque Verde Ranch
Tucson, Arizona
Welcome to Reunion Central. The all-inclusive
resort in the Sonora desert foothills, just at the eastern edge of Tucson, has riding
for all ages and skill levels, as well as guided single-track mountain biking, tennis,
swimming, and kids' programs for ages 4 to 11. All that, and singing cowboys, too.
800/234-3833; tanqueverderanch.com; doubles from $420.
Holland America Line
Cruises—great for clans who want a big menu of activities but leeway to spend the
day in a lounge chair—now offer reunion packages. HAL's program includes group
portraits and, for qualifying families, one upgrade from an outside stateroom to one with
a veranda. 877/724- 5425; hollandamerica.com; five-cabin minimum, from $1,099 per cabin for a
five-day cruise.
MIDWINTER BREAK
Vacation Duration Nine days
Your Assignment Take a Caribbean quickie!
By this time in the school year, you're ready to bust out. Easy-access islands make it
easy. Leave home at breakfast, be poolside for lunch.
THREE SENSATIONAL SANDBOXES
Sunshine Suites Resort
Grand Cayman
Cheery, freshly renovated digs with kitchens are across the road from famed Seven Mile
Beach and only 10 minutes from the airport. 877/786-1110; sunshinesuites.com; doubles from $218.
Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus
La Romana, Dominican Republic
On the southeast shore of this mountainous nation, and only 25 minutes from La Romana
airport, the 500-room beachfront resort in seven Spanish Colonial-style buildings has
something rare in an all-inclusive: excellent food. 809/688 3600; iberostar.com; doubles from
$230.
Atlantis Resort
Paradise Island, Bahamas
The 2,000-room mega- resort, 10 miles from Nassau's airport, has added baby
amenities—including pronto delivery of extra crib sheets and strollers—to
its impressive list of family perks. 888/528-7155; atlantis.com; doubles from $370.
SPRING BREAK
Vacation Duration Nine days
Your Assignment Go where the grass is greener.
Add biodiversity to your child's vocabulary with a visit to some of the world's lushest
and most eco-conscious regions.
THREE GREAT JUNGLE LODGES
Lapa Rios Ecolodge
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
On the Pacific Coast's pristine Osa Peninsula, 16 thatched bungalows are scattered
across a steep, forested hillside populated by monkeys and scarlet macaws.
800/886-2609; laparios.com;
doubles from $390.
Morgan's Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
With its years of political turmoil behind it, Nicaragua is about to be the next big
thing, thanks to virgin beaches, vast jungles, active volcanoes, and well-situated
lodges—like this two-year-old beauty on the country's west coast. Fifteen cliff-top
bungalows are connected to the main lodge by a kid-thrilling 350-foot suspension bridge
(acrophobes can take a footpath). 506/232-6449; morgansrock.com; doubles from $195.
Ecolodge Rendez-Vous
Saba, Netherlands Antilles
This tiny volcanic island is all about rain forest solitude. The 12 brightly painted
cottages are solar-powered and built from recycled materials. 877/257-0524; ecolodge-saba.com; from $65 per
cottage.
MEMORIAL DAY
Vacation Duration Three days
Your Assignment Brush up on your summer skills
You'll get no guff for enrolling the family in these tutorials.
RESORT CLASSES THAT READY YOU FOR THE SEASON AHEAD
The Somerset on Grace Bay
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Guests at this new 54-suite resort can fine-tune their shoveling and sculpting skills by
enrolling in Sandcastle University, taught on the ivory sands of Grace Bay Beach; come
nightfall, everyone heads to the Lookout Tower, where there's a high-powered telescope
for stargazing. 649/946-5900; thesomerset.com; suites from $700.
Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Tee it up at this legendary golf resort. The Family Fairways program includes a one-hour
beginner or refresher clinic along with free club rental, unlimited range use, and family
tee times after 5 p.m. 800/487-4653; pinehurst.com; doubles from $300; Family Fairways program,
$175.
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa
Huntington Beach, California
Learn to hang ten at this 517-room Spanish-style oceanfront spread. The resort's Surf
City USA program offers semi-private family wave-riding lessons, taught by in-house Toes
on the Nose surf pros; $120 per person for two hours. 714/698-1234; huntingtonbeach.hyatt.com;
doubles from $265.
