Great Ideas for a Fall Family Vacation

Okay, maybe your job or the kids sports or band camps are keeping the family from taking a traditional family summer vacation.  But that doesn't mean you can't take a family getaway.  Just because summer is over, doesn't mean the fun is over.  There is no better time than the fall to get away for a few days or even a week to savor our kids, laugh with our spouse and just enjoy time as a family.  Here are some great Fall getaway ideas that the whole family will love and always remember.

Exercise Your Ski Legs at Mountain Resorts

Before the snow falls, mountain resorts have lots of activities and lodging bargains, making them a great choice.  Mountain bike, hike together and leave some road trip time to watch the aspen change color.

Aspen, Colorado is the place to hike, mountain bike, fly fish, golf, disc golf on the highest disc golf course in North America and indulge at a spa when hotel rates are as much as 50% off in one of the most spectacular times of the year in Aspen.  Check out the guided hikes at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, enjoy yoga on Aspen Mountain, and enjoy some of the best food and shopping around.

This fall make Sugarbush Resort in Warren,VT part of your scenic foliage getaway.  Daily activities include golf at Sugarbush's Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed course, lunch and apres at Hogan's Pub, and hiking  along the Long Trail in the majestic Green Mountains.  Weekend and holidays through Columbus Day bring scenic lift rides on top of Dadd Peak, disc golf on two 18-hole courses and over 20 miles of lift-served mountain biking.  Kids activities include splinting and bouncing - both on the bungee trampoline and in the inflatable course.

Jackson, Wyoming is the gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and fall is an ideal time to visit - after the summer crowds are gone.  Unlike other snow resorts, Jackson is busier in the summer the the winter.  Explore Grand Teton National Park with an expert from the Teton Science Schools and see the wildlife in Yellowstone.  Go horseback riding and experience the authentic Wyoming ranching culture.  Ride the tram up at Jackson Hole snow resort and mountain bike or hike down.

Kick Back at a Island Resort

You'll find top values, warm weather, world class beaches, and fun seasonal festivals on the major Caribbean islands, and lower cost flights in the shoulder season between Labor day and Thanksgiving. The combination makes traveling to the islands a great family getaway, whether for a quick weekend or even for a week during a fall school break.

With three locations in Turks & Caicos and Jamaica, Beaches Resorts is the ultimate family getaway with waterparks, XBOX Play Lounge, the Scratch DJ Academy, exclusive Kids Camps, teen nightclubs, Certified Nannies, Butler service, and Red Lane Spas.  Beaches has been partnered with Sesame Street - little ones can spend time with their favorite friends from the Sesame Street gang with daily activities and weekly stage shows.

Take the whole family for a long weekend in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands - no passports are required.  A little closer to home, the city of Nassau in the Bahamas is serviced from most major U.S. airports, and allows you quick access to world class Atlantis Resort, which offers something great for the entire family, and is located on Paradise Island.  For something more exotic, head for an outer island of the Bahamas and  "Two Fly Free from Nassau".

Just be mindful that Fall is also the height of the Caribbean hurricane season.  Don't let that ruin your family vacation plans. Check what kind of hurricane plan your hotel has, and look into purchasing low cost travel insurance; which will cover your costs if something did happen.

Cruise From a Home Port Near Your Home

You have some 30 ports to choose from and you can go for a long weekend or  a week, whether you want to head to Bermuda from New Jersey, up to Canada from Boston or New York, the Caribbean from Galveston or Florida or Mexico from California.  Check with your travel professional; great shoulder season deal are available and you might still be able to snare a deal for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

And whether your kids are not in school yet or you're looking for an adult getaway, opt for a cruise  on a luxury liner instead of a driving trip to see the best of the fall foliage.  With luxurious dining, accommodations, entertainment and activities in the price, it is an experience you will truly love.  Many of the major cruise lines sail special New England and Canada itineraries at this of year.  Princess Cruises offers great and really memorable 7 on the Regal Princess and 10 night itineraries on the Caribbean Princess from New York in the Fall.

Norwegian Cruise Line is a great way for a family to enjoy a cruise.  The cruise line's newest ships; the Norwegian Breakaway sailing from New York to Bermuda and the Caribbean and the Norwegian Getaway; sail year-round from Miami to the Caribbean are made for families.  Both have some of the largest water parks at sea complete with a splash zone for the littlest cruisers, huge sports complexes, Broadway productions, Nickelodeon Characters and over two dozen different dining options.

Disney Cruise Line sets the standard for family cruises.  Sailing from Galveston as well as Florida and the West Coast some at certain times during the Fall.  You'll find a nursery at sea, all the characters and princesses your kids want to see and first-rate kids and teen facilities and programming including for Halloween this year.  Plus you get the accommodations and service which Disney is known for, and everyone loves Disney's private island.

Want the Ultimate Golf Vacation? Take a Cruise!

        

       My husband has really developed a passion for the the game of golf.    He is always telling me about some golf course we should play when we are planning a vacation.  Lately we have been discussing a return visit to the state of Hawaii, and of course his criteria for what island to visit depends on what course he has been reading about or seen on the Golf Channel.  If you or your significant other are as golf crazy as my husband;  imagine yourself in Hawaii  teeing off on a course that winds through mango forests, lagoons and along ocean cliffs.  Sipping drinks at the 19th hole as you watch a Maui sunset.  Walking in the footsteps of Tiger Woods at Poipu Bay surrounded by acres of oceanfront beauty.  Or lining up a putt with with the peak of Kaua's legendary Bali Hai in the distance.  If the idea of playing some the playing some of the greatest golf courses on the different islands of Hawaii sounds like a dream vacation to you, ( or even if you just want to visit the different islands), then I have the perfect trip for you.  In addition, the entire trip will take a week of your valuable time.

       Norwegian Cruise Line offers offers golfers a fantasy vacation with their Golf Hawai'i program, aboard their ship Pride of America. The ship sails year round from Honolulu on 7 night cruises to the Big Island of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai.  While the cruise itself is great and economic way to experience the islands of Hawaii, the Golf Hawai'i program allows your golfer to indulge their golf fantasies on some of the world's most fabulous courses.  Norwegian's Golf Hawai'i lines up the perfect the perfect golf and their world famous Freestyle Cruising vacation - and you don't even have to bring your clubs.  

       For one all inclusive price you get a great cruise on a ship that offers tons of things for the whole family to do, in an relaxed atmosphere where you do not need to bring formal wear or be fixed to a set dining schedule.  For the golfer, the cost of program also includes paid green fees, carts, and priority tee times at some of the top golf courses in Hawaii, and the opportunity to play rounds on the islands of Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, and the garden island of Kauai.  In addition, the program includes prepaid transfers between ship and courses, certified golf instruction with a trained golf professional on board the ship everyday of the cruise.  The ship also offers a sophisticated golf academy experience using V1 Digital Coaching system to help improve your game during your vacation.  The ship also has a complete Pro Shop were you can get all of your golf gear, and includes complete Nike Golf club and shoe rentals.  As the official cruise line of the PGA TOUR and the Champions Tour, Norwegian also offers special Guided VIP golf excursions with personalized expertise that are not available to the general public.

Some of the over 30 Courses on four Hawaiian Islands you have a chance to play includes; Ko'aolau Golf Course on O''ahu, rated as one of the "Top 100 Courses in the World" by Golf Magazine.  With views of cascading waterfalls, tropical rainforests, and winding ravines.  The scenery is stunning and the course a challenge to all.  On the island of Maui you can play a round at the Plantation Golf Course; home of the PGA Tour's Mercedes Championship.  On Kaua'i try the Poipu Bay course, a beautiful championship course that has been home to the PGA Grand Slam since 1994.  What ever course on any island you choose to play, the course will challenge you as much as the scenery will take your breath away, and leave you with a golf experience you will never forget.  

       So if your looking for the ultimate golf vacation, and do not have a great deal of time, this may just be for you.  In addition, for the non golfers in your life, the islands offer something for everyone, from surfing, to beach to mountains, in some of the best weather and on some of the best islands on the planet.  From the golfer to the casual visitor to Hawaii, if you want to experience the best of Hawaii on a great ship, this may be the perfect way to enjoy the perfect vacation.