n T I o n PiLAn An nI ei.

 ~ A Caribbean Today special feature


It can be wonderful fun taking Spring Break with the kids


 EILEEN OGINTZ
Anne and Jim Stewart
 and their two teenagers
 are happily counting
down the days till their
Jamaica Spring Break.
 They're not rich or crazy
to take a vacation when every-
one is cutting back. In fact,
they almost didn't go this year,


Brown, senior editor at
Travelocity.com Her tip: Book
an air-hotel package and save
$300 or more. She likes San
Diego (www.sandiego.org) with
plenty of kid-friendly attrac-
tions, a 10 percent decrease in
airfare and a whopping 17 per-
cent decrease for hotel rooms
in March and April.
 Even the national parks


There are many activities in the Caribbean for kids and adults.


says Anne, a Connecticut
physical therapist. Yet, despite
the recession, they didn't want
to forgo the opportunity for
some much-needed family
time.
 "It won't be too long
before the kids are off to col-
lege and won't want to be with
us," she explained.
 So the family compro-
mised. Instead of a full week,
they're going for just five days.
And a web search yielded a
terrific deal at an all-inclusive
resort so there shouldn't be
many extra expenses just
$3,000, including flights for the
four of them.
 The best part: "The kids
are really excited about going
and being with us," said
Stewart.
 As we count down to
Spring Break in March and
April, a lot of you are telling
your kids, "Not this year!" 79
percent of those surveyed by
TripAdvisor (www.tripadvi-
sor.com), in fact. But maybe
it's time to think again. We all
need a break from all the
gloom and doom even the
First Family. Michelle Obama
told People magazine recently
that her family will be heading
off on a family Spring Break
this month.

AFFORDABLE
 They haven't said where
they're going, but you can get
away, too whatever your
budget or wherever you'd like
to take the kids you'll be sur-
prised at what you can afford
this year.
 "We haven't seen deals like
this in years," said Genevieve


have gotten into the act. Every
"A" on a report card earns $10
off the room rate (up to $30)
at the Grand Canyon
(www.grandcanyonlodges. com
). (Use the code STAY4A.)
You'll find plenty of bargains
at state parks, too.
 And by traveling you'll be
doing your bit to help the
economy. Consider that almost
200,000 jobs were lost in the
travel industry last year and,
according to the United States
Department of Commerce,
another 250,000 will be lost
this year. All of those waiters
and cooks, hotel maids and
front desk clerks have families
too. And they'll thank you.
 Take your pitchers and
third basemen to Spring
Training either in Florida
(www.floridaspringtraining.com)
or Arizona
(www.cactusleague.com) where
tickets are a lot cheaper than
major league stadiums and your
little leaguers might get close
enough to get an autograph.
The best part: flights and hotels
cost less than last year, notes
Brown.
 Check out deals in
Arizona at Best Western's
Dobson Ranch Inn in Mesa,
(www. dobsonranch inn. cornn,
which include breakfast, or the
just-renovated Westward Look
Resort in Tucson (www. west-
wardlook.com) where you can
check out the night critters in
the desert with special goggles,
go horseback riding or laze at
the pool when you're not try-
ing to catch a fly ball.
 Sarasota
(www.sarasotaftlorg), mean-
while, is celebrating the final


Spring Training season with the
Cincinnati Reds before they
head to Arizona and offers
plenty of appealing hotel deals.

DEALS
 "We're seeing three times
as many hotel promotions
now," added Orbitz.com


spokesman Jeanenne
Tornatore, with plenty of rooms
to be had for under $100 a night
across the country. There are
also plenty of deals on condo
rentals so you can save more on
meals, and even invite a friend
along for your teen (www.vaca-
tionrentals.com), orbitz com)


or (www.Zonder.com). You'll
even find plenty of deals and
freebies in Orlando with their
new Bundles of Free Smiles
campaign (www.bundlesof-
freesmiles.com) and packages at
Walt Disney World (disney-

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 12)


www.AirJa maica .com* 1.800.523.5585
 A d r~ h, kl ;, u I l % AWyndrnd mu igh w miqh gof oon nd 1m-iwi ln ,ot


March 2009


CARIBBEAN TODAY


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