Family Friendly Winter Escapes

It’s the middle of February and you've got the winter blues...TRAVEL is the cure!

Maybe somewhere on a nonstop flight that will have enough activities to occupy the children — or at least wear them out — so the grown-ups can actually relax and have some fun, too?

Banff, Alberta

For the Kids: Spotting wolf tracks on snowshoe tours, yelling “mush!” from a dogsled and trying out gentle slopes for beginner skiers and boarders. For ages 8 and up, there are also ice walks through frozen gorges. Banff Adventures Unlimited offers four-hour ice walks through Grotto Canyon, past unusual rock formations, Native rock art and icefalls (40 Canadian dollars for children 8 to 12; 62 dollars for adults; Canadian dollars are about the same in value as U.S. dollars).

For the Grown-Ups: Three ski areas (Mount Norquay, the Lake Louise Ski Area and Sunshine Village) in a Unesco World Heritage site, Banff National Park. After a day on the mountain, adults can enjoy some farm-to-table dining or soak their sore muscles in hot springs. Family rates for two adults and two children (17 and younger) at Banff Upper Hot Springs, where temperatures are kept between a steamy 98 and 104 degrees, are 22.50 dollars.

Where to Stay: The Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets, about four minutes from downtown Banff, has two indoor water slides and offers rooms with full kitchens and fireplaces, from 109 dollars a night including free unlimited use of the Town of Banff shuttle bus. The Fairmont Chateau in Lake Louise, just outside Banff, offers supervised activities in their playroom during ski season for ages 3 and up. Rates start at 279 dollars a night; children 5 and under eat free.

Getting There: Nonstops under four hours are available from major United States cities including Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago and Phoenix, into Calgary International Airport, less than two hours from most ski resorts.


Grand Cayman
For the Kids: Swimming with stingrays (Stingray City), stroking the chin of a sea turtle (Cayman Turtle Farm) or snorkeling just off shore. Or visit the Blue Iguana Recovery Program, which offers “safari tours” for spotting the rare creatures ($10; free for children 12 and under) at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.

For the Grown-Ups: Lounging in hammocks under great pine trees (Rum Point) and spectacular diving. The newest dive site is the U.S.S. Kittiwake, a submarine rescue ship, which the Cayman Islands government submerged off the coast of Seven Mile Beach last year for tourists to explore and for wildlife to inhabit.

Where to Stay: Sunshine Suites Resort, a short walk from the beach, has suites with two queen beds, a full kitchen and dining area from $220 a night including Internet. The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa on Seven Mile Beach has a Kids’ Club and offers water sports through its Red Sail Sports program. Rates start at $349 a night.

Getting There: Nonstop flights of less than four hours are available from several East Coast cities including New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Miami.

Miami

For the Kids: Feeding parrots at Jungle Island, spotting manatees from glass-bottom boats (Biscayne National Park), and easy biking along shoreline trails. Miami Beach has a bike sharing program with stations all over the city. A two-hour rental is $10.

For the Grown-Ups: Beach yoga, Art Deco gems and loads of shopping, dining and night-life options. There are also free outdoor evening “Wallcast” concerts and movies projected onto a 7,000-square-foot wall of the Frank Gehry designed New World Center.

Where to Stay: Fontainebleau Miami Beach has 10 pools, a 40,000-square-foot spa, two nightclubs, and Kids Night Out programs on weekend evenings. Rooms start at $489 a night. Hotel Urbano at Brickell is a 65-room art-inspired hotel in downtown Miami with a pool. The hotel offers discounts for Miami Seaquarium and boutique shops within Mary Brickell Village, a nearby open-air promenade. Room rates start at $209.

Getting There: Nonstop flights from more than 130 United States cities.

Mont Tremblant

Ski Resort, Quebec

For the Kids: Three beginners’ ski areas and lessons (from 95 Canadian dollars) for ages 3 and up, plus ice-skating, snowshoeing and sleigh-riding. Ages 3 and up can go dog sledding for between 83 and 142 dollars a person for a two-hour excursion by booking online or stopping by the resort’s activity center, located in the pedestrian village.

For the Grown-Ups: Ninety-five trails and a casino that is a short gondola ride away. Just off-site, you can spend the day soaking in thermal waters at the Nordic-themed Scandinave Spa from 48 dollars a person; massages start at 128 dollars. French cafes and a village-style atmosphere will make you feel like you’re “in the Alps,” said Kyle McCarthy, editor at FamilyTravelForum.com, who has visited the resort with her own family.

Where to Stay: Hotel rooms within the pedestrian village start at about 170 dollars a night from Feb. 20 to March 16, including free ice-skate rentals, tube sledding evenings and early mountain access through the resort’s first tracks program. Book before Feb. 14 for 99-dollar five-day lift tickets for ages 6 to 17.

Getting There: Porter Airlines offers nonstop flights to Mont Tremblant from New York, or you can fly to Montreal, about a 90-minute drive from the resort.

New Orleans

For the Kids: Street car rides ($1.25), cemetery tours, beignets and king cake. There are also pre-Mardi Gras parades with glittering floats and G-rated bead throwing, including one specifically for kids, the Krewe of Brid, on Friday, Feb. 3, in the Lakeview neighborhood.

For the Grown-Ups: Creole cuisine, zydeco-blaring bars, live jazz and plantation tours. For smaller crowds, better bargains and less bacchanalia, avoid Mardi Gras, which falls on Feb. 21.

Where to Stay: The Hyatt Regency New Orleans, which reopened in October after a $275 million renovation, has rooms from $189 a night. The stylish International House is near the city’s Children’s Museum and has rooms from $159 a night.

Getting There: Nonstop flights from several major United States cities, including Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and New York.

North Guanacaste,

Costa Rica

For the Kids: Surfing lessons, zip-lining through tropical forests and spotting monkeys in Rincón de la Vieja National Park. Guanacaste Tours offers a range of family-friendly adventures from adrenaline-pumping canopy tours ($40 for teenagers; $50 for adults) that involve rappelling, rock climbing, hanging bridges and zip lines in a forest canyon carved out by the Blanco River to beginner trail rides on easygoing horses ($15 for children 4 to 10; $20 for adults).

For the Grown-Ups: Hikes to waterfalls, volcano-heated thermal pools and mud baths. Try the thermal volcanic mud water pools and clear water hot springs at the Simbiosis Spa, at the Hacienda Guachipelín Hotel (entrance fee is $15). Spa treatments are reasonable, starting at $65 for an hourlong full-body massage.

Where to Stay: The Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa, an all-inclusive, all-suite beachfront resort with two free-form pools, an 18-hole golf course, four tennis courts and a spa. Rates start at $420 a night, plus $135 a night per child. Hotel Riu Guanacaste, a 701-room all-inclusive resort on Mata Palo Beach with a separate children’s pool and daily activities for ages 4 to 12, has rates from $178 per person a night and $89 per child (ages 2 to 12) a night.

Getting There: Several carriers offer nonstop flights to Liberia International Airport from major cities including Atlanta, Houston and Miami. From there it’s less an hour’s drive to the area.

Park City, Utah

For the Kids: Hot air balloon rides, horse-drawn sleigh rides and skiing and snowboarding galore. Or head to Gargoza Park, where children 3 and up can enjoy lift-served tubing hills (one-hour ride tickets start at $4 for those less than 42 inches and $8 for taller children). Children 5 to 12 can zip around in miniature snowmobiles ($10 for 10 laps).

For the Grown-Ups: Three mountain resorts (Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort and Canyons Resort) to choose from and more than 100 restaurants and bars, boutiques and galleries. In search of adrenaline-inducing activities? At Utah Olympic Park, used for the 2002 Winter Games, it costs $200 to race down the bobsled track with a pilot.

Where to Stay: Chateau Après in downtown Park City, a short walk to Park City Mountain Resort and less than five miles from Deer Valley Resort or Canyons Resort by free public transportation. Rates start at $110 a night for two people, $135 for three, and $160 for four, including daily breakfast. The Jupiter Inn, a free shuttle ride away from the slopes, has upscale one bedroom condominiums with pullout couches from $310 a night.

Getting There: Park City is about 35 minutes from Salt Lake International Airport, with nonstop flights from major cities, many of which arrive before noon.

Riviera Maya, Mexico

For the Kids: Miles of white sand beaches, freshwater caves called cenotes — complete with stalagmites and stalactites — where you can snorkel or dive, and ancient Mayan temples. Admission to the Tulum ruins, on a bluff facing the sea, is 57 pesos or about $4 at 13 pesos to the dollar, a person. Guided tours range from 500 to 700 pesos depending on group size.

For the Grown-Ups: Ditto. Adults will also appreciate some high-end pampering for less.

Where to Stay: Ana y Josée Charming Hotel & Spa in Tulum has family-friendly suites from $342 a night. Grand Velas Riviera Maya offers butler service, a 75,000-square-foot spa, a spacious infinity pool and a Kids Club. Rates start at $332 a person per night, based on double occupancy. Children up to age 12 are 2 for 1 at $105 per night.

Getting There: Several carriers offer nonstop flights into Cancún from major cities, including Atlanta, Houston and Miami. From there it’s less than an hour’s drive to resorts north of Playa del Carmen and about two and a half hours to Tulum.

San Juan, P.R.

For the Kids: Kite-flying in front of an old Spanish fortress (El Morro), feeding pigeons that inhabit the Old City walls (Parque de las Palomas), hiking to waterfalls in El Yunque rain forest, less than an hour’s drive away. Admission to El Yunque National Forest, open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., is free. El Portal Rain Forest Center, near the entrance, has interactive displays, a gift shop and restrooms, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $4; free for ages 15 and under.

For the Grown-Ups: Wandering the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, exploring the arts scene in Santurce and sunbathing on soft sand beaches. Another plus: Puerto Rico is a United States territory so passports aren’t required.

Where to Stay: The Caribe Hilton, where children under 18 stay free and children under 5 eat free, offers weekly activities situated around two swimming pools, a 17-acre tropical park and a private beach. Rates start at $249 a night for rooms with two double beds and a balcony if booked in January for travel in early February. Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort, east of San Juan near Luquillo Beach, is offering a Winter Super Sale with savings up to 40 percent off for stays of four nights or more booked by Feb. 2. Rates begin at $148 a night. I

Getting There: More than 420 weekly nonstop flights from 21 mainland cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York.

Scottsdale, Ariz.

For the Kids: Cactus-dotted nature trails in the Sonoran Desert, Indian artifacts, a railroad park with real steam locomotives, and plenty of Western-flavored activities, from cowboy-style horseback riding to visits to ghost towns like Goldfield Ghost Town, less than an hour away, which stages gunfights (free admission) on weekends. There are also, for a fee, train rides, mine tours and gold-panning demonstrations in Goldfield.

For the Grown-Ups: Gallery hopping, sunning by the pool and a high-energy night-life scene in a manageable downtown. For architecture buffs, there are also guided tours of Taliesin West, which Frank Lloyd Wright began building in 1937 as his personal winter home, studio and architectural campus, from $24 a person.

Where to Stay: The Saguaro, a new Joie de Vivre hotel with two heated outdoor pools in the heart of Old Town, is offering 100 rooms each week at $100 a night through February with promo code PROPEN. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has a kids’ clubhouse ($30 half-day; $60 full-day) for ages 5 to 12 so parents can escape to the spa or golf course. Rates from $349 a night or $369 a night with the Sip, Savor and Swing package, which comes with a $100 daily credit that can be applied to dining, spa or tennis.

Getting There: About 10 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which has nonstop flights from more than 80 United States cities.

This article was taken from the New York Times Travel Section. I hope it will get you thinking about getting out there and taking a vacation. As we all know, life is short, TRAVEL WITH LISA!