Caneel Bay, St Johns Virgin Islands

Once a favored getaway for Laurance Rockefeller and family, this 170-acre island paradise is tucked within the Virgin Islands National Park, a protection made possible by Rockefellar’s land donation to the government in 1956.

 

Need we say more?

Fresh air. Dirty hands.

Consider a farm stay?

Grab the sunscreen. Gather the towels and beach books. Yes, it's goodbye snow. And, hello warm, sandy beaches. As readers share their favorite beaches, get ready to choose from this list or share your own special spots. 

 

1. Club Med, Punta Cana. Dominican Republic.

“There was something about relaxing on that beautiful stretch of white sand beach with the coconut palms swaying in the breeze. I think about it all the time,” muses Dayton, Ohio-based Diana Duncan. Her two children loved the children’s club that included a slew of age appropriate activities.

Diana and her husband Matt took to the trapeze, learning circus skills, when not kayaking, playing tennis or building sand castles on the beach with the kids. “My only regret,” admits Duncan, “is that I ate way too much of their famous white chocolate bread!”

Contact: www.clubmed.us

2. Bal Harbour, FL.

Susan and Rich Andrews have been traveling to South Florida every year for decades. “Our long time family favorite is Bal Harbour because there is something for everyone.” 

A luxurious seaside enclave, families take to the wide open beaches, walking paths and chic but comfortable ambience. Upscale restaurants and shopping abound. The  Bal Harbour Kids Beach Camp is a collaborative partnership with the Miami Children’s Museum, and available to guests of both the Sea View Hotel  and ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa, as well as village residents and their guests. Children have the opportunity to paint, learn about international cuisine, music and how to grow a garden.

Contact:  www.balharbourflorida.com

3. Sag Harbor, NY.

“My favorite beach is still my home town stretch of sand here on Long Island,” explained Sharon Elizabeth. “The beaches on the east end of Long Island are some of the most magnificent in the world. My favorite is Sagg Beach, near Sagaponack.”

According to Elizabeth, Sagg Beach is pristine, wide and a great place for family picnics and relaxing days playing in the surf. Located near the historic whaling port of Sag Harbor, the area, widely known as “The Hamptons”, offers plenty of water-related recreation as well as top-notch dining, museums, parks and bike paths. 

Contact:  www.SagHarborGuide.com; www.sagharborchamber.com/beaches. 

4. Destin, FL. – 

When I was a child, we spent many a holiday on the white beaches of Destin and my memories are so wonderful,” explains Mary Ellis, who makes her home in Milwaukee, WI.

“As a result I was quick to take my own three children to this pristine location where there is so much for families to do! Between snorkeling, hiking, diving and just relaxing on the 24 miles of powder-soft white beaches, our family vacation never seems quite long enough,” says Ellis.

Contact: www.destin-fwb.com/Beaches/ 

Cannon Beach, OR

Maxie Wade has long enjoyed flying kites with her kids on this wide beach on the north coast of Oregon where gulls float overhead and bon-fires melt s’mores and keep the sea breeze chill at bay. Cold water temperatures mean swimmers may only get ankle deep.  Rather, families gather to collect shells, explore tide pools, watch storms roll in or stroll the day away enjoying the salt air. Just off shore and towering 235 feet over the beach, Haystack Rock is home to nesting seabirds. It is one of the largest sea stacks on America’s Pacific Coast.

Contact:  www.cannonbeach.org.

Where are you headed?

Volunteer vacations enable parents to model their most deeply held values while demonstrating compassion for others who share our place on the planet. Develop new talents, brush off rusty skills and make a difference as a family.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

I-to-I .

Choose from volunteer experiences in India, Costa Rica, Thailand and other destinations where sustainable, locally run community, environmental and educational projects will expand your family’s view of the world. Trained travel advisors share information about each country and specific projects to insure a suitable match.  Find a trip working with kids, the environment or wildlife that will blend well with the ages, interests and levels of experience within your family group. Contact: 800-985-4852; www.i-to-i.com.

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Cortez, CO.

Channel the Indiana Jones vibe and assist  professional archeologists on excavation sites  and in the lab as the quest to uncover mysteries surrounding the ancient Anasazi and Pueblo cultures continues. Ask about Family Archeology Weeks during which kids learn to make fire and sharpen skills needed for fieldwork. Pair your volunteer experience with one of a handful of educational adventure trips offered in the region by the same outfit. Contact: 800-422-8975; www.crowcanyon.org

Crooked Trails.

Learn about community-based tourism through this cross-cultural exchange that includes home-stays, family-style meals, exploration, adventure and time with locals in indigenous communities. Your trip will be fully-supported by a North American guide but you and your family members will have plenty of time to engage in service activities that range from building schools to assisting with the need of the moment in Peru, Guatamala, Kenya, India and beyond. Create a custom trip or join a scheduled outing. Contact: 206-383-9828 www.crookedtrails.com. 

You might also enjoy this teen's tale about her family's volunteer vacation.

Getting away without the kids? Consider San Francisco!

 Ten Romantic Things To Do In San Francisco

Those of us who love words were thrilled a poet was asked to participate in the Inaugural ceremonies. Richard Blanco became the fifth poet to read at a Presidential inauguration. Reports emphasized he was the youngest, first Latino, openly gay poet to act as an inaugural poet.

With the magnificent McDowell Mountains as a backdrop, families relish this oasis in the desert.

By day, keep cool within the 6000 square foot Sonoran Splash complex, featuring a zero deck area for the youngest set. Kids wade right into the water, just like at the beach.

Hit the slopes in Beavercreek where every generation of your family will have a grand time.

Kids reign supreme in this Rocky Mountain resort where plenty of ski-in, ski-out lodging simplifies the ground game. 

Consider the Osprey where the closest chair is a mere 26 paces from the door. The popular ski-school offers programs for kids of all ages.  A magic carpet and junior-sized gondola make it easy for newbies to practice their skills on the slopes. New this year is Ski Girls Rock, inspired by Olympian Lindsey Vonn and designed to instill confidence in girls seven to 16 through sports. 

Apres-ski, access family-friendly music, complimentary warm chocolate chip cookies and the chance to take a few spins around the Village ice skating rink. Don't miss the Buckaroo Bonanza Bunch, a children’s theater story time at The Ranch. This complimentary, fun, and Wild West-themed theater group puts on a quick-paced show ideal for ages 3-6.

Contact: www.Beavercreek.com. 

I don’t know why knowledge of this problem eluded me for so long. But I distinctly remember the moment, more than a decade ago, when it came front and center.

You might think I was deep in the African bush.

I was sitting in a coffee shop in Bozeman, Mt. when a young man shared with me his passion for raising money to help others have access to safe and clean water. 

“Water?"I recall asking. I’d helped raise money for food, clothes, schools, books  and medicine in the past. 

But water? Truthfully, I am embarrassed to admit I hadn’t really thought about it. 

And, you know how when you learn a new word, suddenly that letter combo seems to pop up everywhere? Well that is how it was for water. 

In short order I learned that more than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in the developing world – in places like Haiti. 

And that lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours. 

Now I can hardly fathom that of the 60 million people added to the world's towns and cities every year, most move to informal settlements (i.e. slums) with no sanitation facilities. And women and girls spend the most time collecting water.

In today’s world, how is it possible that 780 million people lack access to an improved water source; approximately one in nine people. 

I now understand that the water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. 

The next time you take a shower consider that an American taking a five-minute rinse-off uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day. 

Then consider that 2.5 times more people lack water than live in the United States.

And what does this say about our culture?

More people have a mobile phone than a toilet. 

So recently I raised some money for Water.org. (co-founded by Matt Damon) And you can too. 

Even if it is only ….one drop at a time.

PS: And if this water crisis was not on your radar before, just know, that now you are in the global loop when it comes to this five letter word. 

Ready to relax? Maybe unplug?

Visit this laid back, but luxurious, family-owned resort in Antigua for an all-inclusive experience that includes extensive water sports including water skiing, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, paddle-boating, tennis, yoga,  and sailing.

As the kids burn off energy after another delicious meal, relax in a hammock you’ll find tucked within the palm trees. Spend an afternoon at the spa where open air massages provide a perfect end to a sports-filled day. 

Does your family have a bucket list?

Before you get busy creating a list of destinations, consider these questions first.

Movie magic and travel combine for family fun in Virginia with  The Lincoln Movie Trail.

“LINCOLN,” directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, was shot in its entirety in Virginia at sites in Richmond and Petersburg. 

The state tourism office has created a self-guided trail and interactive Web site to help your family’s movie and history buffs visit the actual film locations as well as restaurants, bars and shops that were favorites of the stars and crew.

The trail experience includes special “LINCOLN” movie tours by Segway, trolley and guided walking tours.You can also stay at The Jefferson Hotel and dine at the same restaurants as the “LINCOLN” stars. 

Visit www.Virginia.org/LINCOLN to learn more about The Lincoln Movie trail.