Summer getaways for the entire family

Ebony, May, 2003 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

SUMMER vacations are now served family-style! When it's time to relax, re-wind and reconnect with family, nothing brings the family together like an old-fashioned vacation.

With school a distant memory and work-related stresses on hold, take time to plan a break for family unity. One of the biggest trends of the last decade is that business travelers are bringing along the kids more frequently, blurring the line between business and pleasure travel.

As family travel trends continue to rise, hotels, airlines, even car rental locations are offering packages to accommodate families of every size and budget. Taking the children to business, church and social conventions can cut expenses. To make things even more exciting, most cities around the country are planning major summer music and cultural festivals.

Early planners will get the best rates. Special vacation discount packages to destinations in and outside of the U.S. are available through American Airlines, which offers discount vacation packages, combining air travel and hotel accommodations in one package. Check vacation specials through car rental agencies like Thrifty Car Rental and through credit unions and credit card companies that offer special vacation packages. Don't forget to check Internet Web sites and your travel agent for vacation bargains.

Beach bargains abound at island destinations and Florida coast resorts. Off-season summer rates at island destinations drop anywhere from 15 to 50 percent, compared to winter rates. The U.S. Virgin Islands offers a variety of savings at all three islands, St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, through early bookings, free night offers, in-season specials and advance purchases. For those who wish to combine island beauty with musical entertainment, don't miss the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, May 2-11, considered the premier jazz festival in the Caribbean.

But finding sun, fun and water is just as easy close to home. In the Midwest, consider Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. From calm lakes and gentle streams to rushing whitewater rapids, Wisconsin's lineup of more than 15,000 lakes and 33,000 miles of rivers are sure to please any paddlers or any anglers. Few can top the state's more than 500 festivals and summer events. Summerfest, June 26-July 6 in Milwaukee, is billed as the "World's Largest Music Festival," and offers entertainment stages that feature more than 2,500 national, regional and local acts in just 12 days. The African World Festival, Aug. 1-3, in Milwaukee along the shores of Lake Michigan is another popular festival. The Midwest Mecca for family travel is the Wisconsin Dells with a number of top attractions. Michigan and Illinois are two other Midwestern states with top summer family attractions. In Michigan check out summer festivals and concerts in Detroit's Riverfront venues, Hart Plaza and Chene Park. In Illinois, Chicago has the famous Taste of Chicago, June 27-July 6, and other summer festivals in Grant Park.

Farther south Kentucky offers Southern hospitality and charm. This year Corvette lovers and car buffs will be heading to the state June 29-30 for the Corvette 50th Anniversary Celebration. Festivities are planned at the Corvette plant and the National Corvette Museum, both in Bowling Green, Ky. Big plans are also underway to open the Muhammad Ali Center in 2004. This 93,000-square-foot facility will not only honor the boxing legend and Louisville, Ky. native, but will be a center dedicated to promoting peace by teaching alternatives to violence.

For more family fun in Kentucky don't miss two popular state festivals--the W.C. Handy Blues & Barbeque Festival, June 11-14 in Henderson, Ky, and the Bowling Green International Festival, Sept. 27 in Bowling Green, Ky.

From Kentucky take a detour to Washington, D.C., for the opening of the new City Museum, May 15. The Museum is the only one of its kind dedicated to the history of the District and its residents since the 1700s. Some specific items of interest in its collection include sports memorabilia (including photos and artifacts from some of the first integrated and African-American baseball teams), Freedom Papers, and items belonging to early 19th century African-American business owners.

From D.C. point the family south to Atlanta for the nation's largest free jazz festival, the 26th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, May 1-26, celebrating 26 days of jazz and more than 100 entertainers performing in nightclubs, parks, restaurants, concert halls and bookstores throughout the city.

From Atlanta head straight to the Sunshine State for summer family fun. The Lee Island Coast--Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva islands--in southwest Florida has consistently topped national surveys of top family vacation spots. While the area has something for everyone, the most popular attraction has been its 50 miles of unspoiled beaches.

It won't take much to lure the littlest travelers from the beach to one of Florida's best-known attractions--Walt Disney World. Summer fun sizzles at the Vacation Kingdom with two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, open daily during the summer vacation season.