Planning your vacation: fun spots at home and abroad

Ebony, May, 1989

PLANNING YOUR VACATION Fun Spots At Home And Abroad

Whether it's thrills or relaxation you seek, now is the time to convert your dreams into reality

IMAGINE a vacation hot spot bursting at the seams with hospitality, charm and adventure. Consider the consummate hideaway, perfect accommodations, delicious cuisines and cool, romantic evenings. Anyone can turn summer into his or her own idyllic illusion, but you can make it reality by taking advantage of vacation offerings that are tailored to your individual needs and pocketbooks.

Whether you wish to go on vacation to relax, to be entertained, to visit someplace new, to meet new and exciting people; or for adventure, romance, shopping or cultural enrichment, you can find exactly what you are looking for, either abroad or right here at home. Every state in the union has the appeal of a vacation destination. Alabama, for example, offers a range of activities--from hiking and backpacking in mountainous areas of the northern part of the state to swimming in the surf on the Gulf Coast.

Illinois, too, lures the visitor with enticements that include recreational activities at the Shawnee National Forest in the southern region and river cruises that depart quiet cities along the Mississippi. In addition, a swing through the state's entertainment hub in Chicago provides a unique slant on summer fun.

Boasting 3,000 miles of Great Lakes coastline, Michigan is celebrating its geographical advantage by showcasing special summertime festivals to attract sports enthusiasts and families alike. But planned entertainment is hardly necessary for the visitor who wants to tee off at any of Michigan's 600 public golf courses, or for anglers to try their luck with some 150 varieties of fish that inhabit 40,000 square miles of Great Lakes waters, 36,000 miles of rivers and 11,000 inland lakes.

Missouri, on the other hand, features heavily wooded hills for camping, hiking or exploring, as well as water-based recreational activities. Likewise, Colorado, which is an established haven for recreationists, offers cycling, jeeping, horseback riding, wind surfing, hunting, fishing and the world's largest open-air hot springs swimming pool at Glenwood Springs.

Virtually every summertime event or facility in Massachusetts is popular with tourists. Repertory theater at Berkshire, symphony music at Tanglewood and food and dance festivals everywhere, coupled with trips to renowned Martha's Vineyard, Boston's venerable museums and the Black Heritage Trail explain why the state is perennially a hot ticket for vacationers.

For those who prefer things a bit more exotic, the Caribbean is an ideal vacation spot. Summer is an off-peak travel period, and the Bahamas can become your very own playground. Southward, the U.S. Virgin Islands beckon travelers with some of the finest beaches in the world and duty-free shopping for bargain hunters. Barbados, the easternmost island in the Caribbean, serves up calypso music, flying fish, spectacular caves, superb golf courses and family-style hospitality.

Bermuda has a quaint 18th-century British charm all its own. A mere hop from New York's Kennedy Airport, the tiny Atlantic island is free of poverty, illiteracy and pollution. Its wealth of attractions include a submarine trip in 100 feet of water, which affords riders a fish-eye's view of historical shipwrecks and marine life. Aruba, too, prides itself on its underwater attractions. This summer the former Dutch island's magnetism also will focus on the second annual jazz and Latin music festival at Mansur Stadium. It will be held every weekend in June and will feature world-class performers.

An exotic Caribbean holiday is only a nonstop or direct flight away. Several U.S. airlines can whisk you at your convenience to the vacation destination of your choice. Among those with affordable packages are American, Delta, Eastern and United. If you prefer to vacation in the U.S., Greyhound offers a Money Saver fare for $59 oneway with just a 30-day advance purchase requirement. And, depending on your region of travel, Amtrak's All Aboard America coach fares range from $159 to $299.

PHOTO : Grant Park, flanked by Lake Michigan and the famed Chicago skyline, is a popular

PHOTO : attraction for tourists and the hub of summer entertainment, featuring jazz, blues, pop,

PHOTO : and classical events.

PHOTO : A horse-drawn carriage departs the Grand Hotel (top) on Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw), a

PHOTO : summer resort island off the coast of Michigan between Lakes Michigan and Huron. Cars are

PHOTO : prohibited but you can also enjoy the scenic island by bicycle or on foot. Vacationers

PHOTO : (right) shop in Bridgetown, Barbados, renowned for spicy cuisine, calypso nights and warm,

PHOTO : hospitable people.

PHOTO : Explore the beauty of the deep off Aruba.

PHOTO : The Gateway Arch in St. Louis beside the Mississippi River is a main tourist attraction in

PHOTO : Missouri. The state also offers a range of outdoor activities in the Ozarks' heavily

PHOTO : wooded hills and numerous lakes. Camping, hiking and exploring are popular pastimes for