LIVE

Travel

America's Best
Family Getaways

WANT TO HUNT FOR GHOSTS? CLIMB INTO A TREE HOUSE?

CRUISE THE CARIBBEAN? CHECK OUT THESE BUDGET-FRIENDLY
DESTINATIONS EVERYONE IS SURE TO ENJOY.

'n' About
| Out
1Treesort
Treehouse
Takilma, Ore.

Have your kids always wanted a

tree house? Surprise them with
a trip to this 36-acre getaway
in Southern Oregon. Nestled at
the tops of trees, family-friendly
cabins provide the perfect escape. With zip lines, horseback
riding, rafting and arts and crafts
classes, there's something for
everyone to enjoy. Winter rates
start at $60 per night, including
continental breakfast; Treehouses.com.

2| Ace Hotel

Attention, hipster families! Portland is the new capital of cool.

A low-cost Southwest flight is
a cinch for West Coasters. The
Ace Hotel Portland scores big
with kids, who love the in-room
V I S I T E B O N Y. C O M /

turntable, vinyl record collection

and the myriad of other vintage
accessories. Hop on the energyefficient Streetcar to experience
December's Holiday Ale Fest,
a fiveday celebration that
features more than 40 of the
Pacific Northwest's besttasting suds, and finish the night off
at the annual Christmas Ship
Parade, featuring a fleet of 55 to
60 brightly lit boats that stages
performances on the Willamette
and Columbia rivers during the
holiday season; AceHotel.com/
Portland.

3| California

From San Francisco to Los

Angeles

Portland, Ore.

74

The classic family road trip

never fails to inspire. One cantmiss journey is Californias
Highway 1, a coastal route from
San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Splurge by renting a plush Mer-

OCTOBER 2013

cedes GL-class SUV with LCD

screens for DVDs and Spotify
playlists. Make surprise stops
along the way to visit Monterey
Bay Aquarium and even take
TMZ's celebrity-spotting tour
in L.A. Relax at Hyatt Carmel
Highlands and sip local wines
overlooking Big Sur coast while
the kids rent mountain bikes.
A day trip to Hearst Castle is
a must: Celebs such as Greta
Garbo and Cary Grant used to
hole up in the 115-room palace
overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Kids will be especially blown
away by the indoor Roman Pool,
with its 23-kt.-gold-leaf tiles;
Highlandsinn.hyatt.com.

Verde
4| Tanque
Ranch
Tucson, Ariz.

A trip to Tucson will fulfill your

Old West dreams. Saddle up and
explore the desert on one of the
ranch's 180 horses, and get tips
from experienced guides and
wranglers. Seventy-degree November days are the norm and
a perfect backdrop for the daily
kids' camp for ages 4 through
12 to develop horse-riding skills.
After your ride, slip off your
boots to hike, swim, fish and hit
the basketball courts for some
one-on-one or relax at the spa;
Tanqueverderanch.com.

TANQUE: GRADDY PHOTOGRAPHY

inding a vacation spot

that pleases the entire
family can be difficult,
not to mention pricey.
Never fear: We've done
the work for you! These
days, family-friendly resorts provide a load
of options, for parents. They can keep the
tots (and teens!) entertained, unwind with
their spouses or enjoy the fabulous North
American outdoorsfrom sea to ski slopes.
Competing with modern resorts, cool and
curated family road trips have also upped
the ante in entertainment: mountain biking
in the forest, touring haunted houses, and
spotting A-list celebrities.
Whether you want to blow the bank
account or stick to the budget, grab the
kids and escape to one of these awesome
American destinations.

LIVE

Travel
7

5
6

5| Ritz-Carlton,
Bachelor Gulch
Beaver Creek, Colo.

If youre looking for a great family

ski lodge for the upcoming season, we have you covered. Set
right on the mountain at Beaver
Creek, the Ritz-Carlton has
ski nannies who will shepherd
your brood to the slopes while
you decompress with a private
yoga lesson. When they're not
off on a treasure hunt, kids will
love hanging out with Bachelor,
the Colorado ski lodges friendly
Labrador retriever. Plus, there's
plenty of advanced terrain for
the more adventurous skiers;
Ritzcarlton.com.

6| Whiteface
Lodge
Lake Placid, N.Y.

Ditch the dirty city snow by

renting a Zipcar to drive up to
Lake Placid. From the rustic
timber design to the Adirondack
landscape, the family will love
the complete change of scenery

76

V I S I T E B O N Y. C O M /

of Whiteface Lodge. Dad can

indulge in the selection of 25
single-malt scotches while the
tweens head to the 10-pin bowling alley and Mom takes crosscountry ski lessons. Boredom
isn't an issue with the fun-filled
menu of group activities: hiking,
canoeing, kayaking, spin fishing,
fly fishing, rock climbing, snowshoeing, ice fishing and even
dog sledding; TheWhiteFaceLodge.com.

| Kingsmill
Resort

Williamsburg, Va.

Want the theme park experience without the crowds and

hour-long wait times for rides?
Grab your family and head to

OCTOBER 2013

Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, with its River Pool complex

complete with water slide, inner tubing, chaise lounges and
sandy beach. It's a no-brainer
for spring breakin case you're
planning ahead. When the crew
is wrinkly from swimming, the
family packages include complimentary shuttles to Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement
park and historical Colonial
Williamsburg. Mom and Dad, try
a new couple's activity. Renting
a pair of Segways will make for
a one-of-a-kind sunset stroll,
ahem, roll; Kingsmill.com.

8| Ghostbusting
in Savannah
Savannah, Ga.

ATLiens, get a change of scenery with an in-state holiday to

Savannah. With milder temperatures, it gets the best of
both seasons as summer turns

to fall. Visitors flock here during

the Halloween season for the
ghost-steeped history, taking
haunted city tours, roaming
Bonaventure Cemetery, and
staying in spirit-inhabited B&Bs
such as the Olde Harbour Inn.
Ghosts or not, the eerie backdrop of Savannah will also set
the stage for a U.S. history lesson. The city was a battleground
during the American Revolution;
was overtaken during the Civil
War; and has weathered hurricanes, fires and two outbreaks
of yellow fever; OldeHarbourInn.com.

9| MSC Cruises
Caribbean

Hop aboard a cruise to The

Bahamas, St. Kitts, Barbados,
Martinique or Jamaica, and
avoid the hassle of flights. With
rates as low as $219 for fall and
winter three-night cruises, kids
can enjoy daytime excursions,
bowling or theater performances while Mom rejuvenates
in yoga class and Dad hits the
Blackjack table. Plus, kids 11 and
under sail free, and children 12 to
17 sail at a reduced rate on MSC
Cruises in the Caribbean; MSCcruisesusa.com.