Family Vacation News and Deals

Expedia: Best Price Guarantee
Expedia.com has extended its Best Price Guarantee to all the types of travel it sells: air, car, hotel, vacation packages, cruises, the works. If you find a better price within 24 hours of booking on Expedia.com, the company will refund the difference and throw in a $50 coupon too. (There are some exceptions, and other small print.)

Summer Vacation Idea: Ohio -Geocaching & Great Outdoors

Ohio's Salt Fork State Park --an easy drive from Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh-- has 20,000 acres, two marinas, historic Kennedy Stone House, and the Salt Fork Lodge, which has dreamed up some fun family packages for summer-time.

In addition to its usual outdoors activities -- which include pool, lake, golf, tennis, and painballing-- this summer Salt Fork State Park Resort will offer "geocaching" packages.

Geocaching is a kind of high-tech treasure hunt, using GPS (Global Positioning Systems.) Caches are hidden in a waterproof container with a logbook; the cache itself has no value, beyond the satisfaction of getting your hands on it after following a set of clues.

Packages are available April 1 through Oct. 31 2006, and the resort will provide guests with a hand-held GPS. See details...

Group-booking for Cruises
Whether you call it "togethering", or "multi-household travel", more and more families and friends are taking dream vacations together-- which can make logistics nightmarish. Disney and others have developed online booking tools, and now Carnival Cruise lines has joined the trend with its group planning tools.

Hefty Air Credits, at all-inclusive FDR Resort
Franklyn D. Resort and FDR Pebbles are mid-sized all-inclusives in Jamaica with one very special difference from other AI's: also included is a friendly vacation nanny for each family. A "Fly Free" deal offers air credits, for travel Feb. 24 to April 7: from $250 to $500 per adult, depending on length of stay.

Winter Vacation Idea: SnowFest at Cooperstown
February 16 - 19, 2006 is Snow Fest weekend at Cooperstown in upstate NY, and the highlight is the NY State Snow Sculpting Championship. Other fun: x-country skiing (on Leatherstocking Golf Course), tubing, runs, ice skating, horse-drawn sleighs...

Southwest to Disney World
Southwest Airlines Vacations are often a good choice for budget-minded families, and this promotion offers a savings of $75 per reservation for getaways to that top family destination, Disney World. Package includes a stay at a Disney World Resort -- which brings many perks, including Extra Magic Hours at the theme parks-- and admission passes.