Loews Hotels Provide Halloween Costumes for Week of Fun

We love the family-friendly Loews hotels all year, but how cool is it to spend a week in one of them at Halloween, and get a costume thrown in too?

This Halloween season, guests at Loews Hotels can R.I.P. in the comfort of a Spooky Suite and mask themselves in specialty costumes from Party City, the go-to Halloween supply store. Party City’s Costume Concierge will assist in styling adults, children and pets with the alter ego of their choice from an exclusive Costume Catalogue featuring an array of bewitching looks for guests.

The Loews Hotel Spooky Suite package is available October 25-31 and features:

• A stay in a Halloween-themed suite, Loot bag with tricks and treats, ghoulish amenity upon check-in plus a selection of costumes from the Costume Catalogue Options including:
• (Costumes for Adults) Harry Potter themed costumes, Greek warrior/Olympic goddess and hippie couple   
• (For Children) loyal knight, flight suit, lil sheriff, referee, purple witch and garden fairy 
• (For Tiny Travelers)  baby pumpkin, baby sock monkey, squiggly piggy, pea pod, duck and caped ladybug
• (For Pets)  four-legged friends: queen, pumpkin, fireman, bumble bee, luau and pirate costumes

In addition, all Loews Hotels guests will receive a festive Party City Halloween accessory upon check-in, while supplies last. The Spooky Suite package is subject to availability at 13 Loews Hotels in the U.S. with rates starting at $207/night.

While these may be not the old, scary and haunted house type hotels you think of at Halloween, they are certainly family-friendly resorts where you'll have a lot of fun. Consider this hotel suite plus costume package for a night on the town or for just curling up in a spooky suite to watch a movie.

For more information or to arrange your stay, call 800-23-LOEWS or visit www.loewshotels.com. This offer is valid from October 25 - October 31, 2011; subject to availability. Five day advanced booking required with costume selection three days prior to arrival. This is not valid at any of the fun Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando or Loews Hotels in Canada.

Daiquiri on the House in Classic Naples, Florida

When we saw this deal for an $80 hotel room in  Naples, Florida, the bargain caught our eye immediately. Naples, on Florida's calm and lovely Gulf Coast, is an elegant, upscale, super chic winter resort with beautiful beaches and major golf and tennis facilities.  Families love Naples. We never equate Naples with discount hotel rooms.

We were not as familiar with Crayton Cove, however, a historic neighborhood located on the city docks instead of the beach. From pictures and web reviews, we found it to be a very charming, old school Florida merchant village, where wooden buildings and brick warehouses have been converted into art galleries, craft shops and small boutiques.  Founded in the 1880s as the main mooring for supply boats, Crayton Cove now smells much less fishy and is packed with one-of-a-kind businesses, a walkable main street, seafood restaurants, and small inns.  Plus charm and friendly smiles to spare.

Pair that with calm, warm and shallow ocean water, and you have the perfect destination to take preschoolers, infants and grandparents before the Christmas rush.  

In this offer, the "Discover Crayton Cove" package costs $80 per night (two night minimum, double occupancy, space available), and features accommodations with picturesque views of Naples Bay and Naples City Dock. Guests must mention "Discover Crayton Cove" when making reservations and can inquire about rates for larger rooms that accommodate up to two small children. This offer is valid until December 15th.

Once in this quiet corner of Naples, families have a choice of dining at three renowned Crayton Cove restaurants and getting a deal at each one.  We'll start with the daiquiri, of course.  That comes free (or you can select any Crayton Cove Classic cocktail instead) with purchase of any entrée at The Dock at Crayton Cove. This place gets rave reviews for its food and its romantic ambiance -- must be the views of Naples Bay -- so be sure to order oysters.

 Or, you can buy one entrée and get the second, at equal or lesser price, free at Bamboo Café French Home Cooking, and enjoy the ambience of a chic Parisian bistro. At Bleu Provence, take 50% off a wine purchase of up to $140, serving classic French cuisine with crisp, clean Mediterranean flavors in a romantic low-key atmosphere. Be sure to ask your innkeeper about arranging childcare so you can make the night out of this excursion.

The Galleries of Crayton Cove offer fine art and encounters with the artists. Art Gallery Old Naples2, offers an "Introduction to Pastels" hands-on demonstration with artists Lynne Wilcox or Karen Stone, along with a complimentary glass of wine. Nora Butler Designs offers 15% off a limited edition print signed and numbered by the artist, valued at $25, plus a free artistic memento and a chance to meet and converse with the artist. Guests can visit the Phil Fisher Gallery and Guess-Fisher Gallery and receive a free gift.

Two of Crayton Cove's shops offer discounts as well. Naples Ships Store offers a free nautical chart as well as 50% off a daily bike rental (valued at $20), offering guests a fun way to get around the neighborhood. Earth & Fire, a paint-your-own-pottery studio, offers 20% off entire ticket including pottery, painting, glazing and firing.

The package includes discounted boating experiences that range from joining on a two-hour cruise to chartering your own vessel. Sweet Liberty Catamaran Sailing offers a 10% discount off any of the range of cruises offered. Sailboats Unlimited offers 15% off their two-hour sails, valued at $50 per person. If you're taking the little ones, be sure to inquire in advance so the boats can put small-size PFDs on board.

There's some fine print, but overall it's a great deal for an immersive vacation experience. All specials are subject to availability and may not be combined with other offers. In all cases, sales taxes and gratuities are the guest's responsibility. For more info visit DiscoverCraytonCove.com/Promotions.html. To book the "Discover Crayton Cove," call the Cove Inn at 800-255-4365 and mention "Discover Crayton Cove."

AAA Asia Australia Adventures by Luxury Small Ship 25% Off

AdventureSmith Explorations, a tony adventure outfitter that sails the most elegant of the high seas, is offering an unusual discount -- 25% off the fare per person on family bookings -- and waiving its single supplement for those who travel solo.

Australian Beach

Their ships, Orion and Orion II, will be sailing in Australian and Asian waters this fall and winter.  The special rates apply to select sailings from September through December 2011.

“Savings are substantial on cruises that cost $3,150 and up,” owner Todd Smith says, noting that although custom made for small ship expedition cruising, Orion is "more like a mega-yacht, the epitome of 5-star elegance. No expense has been spared when it comes to the quality of fittings and furnishings, and the range and caliber of on board recreational facilities are nothing short of top shelf.”

Typical of their attention to detail, the ship herself carries 50 couples in 50 suites who are attended by a crew of 75.


Discounted cruises aboard the Orion in Australia

•  Great Barrier Reef departing Sept. 21
• Adventures of Lord Howe & Aotearoa departing Sept. 26
• Exploration of the Antipodes departing Oct. 24
• Tasmania Food & Wine departing Nov. 7 and 26
• New Zealand & sub-Antarctic Wildlife Adventure departing Dec. 20

Vietnam Temple

Discounted cruises aboard the Orion II around Asia

A sister ship, Orion II, operated for a number of years in Antarctica as Celia II and was relaunched this year following an extensive technical refit. She accommodates 100 pampered guests in 50 suites with a staff of 68.

• Gulf of Siam Explorer departing Oct. 10 and 22
• Vietnam Explorer departing Nov. 18, 27 and Dec. 6
• Thailand, Temples & Mekong departing Dec. 15

About Adventure Smith Explorations

AdventureSmith Exploration is a broker of high-end wilderness cruises that combine the comforts of a small cruise ship with the adventure of sea kayaking, hiking and exploring remote wilderness areas ashore. The company matches guests with the top names in small ship cruising and supports sustainable travel initiatives wherever it goes. Their off-the-beaten-path destinations include Asia, Alaska, Baja, Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador and the Galapagos, Hawaii, Peru, the Arctic, Antarctica, and Australia.

AdventureSmith Explorations was named by National Geographic Adventure as one of “The Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” and is the recipient of Conde Nast Traveler’s prestigious “World Savers Award.”

Kids Who Postpone College to Travel More Likely to Find Work

There's no downside to high school kids taking a year off  before college says a 2008 Statistics Canada report published jointly with Canadian Policy Research Networks. In fact, as long as students return to their studies after this so-called Gap Year, the study found that they are 8% more likely to be employed upon college graduation.

Studies such as this one have contributed to a growth of Gap Year programs in Canada notes Study and Go Abroad Fairs, who put on workshops and large academic fairs so that students can learn about the variety of options available to them.

While the gap year or “year out” has been a common and popular rite of passage in Australia and many countries in Europe for decades, traditionally North American students have ridden the academic conveyor belt all the way from preschool to university without a break.

Now the tides are changing and many soon-to-be high school graduates are saying they’re burnt out, and need more time before deciding what they want to take at university. Instead of packing for their freshman year, they are now booking their flights to go volunteering in Africa, or work on a yacht in the Caribbean.

North America is starting to catch on to the “gap year” syndrome, and for good reason. Amid concerns about drop-out rates, researchers now say that students who go straight to university often find themselves in a program that doesn’t interest them, and are more likely to change programs, thus prolonging their degree and increasing their debt level, and they are more likely to quit. Experts now say that going straight to university may be short-sighted.

Taking a gap year has never been easier. Many universities are now willing to defer start dates for a year – York University is embracing this gap year phenomenon with its Bridging the Gap program and “celebrates” a student’s choice to take a year off to gain work experience, do community service or go on an international exchange and will reserve the student’s admission spot for up to a year provided he or she is accepted into the program.

Harvard University, one of the top universities in the world, has always been ahead of its time and for the past 40 years has proposed that students take a year out in its letter of admission.

Is there a downside to taking a gap year? The Statistics Canada report found that students who delay postsecondary education don’t face a disadvantage in the labor market later on – as long as they actually complete their program once started. Even though there are no formal studies on the number of gap year students who do make their way to university, admissions staff say that only a few drop off the radar. On the contrary, a year out can make kids more focused, better prepared for university life and more likely to complete their university degree.

Although it may be a daunting prospect for parents and kids to divert from the “safe” bound-for-university-after-high-school route, the rewards and benefits can be well worth stepping out of that comfort zone. To read reviews of Gap Year and study abroad options, check out MyFamilyTravels.com Student Travels section.

Reporting by Katie Idle

Jersey Shore Dries Off for Labor Day Weekend Bargains

Despite the rain-soaked lanes of suburban New Jersey, and the storm-battered half-naked beaches of the Carolinas, there are many parts of The Jersey Shore that survived Hurricane Irene and are open for business.

Aztec Motel, Seaside Heights Boardwalk

To prove it, the cute town of Seaside Heights is offering discounts at many of its small hotels and motels for Labor Day weekend. Seaside Heights is just a short drive from New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey points inland, located on the Atlantic coast just off Exit 82 of the NJ Turnpike.  

With so many families within a short drive, the Seaside Heights businesses are welcoming guests back to the beach with sizzling hot deals. Enjoy the beautiful, clean beach with family and friends. A three-night stay could be as low as only $257 per family. Many of these values will last into the fall as well (a much prettier and less crowded time to visit in our opinion!)   

Lodging Specials for Labor Day Weekend 2011

Anchor Motel - Stay 3 nights and get the 4th night free

www.anchormotel.com

Aztec Ocean Resort –Arrive Sun, Mon, or Tues, August 28th through Sept 1st and stay 3 nights in streetside or breezeway rooms for $256.48 per family

www.aztecoceanresort.com

Glendale Motel - Pay for 2 nights, get 3rd night free, includes Labor Day Weekend

www.glendalemotelseaside.com

Sea Palace Motel - Stay 3 nights and get the 4th night free

www.seapalacemotel.com

Sea Palace Inn - Stay 3 nights and get the 4th night free

www.seapalacemotel.com

Seaside Sands Inn - Labor Day Weekend Specials include:

Rooms with 2 double beds-Sept. 2nd to 4th $349+;Sept. 3rd to 5th $375+tax

Rooms with 2 king beds-Sept. 2nd to 4th $375+tax;  Sept. 3rd to 5th $399+tax

www.seasidesands.com

Sunrise Motel –

No holiday increases and free late check-out with three night rental

www.visitseasideheights.com

Amusements Specials

Frog Bog (Hamilton Ave) - Double the amount of frogs in a bucket

Go and enjoy and support our local tourism businesses!