USA: Northeast, Spring Break Family Vacation Ideas – Snow, Sunshine and Urban Adventures. Get away for the fun of it. Looking for one more escape to the snow country before it melts? Whatever your family’s passion, we have spring break vacation ideas to fit the quest. See Shakespeare in Washington DC; have an art adventure in Valley Forge; try ski school at Smugg’s in Vermont; consider a family field trip to Boston; enjoy the best of New York City. Go sledding, ice skating or tubing; sit by the fire with a storybook. The fun stuff is waiting.

Get away with the whole family or go one-on-one with your kid. We have assembled highlights for 2008. Have we missed something? Our Family Vacation Ideas Directory has at least 101 more ideas for the perfect spring break.

Vermont: Smuggler’s Notch, FamilyFest. The snowman pictured above was created at Smuggler's on one of those picture perfect days before the snow-melt. Acknowledged as one of the best family vacation spots in the Northeast,    Smugglers has fun in mind until the snow thaws. Stay in a cozy, family-style, furnished condominium unit with fully equipped kitchen, cable TV, phone, Internet access, and add a FamilyFest Package to make all the vacation details come together. The family vacation package includes: all-day Adventure Rangers or Notch Squad ski or snowboard camp with lunch; equipment rental; children's FunFeast every Tuesday evening Mogul Mouse & Billy Bob Bear host a fun pizza party with make-your-own ice cream sundaes plus entertainment and fun; framed, color photo with Mogul Mouse & Billy Bob Bear at FunFeast; free helmet rental; free Discovery Coloring Book (ages 3-5); free Adventure Journal (ages 6-15); free Mountain Adventure Children's Trail Map; free FamilyFest Fun Races by age group. Bonus points: FamilyFun & Disney Spring Carnival, FamilyFun, Disney Adventures and Disney Magazine team up with Smugglers' to bring you this special Spring Carnival. Enjoy music and live entertainment on The Village Green. Join in the fun of face painting, interactive games, snow games, clowns, magicians, bonfire, giveaways and goody bags, plus an outdoor hot dog barbeque - all as part of your Vacation Package Need to know: The annual School's Out Celebration runs from Mar. 9-13, 2008. (Smuggler’s Notch Resort 4323 Vermont Route 108 05464-9537. Toll-free 1-800-451-4615 (US & Canada), 0800-169-8219 (UK) or www.smuggs.com)

Washington DC: Kimpton Hotels, Spring Break Family Vacation Ideas. Urban family adventures in Washington DC span the gamut from art and theatre to hands-on science and living history. The museum menu is extensive and the transportation efficient. To fit the many varied styles of the city Kimpton Hotel have a delightful set of urban properties each with a distinct personality and a matching family vacation offer. Family friendly and pet friendly, each of the locations promises you adventure, inspiration, and delightful surprises while offering the familiarity and style of the Kimpton Hotels brand. While each reflects uniqueness of place and atmosphere, all remain efficient, friendly, clever, edgy and for sure never boring. I like these guys because they put effort into creating unique vacation packages, including delightful choices for families. The family vacation ideas:  How about “Undercover Washington Package” at the Hotel George; consider "Do the District" a shopping package offered by the Hotel Helix; Hotel Palomar has “Twirl-away with the Washington Ballet” and Hotel Monaco offers a “So-fish-ticated” Package which includes a companion gold fish during your stay. Need to know: Kimpton properties offer Best Rate Online Guarantee. These are only a few of the clever options for a family getaway in DC more options appear at the respective hotel websites located at the www.KimptonHotels.com  

Pennsylvania: Valley Forge, Spring Break Ideas. It is convenient when a destination sets forth a few clever ideas which, if followed, guarantee fun with kids. For spring break 2007 they have a couple of ideas for grandparents and grandchildren that allow for a chance to explore common interests and share the joy of discovery. The tours, designed to have a generous helping of fun for all ages, include stops for lunch and shopping along the way. The family vacation ideas include: “Stop, Look and Listen!” a miniature garden railway, secret passageways and a stop on the Underground Railroad and lunch at the Trolley Car Diner. And there is  “Discovering Patriots, Provisions and Prairie Dogs” combining history and outdoor fun in a day that begins with the American Revolution and ends with American wildlife – with a stop for shopping in-between. “Art Adventures”  from museum to mountaintop looks like fun.  Artists of all ages will enjoy this close-up look at the creative process and artists’ studios. See glass blowing; visit N.C. Wyeth’s studio, nestled in the woods; take in story time at Longwood Gardens; meet Wharton Esherick in his mountaintop studio. Need to know: The tour activity ideas can be matched to your favorite sleeping place. An extensive menu of choices may be found at www.ValleyForge.org  

Massachusetts: Cambridge, “Kidding Around” on Spring Break. Located in the heart of Harvard Square, just minutes from downtown Boston, Massachusetts, offers the finest, most distinctive guest accommodations in the Boston area with 294 spacious guestrooms, including 45 suites that combine Shaker-inspired aesthetic with modern touches. Bonus points: The Hotel has its own skating rink available for guests from December until the end of March, weather permitting. For cozy times young guests are welcome to borrow any of the classic board games from the hotel’s collection.  The family vacation package includes: a night’s stay in a deluxe guestroom (an adjoining room for kids is 25% off); complimentary parking; upon arrival children receive a Charles Hotel lunch box and kid’s cup that can be filled at Henrietta’s Table with complimentary beverages; kids eat breakfast for free when their parents eat breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant; for bath-time fun, children will be provided with kid-friendly bath products from Burt's Bees "Baby Bee" collection; receive a KidQuest: We’re There! Boston book filled with games, puzzles and fun facts; an extra bedtime treat, milk and cookies are provided at turndown and complimentary day of fitness for the whole family at the Wellbridge Athletic Club, connected to The Charles Hotel - with special children's hours at the four-lane rooftop pool. Need to know: Please call hotel directly to book 2nd room at 25% off the selling ate at the time. Cost for an additional child is $25.00. Parents can also book an adjoining room for the kids at 25% off. (The Charles Hotel 1 Bennett St. 02138, 1(617)864-1200 or www.charleshotel.com)

New York: NYC, American Girl Family Package. Great location, friendly staff and spacious rooms set the tone at the Affinia50, an Executive Club Suite Hotel which welcomes families. Newly renovated rooms offer modern amenities, high-speed Internet access, and the luxurious Affinia bed and pillow menu for the perfect night's sleep. Located mid-town on the east side within walking distance of the American Girl Store Whether you come by plane, by car, or on foot, you’ll want your trip to American Girl Place New York to be perfect—and so do we! Stay at the Affinia 50 when you visit New York and we’ll treat you and your American Girl like stars! Package includes: Guestroom, spacious studio suite or one-bedroom suite; complimentary American Girl gift bag which includes a special American Girl gift, tools for planning out your visit, activity sheets, and more; in-room Molly bed, bedding & pillow for your doll to rest on during your stay and viewing of American Girl movies in the Club Room upon request. Rates start at $329. Need to know: The actual American Girl Experience at the store on Fifth Avenue must be booked separately. (Affinia50 Hotel 155 E 50th St New York, NY 10022. Toll-free 1-866-246-2203, (212) 751-5710 or www.affinia.com)

More Family Vacation Ideas

USA/Canada: Lights, Camera, and a CityPass. Scores of movies celebrate America’s big cities. Cameras pan skylines and streets, zoom inside chic shops, glamorous restaurants, creating intimate connections to neighborhoods, signature boulevards, and character-forging locations. In fact, the classic “establishing” shots used in film – the Empire State Building, CN Tower, Elliott Bay and Space Needle, cable cars clanging up a hill, palm trees in front of Cinderella’s castle – instantly identify a place. More

New York: NYC, CityPass Family Vacation Ideas. Buy a CityPass and do the city, it’s as easy as that. The pocket-sized NYC coupon book makes the deciding effortless and provides a productive starting point for a family vacation in NYC. What’s included? The American Museum of Natural History, The Empire State Building Observatory, Guggenheim Museum,  the newly expanded Museum of Modern Art, a Circle Line Harbor Cruise and a discount coupon for Bloomingdale’s. This is the fun stuff. More

Vermont: Smugglers' Notch Resort, Named the Best for Families. For the eighth consecutive year Smuggler’s notch has remained at or near the top in multiple categories according to SKI Magazine's "Top 50 Ski Resorts" rankings. Smugglers’ rated #1 in North America for Family Programs, ranked #1 Resort overall in the Eastern U.S. and garnered additional top rankings for the USA Eastern Region. More

Content researched and created by Travel Communications Inc. Updated 01/2008, Copyright 2008.