Georgia State Parks Beckon Families with Summer Fun Close to Home

Summer vacation doesn’t need to cost a fortune or involve a hefty gas bill. Georgia State Parks offer a plethora of recreational offerings that make it easy for families to save money on gas and enjoy trips close to home. Simply pack a picnic lunch, grab a beach towel or hiking boots, and head to Georgia’s State Parks for affordable recreation that’s not only fun, but also encourages kids to get fit and spend time outdoors this summer. From free park admission and Junior Ranger Camps to swimming beaches and even a splash pad, there is something for everyone without breaking the bank.

• Swimming Beaches, Pools and Splash Pad Make Fun Day Trips
Skip the trip to the coast this year and head to one of Georgia State Parks’ many lakeside swimming beaches. Grab your sunscreen and enjoy the simple pleasures of a sandy beach right near your own backyard. Or, if your family is more interested in getting in a few laps at the pool, Victoria Bryant, Magnolia Springs and High Falls state park pools are sure to please. Little Ocmulgee State Park offers a Splash Pad just for the youngest water lovers. For a list of recreational offerings, visit www.GeorgiaStateParks.org.

• Cabin Rentals Offer Affordable & Memorable Staycations
Start a new family tradition this summer by planning a getaway to the mountains, lake or marsh. Spend the day fishing, canoeing, hiking or just hanging out at a lake beach, then retreat to a comfy cabin without ever leaving the park. Many state parks feature cabins with fully equipped kitchens, rocking-chair porches and spectacular scenery ~~ ideal for spending quality family time together. For help in planning a summer staycation, visit www.GeorgiaStateParks.org or call 1-800-864-7275. Rates range from $85 to $160 per night, and dogs are welcome in select cabins.

• Free Park Admission & Natural Recreational Offerings
Planning a daytrip with the kids can be affordable and heart-healthy. No need to spend another day at a fast-food kids’ gym or the same neighborhood playground. Pack a nutritious picnic lunch and head to your favorite Georgia State Park for the day instead. A Georgia public library card is all you need to check out a ParkPass or Historic Site Pass. The passes are good for free parking or admission at any of the 63 state parks and historic sites statewide. For a listing of Georgia’s public libraries, go to www.georgialibraries.org. Most Georgia State Parks offer playgrounds, picnic areas, miles of hiking and biking trails, and even wildlife viewing or nature centers. With a diverse geographic topography, Georgia’s state parks and historic sites offer adventures in northern mountains, midland swamplands, piedmont plains and along the beautiful Georgia coast.

• Junior Ranger Day Camps (ideal for young explorers ages 6-12)
Kids ages 6 to 12 are invited to explore Georgia’s wildlife, nature and fascinating history first-hand as they earn their way through three badge levels. Nature hikes, arts and crafts, water games, fishing and outdoor cooking are just a few of the daily camp workshops offered at Georgia’s state parks. With more than a dozen Junior Ranger Day Camps offered through August 5, kids can meet new friends as they build self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment. And, parents can have the satisfaction of knowing their children are entertained and learning an appreciation for the great outdoors. Families can also pick up a free Junior Ranger Activity Book at any state park or historic site and work through the activity requirements at their own pace. Or, receive the latest park news and learn more about Georgia nature and history by subscribing to The Georgia Junior Ranger, a free e-newsletter.

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Vision Airlines Heats Up Summer with Sizzling $59* Florida Fares

/PRNewswire/ -- Vision Airlines announces a $59* Sizzling Summer Seat Sale just in time for family vacations. Beginning Monday, April 11 , 2011 and ending Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 11:59 pm eastern time, passengers can purchase these great $59* fares to and from many of their favorite Florida vacation spots. Passengers must complete travel by June 15, 2011. Vision Airlines services 11 states in the Southeast with non-stop flights to and from NW Florida Regional Airport, located at Destin/Ft Walton Beach.

Vision Airlines' specially-priced, limited $59* one-way fares are also available on flights from NW Florida Regional to Orlando/Sanford International Airport, Punta Gorda/Fort Myers Airport and St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport.

Passengers that fly the Louisville and Fort Lauderdale routes will also be able to take advantage of this fantastic rate.

"Since our successful launch of service from Northwest Florida Regional Airport, we've heard from many of our customers about our great low fares. This two-week sale will give our passengers the opportunity to visit Florida more frequently and allow them to beat high gas prices at the pump. Driving 7-10 hours for a family can be expensive and difficult. Our low fares enable families to take a short, non-stop flight to their vacation destination," says David Meers, Chief Operating Officer of Vision Airlines.

The $59* one- way fares apply to flights that take-off the morning of April 11, 2011 through June 15, 2011. There is a limited number of $59* fares on each flight. The sale ends on Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 11:59 PM (ET).

FAMILIES CELEBRATE THE LONG BEACH WEEKEND AND THEIR SAVINGS

Summer camps and athletics often leave families with only a few days to get away. With Vision Airlines $59* fares and great discount vacation packages, there's no need to endure a lengthy carpool that consumes half of the vacation. Families can now get away for a long weekend and enjoy all their favorite beach activities without having to spend a ton of cash. On average, Vision Airlines' normal one-way fares to Florida are $89 - $109.

VISION AIRLINES EYES NEW DESTINATIONS AND ROUTES

Vision Airlines is flying to some of the most popular leisure destinations in Florida. Numerous communities have contacted Vision Airlines about providing service to these great Florida vacation spots. Many of these communities have been underserved by the major carriers and travelers have found it difficult to fly to their favorite vacation destinations.

"Vision Airlines business model is to be a leisure destination airline and travel company, offering the lowest prices and best values on vacation packages throughout the U.S., Caribbean, and Mexico," according to Meers.

Vision Airlines plans to announce additional routes and destinations later this month.

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What I LEARNED on My Summer Vacation in Atlanta

/PRNewswire/ -- Only five more weeks of summer remain, but that doesn't mean children still can't learn something new over the summer. Below are some of Atlanta's best places to bring classroom subjects to life (and kids will have so much fun, they won't even realize they're learning!).

First Period: Science/Biology

-- Zoo Atlanta inspires value and preservation of wildlife through a
unique mix of education and outdoor family fun. The Zoo's newest
attraction, Trader's Alley: Wildlife's Fading Footprints, featuring
the debut of two new sun bears, opened in June 1010.

-- The Georgia Aquarium unveiled the newly-renovated Georgia-Pacific Cold
Water Quest Gallery featuring redesigned exhibits that provide greater
immersion into the habitats of two of the Aquarium's marquee animals:
African penguins and the Southern sea otter.

-- Fernbank Museum of Natural History invites families to explore the
amazing world of geckos - from shadowy nighttime hunters with
unbelievable camouflage, to neon-colored nectar eaters that scamper
around in daylight - with the exhibit Geckos: Tails to Toepads.

-- Families can tiptoe through the treetops at the Atlanta Botanical
Gardens on the new Canopy Walk and explore of the city's last
remaining urban forests from 40 feet in the air, then tour the Edible
Garden and Outdoor Kitchen to learn how food goes from the farm to the
table.

Second Period: English

-- The Margaret Mitchell House & Museum allows budding young readers and
writers to explore - and be inspired by - the personal journey that
led to Mitchell's Pulitzer-Prize winning book.

-- The Wren's Nest House & Museum celebrates the legacy of author Joel
Chandler Harris, most well-known as author of the Uncle Remus
folktales, with guided tours of the home and grounds. The museum's
storytellers - the Wren's Nest Ramblers - bring their favorite Brer
Rabbit stories to life on Saturdays at 1 p.m.

Third Period: History

-- Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site has a permanent Children
of Courage exhibit, which is designed to engage and educate the site's
younger visitors through the stories of the children of the Civil
Rights Movement.

-- Jimmy Carter Library & Museum offers a re-designed interactive
experience focused on the Carter's humanitarian work. Offering
something for everyone in the family, a highlight includes an
interactive table that lets visitors take a virtual trip with the
Carters around the world to fight disease and promote democracy and
human rights.

-- The Atlanta History Center has recently added the Connor Brown
Discovery Trail through their six historic gardens, featuring
interactive stations that include activities and information about the
trees, plants and animals that children might encounter along their
expedition.

Fourth Period: Art

-- High Museum of Art lets younger visitors to go beyond just looking at
important works of art with the help of the museum's Discovery
Backpack, borrowed from the Coat Check area, which is filled with art
projects, puzzles, books, games, and easy-to-follow instructions.

-- The Center for Puppetry Arts celebrates the works of Jim Henson, from
The Muppets to Fraggle Rock with three exhibits on permanent display
-- Jim Henson: Wonders from His Workshop, Jim Henson: Puppeteer and
Jim Henson: a Man and His Frog.

Fifth Period: Social Studies

-- Inside CNN Center Studio Tour features behind-the-scenes
demonstrations of the studio that brings news to more than one billion
people around the globe, including the ways that weather maps serve as
background for newscasts. Kids love being in front of the green
screen!

-- At Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta children will be on a
mission to discover the many ways they can save energy and protect the
planet during Conservation Quest. They will learn about what energy
is, where it comes from, and the countless ways they can conserve
energy every day.

-- World of Coca-Cola is where children of all ages will be thirsty to
learn more about the fascinating history of the popular soft drink and
taste 60 varieties of Coca-Cola from around the world.

Sixth Period: P.E.

-- Six Flags Over Georgia is home of "40 Fun Things for Kids to Do," the
most comprehensive menu of kid-friendly, mom and dad approved fun
activities at the park.

-- Or, stop by Six Flags White Water's new attraction, The Wiggles Water
World, featuring an interactive family area boasting more than 40,000
square feet of water cannons, telescopes, net climbs, secret
crawl-throughs, port-holes and slippery slides.

-- Kids ages 3-11 get in free on Fridays at Stone Mountain Park with each
full-price paid Adventure pass, which includes new live entertainment
and Sky Hike, one of the nation's largest adventure courses.

Seventh Period: Math

Kids can work with their parents to create an itinerary and budget for their excursion, and visit Atlanta.net/summer or Atlanta.net/backyard to find a package that provides the best value!

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Pigeon Forge Aims to Take Back the Family Vacation

Do you have a friend you’d like to help with $100 in gas money? How about utilities for a year? Or 12 car payments? Or perhaps a year of mortgage payments?

The vacation destination of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., can help you accomplish exactly that.

The method is Pigeon Forge’s “Taking Back Vacation” campaign, which continues through July, when one family will win $15,000 for mortgage or rent payments.

Pigeon Forge, a major family vacation destination and a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is conducting the campaign in reaction to the nation’s economic troubles of the past two years.

“We believe in the family vacation, and we feel family vacationers are our guests. Our whole community feels this way, and ‘Taking Back Vacation’ is our way to demonstrate that. It’s unusual for a whole destination to do this, but its our way to support a lot of families,” said Leon Downey, executive director of the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism.

All winners – and the people who nominate them – also will receive three-day vacations in Pigeon Forge.

The nomination process requires two clicks at Pigeon Forge’s Web site, www.MyPigeonForge.com, and composition of a 100-word essay. Visitors to the Web site will choose the winners from the posted essays.

“Too many people have had to curtail family time recently, and we want to draw attention to how important family vacations are. Those times together are vital, and places such as Pigeon Forge can be the glue that binds families,” Downey said.

The “Taking Back Vacation” campaign grows from April through July.

In May, 10 families will win $2,100 for utility payments.
In June, five families will win $6,600 for car payments.
In July, one family will win $15,000 for mortgage or rent payments.

Pigeon Forge made a similar outreach in 2006, a year of unexpected jumps in gasoline prices, by giving away a tanker truckload of gas.

“Our ‘Great Gas Giveaway’ was load of fun,” Downey recalled, “and we want the ‘Taking Back Vacation’ idea to be the same. Our goal in Pigeon Forge is making people happy and creating good memories.”

Pigeon Forge has a resident population of about 5,800, but it attracts more than 10 million visitors a year. It is home to Tennessee’s most visited tourist attraction, Dollywood, as well as more than a dozen theaters, scores of family attractions and more than 250 outlet, craft and specialty stores.

Its next-door neighbor, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is the most visited national park in the U.S.

“We’re in a great location and have tons of fun to offer. We hope parents will see us as a destination for family fun – before their kids outgrow childhood,” Downey said.

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“Dr. Beach” Names Caladesi Island America’s Best

BUSINESS WIRE--Caladesi Island State Park takes the number one spot in the 18^th Annual Top 10 Beaches ranking produced by coastal expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman, Director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research.

Caladesi is a pristine getaway beach in the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area, only 20 miles west of bustling downtown Tampa. Traveling to this island is an experience itself, as it is reached by pedestrian ferry, complete with old salts telling interesting tales, or by private boat. The bayshore is a mangrove forest interlaced with kayak trails and is a bird lover’s paradise. The only mode of transportation on this lovely island, dominated by palm trees, is by foot over the super fine white sand. There is a great snack bar and other creature comforts to enhance your island experience, and both the grounds and landscape are well maintained. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer beach season, but the waves are generally only measured in inches so don’t bring your surfboard.

Caladesi is a well-kept secret. Surrounded by the beauty of a lush state park, few people in Tampa seem to know its whereabouts, while everyone is familiar with the popular Pier 60 at nearby Clearwater Beach. Caladesi’s real attraction is its powder white sand, warm, crystal clear water and beautiful nature, all making it the number one beach to enjoy and decompress.

As “Dr. Beach,” Leatherman has selected the annual Top 10 Beaches since 1991. Fifty criteria are used to evaluate the beaches, including water and sand quality, as well as facilities and environmental management, as part of the National Healthy Beaches Campaign.

What makes Dr. Leatherman’s selections unique is his knowledge as a Ph.D. coastal scientist with over 30 years of experience studying storm impacts, beach erosion and ways to improve beach health and safety.

The National Healthy Beaches Campaign was established to acknowledge the many beautiful and “healthy” beaches around the country, from seaside to lakeside destinations, for any taste. The Storm & Tides Project is a component of the NHBC.

Watch for a forthcoming debut TV Special on “America’s Best Beaches” during Independence Day weekend; check your local listings.

TOP 10 BEACHES 2008
1.	Caladesi Island State Park
	Clearwater/Dunedin, Florida
2.	Hanalei Beach
	Kauai, Hawaii
3.	Siesta Beach
	Sarasota, Florida
4.	Coopers Beach
	Southampton, New York
5.	Coronado Beach
	San Diego, California
6.	Main Beach
	East Hampton, New York
7.	Hamoa Beach
	Maui, Hawaii
8.	Cape Hatteras
	Outer Banks of North Carolina
9.	Cape Florida State Park
	Key Biscayne, Florida
10.	Beachwalker Park
	Kiawah Island, South Carolina

A Great Way to Experience America’s National Parks

ARA - Planning a visit to a national park this summer? In honor of National Preservation Month, the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has compiled a short list of historic hotels located inside national parks, which offer visitors a memorable place to stay -- and an opportunity to witness America’s nearly 100-year-old national park history first-hand.

“Many of the historic hotels in our national parks offer a great opportunity for visitors to appreciate the history of the national treasure they are staying in,” says NPCA senior vice president of programs Ron Tipton.

In the early 20th century, railroads transported visitors to national parks including Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, and built lodges inside those parks. The original section of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Lodge dates to 1903. The Grand Canyon’s El Tovar opened on the South Rim in 1905. Twelve years after the National Park Service was created, the Union Pacific Railway opened the Grand Canyon Lodge, the last major building in the railway’s “Loop Tour,” on the North Rim of the canyon in 1928.

Over time, as car ownership grew, the interstate highway system developed, and motels became commonplace, the railroad-era trend of building hotels inside the boundaries of national parks ended. Today, the Park Service works to maintain historic hotels in many national parks, from Mount Rainier to Shenandoah.

“Regrettably, the Park Service lacks sufficient funding to perform renovations and major repairs at some of these historically significant structures,” Tipton adds. “But fortunately, visitors quickly fall in love with these places, becoming inspired to help advocate for their protection for our children and grandchildren.”

NPCA recommends that visitors craving authenticity consider a stay at one of the following historic hotels, all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

* Many Glacier Hotel, at Glacier National Park (Mont.), was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1915 to accommodate tourists. Inspired by resorts in the Swiss Alps, Many Glacier is a wooden structure with numerous gables and balconies, and therefore, ongoing preservation needs. For reservations, visit: http://www.glacierparkinc.com/

* Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park (Wa.) reopens May 2008 after two years of renovations and structural work. Congress approved the funds to renovate the historic inn, which has long been considered one of the best places to stay in the national parks. The inn was built in 1917 and received the funding necessary for preservation due in large part to broad public support. To reserve a room visit: http://rainier.guestservices.com/index.html

* In Shenandoah National Park (Va.), Skyland Resort offers a sweeping view of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley from 3,680 feet. The resort was built in 1895, but did not become part of the park until the 1930s. George Pollock, who started the resort (originally called Stony Man Camp), was also influential in establishing Shenandoah as a national park. Skyland is the largest lodging complex in Shenandoah National Park, offering lodge units, suites, and cabins for visitors. To reserve a room visit: http://www.visitshenandoah.com/reservations.cfm

* Yosemite National Park (Calif.) is home to the Wawona Hotel, one of the grandest hotels in any national park. The Victorian-style hotel consists of six white frame buildings, the oldest of which dates back to 1876. It is the oldest resort complex in the National Park System. Famous visitors include Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt. Book your stay online at: http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_WawonaHotel.aspx

For more information about historic hotels in the national parks, visit: http://www.npca.org/magazine/2006/summer/lodges.html.

Courtesy of ARAcontent