The Emporia Gazette

May 27, 2012

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Despite the high cost of fuel, there are still some values to be found this season for people ready to take a vacation from work.

Stan Sommers, owner of International Tours, offered an assortment of destinations to satisfy most urges to travel. Some are bargains, some are good values, and one — admittedly expensive — is an increasingly popular vacation for couples determined to take a “BID” trip. “Before I die,” Sommers explained.

Vacations listed below are described with remarks and prices provided by Sommers.

1 Las Vegas: Still a good destination. A three-day weekend with hotel, airfare and mid-range hotel is $900 for two people; Mondays through Thursdays, with four nights instead of three, is $651 per couple.

Reno is another option that probably would be even nicer than Vegas, with an option to rent a car and spend a day at Lake Tahoe.

2 Lake of the Ozarks: Tantara resort, with rooms that start at $120 a night, is a great location for families. There is plenty to do at the complex — restaurants, bowling alley, horseback riding, dinner cruises, ski boat rental — and Osage Beach, Mo., nearby offers miniature golf courses, go-kart racing, bumper cars and other amusements.

Houseboats that will accommodate six people rent for about $500 per couple. The main channel has 36 miles of water, with endless offshoots. Gas will be expensive.

3 Cruise out of Galveston: Carnival cruise line offers a five-night cruise at $352 per person. The price includes all meals, all on-board entertainment and an excellent children’s program called Camp Carnival.

4 Colorado: The Dillon area puts vacationers close to Copper Mountain and Keystone area, not too far from Vail. A condo with kitchen for seven nights runs about $800. This time of year, you’ll be hiking or riding four-wheelers instead of skis.

5 Orlando, Fla.: Airfare and hotel for a family of four for seven nights is about $321 per person.

The hotels at that price are not 4-star but are close to Disney World property. Park-hopper or basic park passes are $71 a day for adults. Sea World is $65 a day for adults and about $54 for children; Universal Studios one-day tour is $72 for adults and $60 for children.

You can rent a car for one day and drive to the Cocoa Beach area, about 40 minutes away, and tour the Kennedy Space Center for about $50 to $60.

6 Mexico: Always a popular destination, Mexico’s resorts have begun to offer all-inclusive stays. Meals and beverages, including soft drinks, are included in the hotel rate. With airfare included, a five- or six-night stay in a three-star hotel costs less than $1,000 per person. That’s a bargain for people who enjoy relaxing and pampering their hedonistic tendencies.

7 Chicago via Amtrak: Passenger trains may be essential on the East Coast, but they’re likely to become rare or extinct from Chicago west during the next few years. Train travelers with two children under 15 can spend about $600 for transportation and two nights in a hotel on the Miracle Mile. A variety of shops and attractions, including museums, the Sears Tower and Navy pier, are within walking distance, so you won’t have to worry about renting a car.

8 Washington, D.C.: A couple can spend three nights in the capital, with plenty to see and do, for about $1,000, including airfare and hotel.

9 New York City: This is the most expensive place to stay in the continental U.S., with airfare, three nights at a hotel and a Broadway show for about $1,500. The hotel would be in midtown Manhattan, near the theater district, Times Square, and Fifth Avenue. With endless options for places to see, shopping, and entertainment, bring a small nest egg.

10 San Francisco: When summer traveling is done, the City by the Bay makes a delightful fall trip for couples. Plenty of seafood and scenery, and the Napa Valley wineries are just a car rental away. It’s a great spot for couples, but it’s not likely to be a vacation hot spot in the kids’ minds.

‘Before I Die’

It’s become that dream destination — the place you promise yourself you’ll go. It’s the BID (Before I Die) vacation that an increasing number of Americans are allowing themselves.

While Mexico and the Caribbean always have offered luxury vacations, and even Hawaii is becoming popular again, the Alaskan cruise has become the prime vacation in recent years, according to International Tours owner Stan Sommers.

“They’re the most expensive cruise and tours there are, just because of the airfare,” Sommers said.

For $659 per person in airfare, tourists can fly into Fairbanks or Vancouver and spend four nights, and work their way down to Denali Park and Anchorage for a seven-night cruise.

“Either you land in Alaska and do the land tour first, or fly into Vancouver and do the northbound cruise for the first seven days,” he said.

The cost is from $3,600 to $3,800 per person, and it’s a trip that few children enjoy. The cruises are filled almost exclusively with adult travelers.