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Hideaways Top 10 Places to Unplug
Top 10 Last-Minute Summer Escapes
(with Hot Deals!)
Yes, there's still time to enjoy an unforgettable and spontaneous vacation
this summer for you and your family (or just you!). Think nearby, off-season,
or quirky, and you have a pretty good idea of what constitutes a successful
last-minute trip.
Below, we highlight several spots that are at their prime in July and
August—and, lucky you, many are offering great summer deals! For more
information or to book your trip, call a Travel Specialist at Hideaways
Travel Services (800-843-4433, or
contact us online) for expert planning assistance. Try us
once, and you’ll never "go it alone" again.
1. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL TO THE PAST:
The Inn at Perry Cabin, Maryland
You'll find it's easy to get here, and once you do, you'll revel in the Inn's
atmosphere of sheer relaxation. It feels like a trip to the past, where history
meets luxury in a resort anchored to the edge of the Chesapeake. Spend the week
lolling in a chair gazing at the Miles River, drifting in the horizon-edge
pool, playing croquet on the vast lawn, or feasting on temptations like crab
spring rolls at the Inn's top-ranked restaurant.
2. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH YOUR PET:
El Encanto, Santa Barbara, California
Grab your pooch and get out of L.A.--or whatever large, smog-filled city you
live in. This is an ideal location from which to explore Santa Barbara,
somewhat removed from the shoreline, with tropical foliage and clusters of
bungalows, each a private retreat. Enjoy the infinity-edge pool, a pampering
spa, and an elegant dining room serving California-coastal cuisine.
3. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH COWBOY APPEAL:
The Resort at Paws Up, Montana
Nothing says summer like picnics, trout fishing, horseback riding, tent
camping, and rounding up cattle with genuine wranglers&mdashthis is, after all,
a working ranch. Of course, the tent camping is what's known as
"glamping" (glamorous camping), and the creature comforts include
marbled showers, plush towels, hot tubs, a luscious spa, and gourmet cuisine
served with exquisite wines. So this sort of "roughing it" is a far
cry (thankfully) from typical summer camping.
4. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH MOTHER NATURE:
The Meridian Club, Turks & Caicos
Shoes are optional, the only guest phone is in a thatched-roof hut, and TVs and
cars are unheard of. The resort's 12 rooms and secluded Sand Dollar Cottage are
"famously plain," but all face the ocean across a powder-soft two-mile-long
beach. Reading, relaxing, and rocking in a hammock rank high here, but you also
can stroll along a nature trail, sail or kayak, or snorkel amid the teeming
reefs.
LAST-MINUTE DEAL: July is family month!
Stay 5 nights or more and get your second room at half price, or share a room
with up to two children or grandchildren (age 6-17) and pay just
$175/night/child and receive: all meals, snorkel trips and some excursions, and
complimentary taxi and boat transfers between the Provo Airport and Pine Cay.
5. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH MEMORIES:
The Buccaneer, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
A standout on quiet St. Croix, this family-run resort is spur-of-the-moment
summer nirvana, with a golf course, eight tennis courts, four excellent
restaurants, tons of water sports, nature trails, a full spa, and a Kids' Camp.
Accommodations are clustered in several distinct areas, from hillside to
beachfront, and each room has a balcony or terrace from which to survey your
domain.
LAST-MINUTE DEAL: Stay at least a week in
a Great House Oceanview room (or higher), and pay $200/person/stay ($100/child
ages 2—4) to take advantage of their "Package Full of
Memories," which includes: welcome drinks, welcome basket, 2-day car
rental, half-day Buck Island snorkeling trip, evening sunset sail, one
roundtrip shuttle to Christiansted, daily Kids' Camp for 4- to 12-year-olds,
daily breakfast, one picnic box-lunch, one beachfront lunch at The Mermaid or
Grotto, one dinner at The Terrace, one Buccaneer Beach Party dinner,
Learn-to-Scuba lessons, half-hour informal family photo session, snorkeling and
kayaking lessons, family treasure hunt, crab races, and more. Whew!
6. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH A BIG UPGRADE:
La Samanna, Marigot, St. Martin
This is summer camp as it should be, a luscious multi-course feast that blends
French savoir-faire with Caribbean soul and spirit. It begins with morning
coffee on a private seaside terrace, continues with a deep-tissue massage in
one of the spa's outdoor treatment rooms, moves on to relaxation or recreation
on the resort's secluded white-sand beach, includes gourmet cuisine and
world-class wines served with an ocean view, and ends in truly inviting
accommodations. There's also Camp La Samanna for the kids and superb nanny
services.
LAST-MINUTE DEAL: Introduce your family to
paradise with their "Family Getaway" deal: Book a One-Bedroom
Beachfront Suite and receive an automatic upgrade to a Two-Bedroom Suite (with
space for up to five guests) with access to all resort facilities.
7. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH NEPTUNE:
Blue Waters, Antigua
This Caribbean retreat, with its powder-white beaches and rustling palm trees,
is a serene haven of sea-oriented delights. You can swim, sail, snorkel, and
windsurf, ride horseback along the beach, charter a sailboat excursion, and
enjoy spa treatments with enticing names like Water Lily Wrap. Even your dining
options are a cornucopia of fresh fruits of the sea, from tuna and wahoo to
succulent Antiguan lobster.
LAST-MINUTE DEAL: Book any Junior Suite,
Luxury Suite, or One-Bedroom Hillside Villa, and your first child (age 11 or
under) stays free!
8. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH SERENITY:
Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Hop a flight to Mexico and prepare to be dazzled by your villa's secret
garden&mdashcomplete with private pool. Your spacious villa has little
surprises around every corner: a beach bag and sandals for your use, a comfy
hammock, and a sensuous outdoor tub. A quick call is all it takes for a ferry
boat to pick you up at your waterfront villa and whisk you away to the spa,
several restaurants, a Greg Norman-designed golf course, or the Beach Club,
where you can sun, swim, and snorkel the world's second-largest barrier reef.
LAST-MINUTE DEAL: Book the "Family Fun Getaway" with a 3-night-minimum stay in the 3-bedroom Townhouse and receive: daily breakfast buffet, one private roundtrip airport transfer, one roundtrip transfer to Playa del Carmen, a complimentary eco-boat tour, complimentary use of bicycles, complimentary recreational activities for children, 15% off food and beverages, 15% off body massages at Banyan Tree Spa, and 5% off on tours (booked at tour office). You must book by Oct-28-13 for travel through Oct-31-13.
9. LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH ADVENTURE: The Azores, Portugal
Here's a European option that's just a quick jaunt from the Northeast, with
Azores Express offering daily flights from Boston, June through September. This
island group lies 800 miles off the coast of Portugal and offers
adrenaline-inspiring scenery and adventures like big-game fishing, diving,
whale-watching, and hiking. Best yet, the Azores still are relatively
undiscovered and reasonably priced, so you can enjoy a quick break here without
breaking the bank. For more insight, including the best places to hide away,
members of the Hideaways Aficionado Club are invited to read Mike
Thiel's report,
The Azores: So Near, Yet So Far.
 10.
LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL WITH ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME THRILLS: See Greenland with
Quark Expeditions
Set sail around Greenland and explore a magnificent and magical land hardly
touched by man, with blue icebergs, thrilling Northern Lights, and playful
polar bears. On your own, as a couple, with friends, or with your children or
grandchildren (ages 8+), this is a perfect last-minute, once-in-a-lifetime
learning experience.
LAST-MINUTE DEAL: Book any of Quark's four
Greenland expeditions this summer (August and September) by Jul-31-13 with Hideaways
Travel Services (800-843-4433) and save 30%. PLUS, get a free
trip for up to two children (ages 8—17, one per adult) and 50% off for
each additional child. Or, receive a complimentary single supplement.
For more information or to book your last-minute summer escape, contact a
Travel Specialist at Hideaways Travel Services (800-843-4433,
or
contact us online) for expert help planning your
vacation. Try us once, and you'll never "go it alone" again.
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