Strip off the winter jacket, throw down the snow shovel and head south for the winter. Amid the most popular island destinations, travelers will find some are more suitable for adults, while others provide for a great family experience. Emily Kaufman, the Orbitz Travel Mom, has handpicked this winter’s best warm weather vacations that are perfect for families of all ages.
Bermuda
Just a quick hop from the East Coast, Bermuda is bursting with family friendly activities. For families that adore animals, there is excitement on land and at sea. Dolphin Quest at the Bermuda Maritime Museum offers year round encounters with playful bottlenose dolphins for vacationers of all ages. For land lovers, Bermuda is home to over 360 unique species of birds and visitors to the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo can view more than 200 fish, mammals and reptiles. If your family is full of explorers, a visit to the Crystal & Fantasy Caves of Bermuda or the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute will have your entire group viewing crystal stalactites and stalagmites or exhibits that unlock the secrets of the sea.
The Cayman Islands
For the adventurous family, Grand Cayman Island is loaded with water sports and other exhilarating activities. For fun in the ocean, a visit to Seven Mile Beach will immerse everyone in activities such as banana boating, catamaran sailing, ocean kayaking, windsurfing and snorkeling. Boatswain’s Beach, also on Grand Cayman Island, is a 23-acre adventure marine park which hosts an enormous turtle farm where visitors can view and even hold these fun four finned animals. For older children looking for additional excitement, a visit to Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park is the perfect location for high thrills fun. This skate and surf park includes a 62,000 square foot skate park and a Waveloch Surf Machine which will have kids hanging ten in no time.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is an island rich in history and natural beauty and there are numerous ways for families to experience both. A unique look at Puerto Rico’s history can be found at El Morro. This bluff was used by Spanish and American explorers as a campsite and today there are over 2,000 inscriptions, featuring signatures and messages, as well as Ancestral Puebloan ruins. For a taste of Puerto Rico’s natural beauty, visit Rio Camuy Cave Park, home of the third-largest underground river in the world and The El Yunque Rainforest. Well groomed trails lead families 200 feet down through huge beautiful underground caverns at Rio Camuy Cave Park. At El Yunque Rainforest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, families have over 28,000 acres of lush forest to explore.
Curacao
With an average temperature in the mid 80s and 38 different beaches to explore, Curacao is an ideal place for family relaxation and fun. Curacao has several family beaches, most of which are located along the southwestern coast, where the waters are clear and calm. For families seeking a unique animal experience, a visit to the Curacao Ostrich Farm can be great fun. One of the biggest outside of Africa, the farm has over 600 birds and allows individuals to feed and hold baby ostriches. If interacting with animals is not your family’s cup of tea, visit the city of Willemstad for great shopping, dinning and a look at some unique Dutch architecture. As a former Dutch commercial center, this is a great location to view Amsterdam style buildings as you stroll throughout this vibrant city of more than 125,000 people.
Castaway Cay, Bahamas
The ultimate family-friendly island, Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island for moms, dads and kids who take part in a Disney Cruise. For kids and teens, it's Never Land; for adults, it's Shangri-La. Step off the ship and you know, instantly, you've arrived at a magical place. Be as active as you want -- with hiking, kayaking, snorkeling and an aquatic playground -- or simply find your place under the sun in Serenity Bay, the islands adult-only beach area.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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