Summer of Savings for Families: Don't Let Bad Travel News Ruin Your Plans

Ken Shapiro is the Editor-in-Chief of Family Getaways.

As a travel editor based in Los Angeles, I’ve been lucky enough to travel frequently to Mexico. It’s one of my favorite getaways. So the problem the country is having now with drug-related violence is especially sad to me.

I recently wrote an editorial about the State Department travel alert for Mexico, and mentioned that my 4-year-old daughter has an image of Mexico as looking like “sunny roses.” (Don’t ask me where she got that from.) I wrote that I’m hoping to take her to Mexico this summer.

After the piece ran, I received some emotional responses. Some said I was irresponsible for even thinking of bringing a child to Mexico, while others said they were relieved to hear a voice of reason instead of more hype.

“Just a note to let you know how nice it was to read your article about the Mexico alerts,” wrote one travel agent from Oregon. “That blanket alert came out right before I took a group to Loreto and it did cause some concern for one couple. Once they got there, they loved it and had a great, carefree time. I hope your article will lend confidence to agents who have been spooked."

What I didn’t get a chance to say, however, is another reason for taking a family trip to Mexico this summer. Namely, it has never been this affordable.

Like many destinations, Mexico tourism has been hit hard by the U.S. recession, but it has also had the double whammy of safety concerns as well. As a result, resorts and tour operators throughout the country are doing whatever they can to put “heads in beds” (as they say in the biz).

Two recent deals come to mind:
-- From April 19 through Oct. 31, parents can take advantage of the Kids Stay and Eat Free program at select Pueblo Bonito resorts. Participating properties include Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos, in Cabo San Lucas; as well as Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan and Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay in Mazatlan.

-- Pleasant Holidays is offering savings of up to 40 percent off on select hotels in Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit and Los Cabos, and kids stay and eat free at many of these resorts as well. Through Aug. 20, three-night air and hotel packages to Los Cabos from Los Angeles start at $238 per person. Sample three-night vacation packages to Cancun, including round-trip airfare and all-inclusive hotel accommodations, begin at $354 from Houston; $359 from Los Angeles; $385 from San Francisco; $397 from Portland, Ore.; $424 from Phoenix; and $455 from Dallas/Ft. Worth.

These are just some of the deals available this summer. Whether you’re thinking of traveling to Mexico or elsewhere, if you do some homework before you go, you should save a few bucks. Plus, if others are too spooked to travel, that just means you should have no trouble getting the best spot by the pool.

Scoot Coupe: Future of Rental Scooters?

The Scoot Coupe was unveiled back in 2008 and displayed recently at a Detroit auto show. Available in three engine sizes (50cc, 100cc, and 150cc) and getting around 70 miles to the gallon (80 mpg in some tests), many people are wondering if the three-wheeled wonders will catch on as commuter vehicles.

If you don't want to shell out the US$6,000+ to buy one yourself, wait for your next vacation. Because of their stable three-wheel design, it's likely that travelers will start seeing Scoot Coupes available for rent in popular tourist destinations.

While the vehicles are not recommended for highways (they top out around 45 mph), they would be ideal for exploring small areas like islands in Hawaii or Puerto Rico. Keep an eye out. The Scoot Coupe may just be the next Segway.

FareFinder: Tuesday, March 3

Dreams Resorts is offering two great deals: 15%-50% savings and $200 resort credit when you book by March 31, plus a "Kids Stay, Play and Eat Free" deal on select dates.

Luxury property Post Hotel Weggis is offering the "Winter Dreams at POHO Package" that includes two nights, meals, and other great extras for around $1,000.

NYC & Company extends winter deals for Restaurant Week, Deal-O-Matic, The Signature Collection Third Night and more.

College basketball fans can win a free Caribbean vacation at Nisbet Plantation by choosing the team they think will be this year's Cinderella in the NCAA Tournament.

Looking for something for the family? Check out the new Family Getaways section for trip ideas, insightful stories and travel deals.

Airstream Campers: the perfect vegas vacation

Though people generally think of RVing as being reserved for Griswald-esque family vacations, there's one brand that, quite simply, has always been cool. The Airstream dates all the way back to the 1930s when Hawley Bowlus (chief designer for Charles Lindbergh's "The Spirit of St. Louis") came up with the original design, which was then perfected, renamed and mass-produced by Wally Byam in the form we know today.

But enough with the history lesson, you're perfectly capable of reading Wikipedia yourself. The Airstream found a new ritzy home when the KOA (Kampgrounds of America) location at the Circus Circus in Las Vegas started renting the trailers out for the night.

Under a new promotion with Kampgrounds of America, hipsters and nostalgia
buffs can stay in a new, 27-foot Airstream — the aluminum-sheathed,
aircraft-inspired travel trailer that's been a king of the American road since
the 1930s and a favorite of such Hollywood stars as Matthew McConaughey.

Ten of Airstream's Flying Cloud models, which sleep up to four and retail
for an average $53,000, are available at KOA's Circus Circus campground. Five more at KOA's location in Sugarloaf Key, Fla. (near Key West) rent for $170-$220 a night, and the program will be expanded to Bar Harbor, Maine, in May.

Normally, everyone should be strongly opposed to following any example set by Matthew McConaughey (we'd've all been better off if his entire career was confined to Dazed and Confused... I mean, seriously... The Wedding Planner... Fool's Gold?), but these trailers are new and improved.

They've got contemporary interiors with halogen lights and flat-screens. Not to mention the rental includes Adirondack chairs and a couple of plastic pink flamingos. Next time you're headed to Sin City, consider spending a few nights in an Airstream, they're cheaper than most of the hotels on the strip and make for a more memorable vacation than an Econo Lodge.

Legoland San Diego Plans to Build Lego-Themed Hotel

Legoland in San Diego has announced its intention to build a Lego-themed hotel. Legoland spokespeople have said they hoped the building-block themed hotel would help attract new visitors as well as lengthening visitors' average stay.

The park's British-based owners, the Merlin Entertainment Group Inc., says it will ask Carlsbad's planning commission to approve a change to the amusement park's parking requirement, among other preliminary steps to construction, the North County Times reported.

The 250-room hotel would replace an recreational vehicle parking lot next to the park's main entrance.

A new Lego-themed hotel would be the park's second major addition in as many years. 2008 saw the opening of the Sealife Aquarium. The aquarium was also built with the intention of making Legoland a more comprehensive, stand-on-its-own destination for families. With all these new projects it's hard to tell whether things are up or down in Legoland.

Either way, future guests of the Legoland hotel can be sure to expect fun, creative, but frustrating accommodation. It's rumored that many of the hotel's staff will only have one hand, Robin Hood will head hotel security but will never be able to find his arrows, the entire third floor will have been chewed on by the family dog, and guests who find the hotel facilities inadequate will be refunded in Geoffrey Dollars.