Travelers Advantage....

SPRING FLING:
SUN & FUN ON A SPRING GETAWAY!

It’s time to start planning that perfect "spring fling". With such a wide variety of destinations, events, activities, and other options, we’ve made it easier for you by providing an update about the best spring destinatinos.

The Southeastern United States is ideal in the spring and classic southern spots like Charleston and Atlanta are great places to visit.

Charleston continues to be one of the nation’s hottest destinations anytime of year, but spring is an ideal time for a visit. Among many great reasons, the city’s Spoleto Festival USA (May 28-June 13, 2004) is quite simply one of the top cultural draws in the world (including Mikhail Baryshnikov in The Doctor and the Patient this year)! Other events include the new Charleston International Antiques Show, the 57th Annual Festival of Homes & Gardens, and Garden Club of Charleston’s 69th Annual House and Garden Tours. In addition, new spring season service with Northwest Airlines (non-stop from Minneapolis/St. Paul and Memphis to Charleston) is making getting there easier than ever.

Also on the southern flying front came the January news that the ‘busiest’ airport in the world was renamed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (for the city’s two mayors who supported the airport and its continued growth). The well-known “Hotlanta” airport continues to welcome lots of passengers who are doing more than passing through Atlanta on a connecting flight. A quick MARTA trip gets visitors downtown to a wide range of new and old sightseeing options (like TBS tours, Georgia Dome tours, the World of Coca-Cola, and The Children’s Museum of Atlanta).

Further south, Greater Miami has much to offer, in addition to the sumptuous springtime sunshine. Known as “Florida’s Most Fashionable Vacation,” Bal Harbour is most definitely a very hot spot for shopping, dining, accommodations, a great beach, and much more--you have to experience it to believe it! Plus, places like Parrot Jungle Island’s new location, the new Miami Children’s Museum, and the new Emeril’s Restaurant Miami Beach (for a beach Bam!) all make Miami sizzle this spring.

Over in Texas, there’s always big news. For instance, this spring see the Fort Worth opening of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (one of only two places producing the nation’s currency) will open a new public tour and visitor center. Festivals are also huge in Texas, with the Texas Tropics Nature Festival in McAllen, the 20th anniversary of “Dallas Blooms” at the Dallas Aboretum this spring, San Antonio’s Fiesta San Antonio (one of the biggest festivals in the state), and Austin events like South by Southwest (music, film, multi-media, and more), the Saveur Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, and the Austin Fine Arts Festival.

The Caribbean islands constantly offer great springtime bargains, as hotels, resorts, attractions, and more offer ‘shoulder season’ discounts to smart island visitors. The U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and other tropical treats await those who book less-expensive spring vacations now! Festivals and events are particularly plentiful in the spring (with great Caribbean calendars found at www.onecaribbean.org and www.doitcaribbean.com).

Down in Mexico, Cancun continues to attract visitors to its beaches, 27,000+ hotel rooms, golf, spas, and newly-bustling downtown (and getting to it all is easy and cheap with the city’s great bus system--at 60 cents a ride!). Nearby Cozumel is featuring more direct air service than ever, welcoming scuba divers and many others to an aqua paradise. Elsewhere in this varied country, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos also beckon smart travelers heading south of the border.

Out on the west coast, Los Angeles lures travelers with a cultural scene that’s hard to match. The new Walt Disney World Concert Hall is the centerpiece of L.A.’s thriving cultural life, where more artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, dancers, and musicians life and work in one city than at any other time in the history of civilization. West Hollywood has become a cultural destination in its own right, including the recent reopening of the Architecture + Design Museum on Sunset Strip.

San Francisco continues to be one of the world’s favorite destinations. Spring is an ideal time to visit, with events including their colorful Cherry Blossom Festival, the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, and Carnaval (held in late-May as San Francisco’s version of Mardi Gras and one of the city’s largest public events).

Finally, spring is also the time for great golf! All of the destinations covered above offer a wide array of likable links, as do other ‘fore’ favorites like Bermuda, the Carolinas, Arizona, Las Vegas, Hawaii, and more, where great springtime golf values can easily be found at world-class golf resorts and, of course, courses!