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Easter Vacations and Gatherings: Not too Late to Plan

You're probably thinking that if you have not planned that Easter weekend gathering or family trip by now, it is too late to pull something together. I would not put it off any longer, but it is definitely possible to plan a great trip for your family over the Easter holiday. Easter Sunday is April 8 this year, which leaves you with just enough time to make that family vacation happen. There are great hotels and resorts all over the United States that cater to families taking Easter trips. Chances are that there is a great property close to Grandma and Grandpa or Aunts and Uncles you have not seen in a while, so Easter is an opportunity to gather around family you would really like to see. Here are a few options for destinations with great Easter festivities going on for you and your family.

Philadelphia Hotels

Easter Brunch at the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel Philadelphia - This elegant Philadelphia hotel serves a very nice Easter brunch in the lobby area with a sweeping staircase and fireplaces. Philadelphia is a beautiful, historic city and would be great for a long weekend family trip. The Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel will add a touch of elegance to your stay in Philadelphia and is withing walking distance of many Philadelphia attractions.

San Diego

Spring is a great season to visit San Diego, and Easter weekend is no exception. The Westgate Hotel San Diego offers a really fun annual event for kids on Easter: Easter Bunny Tea. Kids enjoy tea, hot chocolate, an easter egg hunt, songs, and stories with the Easter Bunny. This year, Easter Bunny Tea is on April 7. This is very popular, and kids love it, so I recommend calling for a reservation at 619-557-3650.

Charleston, SC

Wild Dunes Resort is offering a fantastic 7-night special for the spring holidays. Spend a week in a villa or vacation home at Wild Dunes Resort, and receive a $100 resort credit per bedroom. You can use your credit toward Spring Break and Easter events or activities, which include the Spring Break Golf Pass, Easter Brunch at the Sweetgrass Pavilion, tennis clinics, or an island luau. You will love the Charleston area.

Scottsdale, AZ

Head to Arizona at just about the perfect time of year. The weather should be nice and warm but not so hot as the summer season. This is a great time to enjoy golf, lounging by the swimming pool, hikes in the nearby mountains, and biking. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is a family friendly resort that also caters to couples, business travelers, golfers, and more. Scottsdale would be a great choice for your Easter family vacation or your long weekend for a spring girlfriends getaway or guys weekend. The golf is fantastic. Scottsdale has an annual PGA tour event and many world-class golf options. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess offers complimentary kids club programs, which is great for the family trip.

It's not too late to book your Easter or Spring Break trip - Find the perfect hotel now

New York City Group Travel Planning

New York City is an extremely popular travel destination. It is a major financial center, offers fantastic entertainment and shopping opportunities, nightlife, and many other attractions. Because New York is such a popular desintation, this post is about some of the things you need to keep in mind for group travel to New York.

Peak Travel Seasons

By far the busiest month of the year for New York City is December, when the city is bustling with holiday festivities. Ice skating in Rockefeller Square beneath the gigantic and beautiful Christmas tree. Did you know you can skate in Central Park, too for a much better price? New York is famous for its great holiday department store sales and festive window displays. Visitors also love the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, and many other holiday concerts, including Carnegie Hall performances.

Following December, the spring and fall are the next busiest times to visit New York. During all peak travel seasons, New York hotel rates are much higher. Most of our groups want to say in New York's Times Square or Midtown area. This is a great location, and it is popular. Availability can be limited if you do not plan ahead. During popular travel times, you can pay from $300 per night and up to stay in the Times Square area. In off-peak times and on weekends you can find rates in the $150 to $250 per night range, but you definitely want to plan ahead to take advantage of better New York hotel rates.

If you want to enjoy New York, but you are willing to stay in one of the neighborhoods surrounding Times Square you can definitely save some money and have better room availability, even during peak times. This is especially important for group travel to New York, when you want quality accommodations all in one hotel. Look at hotels in the Chelsea neighborhood, Murray Hill, or other Lower Manhattan neighborhoods. You can save between $50 and $100 per room, per night by choosing these locations. Other great options are to stay just across the Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey. It is actually closer to Times Square than many New York neighborhoods.

For weekend travel to New York, the Seaport area or Financial District also offers some reduced New York hotel rates for your group trip.

The best advice for group travel to New York is to plan ahead as much as possible and to decide if you really want to be right in the Midtown/Times Square area or if you just want easy access to all that New York offers.

Find a great New York hotel for your group.

Group Trips to Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland was first established in 1729, and the city was named after Lord Baltimore, the first proprietary governor of Maryland Colony. At one time, Baltimore was a central shipping port for the Caribbean sugar producing industry, and it remains a major shipping port to this day. Baltimore is part of the larger Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, tying the city intimately to the nation's capitol. Baltimore is a great destination for business meetings as well as leisure trips for friends or family. The city is full of rich history and tradition, and it is conveniently located to take advantage of Washington, DC's abundant attractions as well. When you travel to Baltimore in a group, here are some ideas of top Baltimore attractions to check out.

Top 10 Baltimore Attractions

1) Baltimore National Aquarium - Located on Pier 3 in Baltimore ,the aquarium has some great exhibits including the towering Tropical Basin exhibit, a great shark exhibit and the "Wings Under Water" exhibit with a variety of sting rays. Nearby, on Pier 4 is the marine mammals pavilion as well.

2) Harborplace - Harborplace Baltimore is a glass-enclosed double pavilion facility that is both a shopping center and a marketplace. On the promenade, street artists feature their talent in the local amphitheater.

3) Baltimore Museum of Art - This museum features an exciting collection of works, including a large collection of contemporary art works. Among the more renowned collections is the Cone Collection, which includes works by Henri Matisse.

4) Sherwood Gardens - Especially in the spring, this garden park features tulips and azaleas in flower beds

5) USS Constellation - Visit the USS Constellation, and see the last all-sail U.S. naval vessel built. The ship first sailed in 1854, so this is a great history lesson, especially if you are traveling with children and military history buffs.

6) Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum - The railroad museum encompasses Mt. Clare Station, a historic train station in terms of passenger train travel. There is also a roundhouse, which houses a collection of historic locomotives. This is a great place to learn about the history of trains and train transportation in the United States.

7) Baltimore Zoo - Baltimore Zoo is a fun destination, especially for group travel. The Zoo was created in 1876, making it the third oldest zoo in the United States. The zoo is now officially the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The 160 acre zoo has a collection of 1,500 animals representing approximately 200 species. A great place to spend the day, and the zoo welcomes your group business.

8) Oriole Park at Camden Yards - The official home of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team since 1992, Camden Yards is only 12 minutes by foot from Baltimore's Inner Harbor. And the ball park is practically footsteps from the birthplace of legendary player, Babe Ruth. This ballpark is state-of-the-art, but the design hearkens back to the classic ballparks of the early 20th century. If you are a baseball fan or enjoy great architecture, Oriole Park is not to be missed.

9) American Visionary Art Museum - This is an unusual museum with an unusual collection. The building alone is a work of industrial art, including a staircase and balustrade hand-cast by metal artist, David Hess. The museum collection includes a 55-foot high whirligig as an outdoor sculptural installation. It is a popular Baltimore landmark. Many other surprising and interesting works by non-mainstream artists are housed at the Visionary Art Museum.

10) Fell's Harbor - This historic shipbuilding district is now home to shopping, dining, and bars.

Ready to go to Baltimore? Search for the perfect hotel for your group.