Photo gallery for TRAVEL TALK: It's never too early to plan for spring break or winter getaway

Happy Fourth of July.
While many of us get together with family and friends over this festive holiday, the topic of travel always seems to come up.
If you are like many families in West Michigan, you enjoy getting away from it all once in a while, especially during the cold winter months and spring break.
Nothing beats getting out of Michigan’s cold and dreary weather like a tropical, all-inclusive resort or cruise getaway. Each year we see more families making memories together by traveling to places like the Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana and Jamaica.
Caribbean cruises are also a very popular option, offering the opportunity to see many islands in one vacation without having to pack and repack.
Since our travel vendors are contracting rates earlier than ever before, it’s a good idea to plan and book your vacation soon in order to receive the best pricing and options for your family.
When you plan this far in advance you are able to take advantage of early booking bonuses and group space discounts. Most of the public schools in West Michigan have selected April 3 -12, 2009 as their spring break. This year, however, many of the schools on the east side of the state have spring break the same week.
This means spring break space will book up even more quickly than normal, which is another good reason to begin planning for your spring break travel next year. 
Zeeland Public Schools also has a nice, long break over the entire Thanksgiving week, from Nov. 23-27. This is a great opportunity to take your family on a wonderful vacation before the higher-priced holiday season or spring break.
We are also seeing more multi-generational families planning special Christmas and New Year’s vacations to destinations like Disney World, Hawaii or other all-inclusive resorts.
Why do they do it? To make lasting family memories with children and grandchildren.
Sometimes it’s to celebrate a special anniversary or birthday, and for some of our clients it’s an annual vacation getaway.
If this is something you are thinking about for the 2009 holiday and winter season, we encourage you to start planning now – Christmas is only five months away.
Another reason to begin planning early is that as of January 2007, valid passports are now required for United States citizens to fly outside of the United States. We strongly urge you to apply for a passport now, even if you aren’t planning a vacation before the end of the year.
Passports are valid for 10 years for adults and five years for children 16 and under.
We hope you are having a wonderful, safe holiday weekend with your family and friends. Please contact us at 616-772-9660 for more information on travel destinations ideas during these popular times of year to escape Michigan’s winter blues.