June 22, 2004 -- The Southeastern USA represents a wide variety of places to visit, attractions to see, and entertainment to enjoy. From the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina to the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, you'll find everything from gigantic amusement parks to mom-and-pop museums, and you can spend time with Shamu the Killer Whale or step along a walkway right next to an alligator.
Getting There
Among the dozens of packages to Florida this week that we looked at, this one caught our eye. Off Peak Traveler has a seven-night Orlando package that starts from just $499 per person, double occupancy. That's the price from New York City, and you stay in a resort condominium with kitchen, they say. In addition, you have to pay $149 per person for service charges and taxes. The deal is good from July 9 through August 27, 2004. Contact them at www.offpeaktraveler.com.
Once There
If you are in Florida on your own, look for hotel packages in which you can enjoy a stay in a deluxe resort that has winter rates you might avoid that time of the year. One such is the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, in Bonita Springs on Florida's Gulf Coast. The hotel is new, so is using summer promotional rates to get people acquainted with its 26 acres along Estero Bay and the Gulf. Bonita Springs lies between Naples and Fort Myers. Next door is the Hyatt Coconut Plantation, the two properties together boast seven pools including a 5,000-sq. ft lagoon pool with a 140-foot corkscrew waterslide and a scenic, thousand-foot-long Alligator Alley "lazy river" pool. Other amenities of the 450-room resort include an 18-hole golf course, full-service spa with fitness center, six restaurants and lounges, access to the beach, tennis and a camp for children aged 3 to 12. The Summer Spectacular Rate is $139 per room, per night, from now through September 28, 2004. Contact them at 800/55-HYATT or visit www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com.
Georgia
The Gardens at Callaway have been riding high on popularity lists with drivers for decades, but the "Flying High Circus" is a veteran, too, at 44 years old in 2004. This is a program of Florida State University (just over the state line), in which the top 25 drama students are invited to spend the summer at Callaway, where they perform six days a week. The students also serve as day-camp counselors for the gardens' popular Summer Family Adventures program, which Callaway says is the oldest family camp in the nation.
Performances of the circus are daily except Wednesdays from now through August 13, 2004. Circus shows are included with gardens admission, which is $13 for adults, $6.50 for children (6-12), except on July 4, 2004, when it's $15 and $7.50, respectively. Tax is additional. Children five and under are admitted free. There are many other things to do at Callaway, including the gardens themselves, learning to water ski, meeting the parrots, visiting Iceberg Island, and Movies on the Beach. For more information, contact them at 800/CALLAWAY (same as 800/225-5292) or visit www.callawayonline.com.