Freedom. That’s what Spring Break is all about. Yet the way that word is defined depends largely on your stage in life. For instance, if the Well Rounded Woman was still a swinging single, it might include shedding inhibitions (along with a few articles of clothing), perhaps even making a cameo appearance on Girls Gone Wild. As a “mature” mom, however, she prefers to remain dressed and dispense instead with the detritus of daily life: a round-the-clock routine that encompasses everything from making mortgage payments to making lunch. That’s not easily accomplished on a family holiday. After all, when you bring the kids, you bring certain responsibilities with you. Nevertheless, there are a few fabulous resorts where she can be free.
A Barbadian Beauty
The Well Rounded Woman knew she’d love Barbados’ Almond Beach Village the minute she realized it didn’t issue those tacky ID bracelets so common in resorts today. They seem better suited to convicts than vacationers. (It doesn’t help that the plastic strips clash with her platinum bangles either!) But the resort, which occupies a one-time sugar plantation on the island’s swanky west coast, makes her feel liberated in other respects as well. Since it’s an all-inclusive (a rarity in this idyllic locale), our voracious vixen can eat at elegant à la carte restaurants and drink at palmy, balmy beach bars without once pulling out her wallet. Ditto for any activities she and her offspring might want to indulge in.
The complimentary list starts with aqua-cycling, then runs on endlessly through the alphabet. Perhaps the biggest draw, though, is that the thirty-two-acre resort also boasts a highly-acclaimed kids club. This means the Well Rounded Woman can be free of her brood, too, if the mood strikes. Unlike standard programs, this one has flexible hours and caters to all ages, from infants to teens. Plus it offers a genuine taste of local culture by letting them sample steel drumming, Calypso dancing, even Bajan cooking. And, with the kiddies happily ensconced, Mom can lounge on the beach or hop a shuttle to an adults-only sister resort without cost … or guilt. In March, nightly rates for two adults start at $450 (first child aged 2–11 free; second child $65).
Down Mexico Way
In Mexico particularly, many quality resorts work hard to make you feel secure. Yet to curious souls, the cocoon-like settings with their security–patrolled perimeters can seem like compounds—and leaving them can be as difficult as escaping Alcatraz. That’s why the Well Rounded Woman adores Xpu-Ha Palace, located an hour south of Cancun on the Mayan Riviera. Guests booking at least three nights at this all-inclusive qualify for a “Palace Passport” which includes unlimited free tours of top off-site attractions like the Mayan temples at Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Coba, as well as the colonial city of Valladolid. Outings to Isla Mujeres and to Wet’nWild’s Parque Nizuc are also available.
Of course, her family is welcome to go wild onsite, too. The thirty-seven-acre property was first developed as an eco-park and that infrastructure remains. So aside from the expected restaurants, pools, and beaches, it has some unique bonus features: most notably a mangrove-lined estuary, a fish-filled lagoon ideal for junior snorkelers, an aviary, and pens for monkeys and crocodiles. In short, Xpu-Ha’s natural attractions are divine. The 144 casita-style rooms aren’t too shabby either. Although their traditional thatched roofs may look rustic, beneath them lie five-star amenities like satellite TVs, double Jacuzzis, and amply-stocked mini bars. This month, the nightly rate for two adults is $448 (kids aged 4–17 $53).
Hungry Like a Wolf
For all the joys of foreign travel, sometimes what the Well Rounded Woman really wants is to be free of the need to dig out her passport, buy plane tickets, and drag her cumbersome crew through airport security lines. Luckily, Great Wolf Lodges comes to the rescue by offering a selection of drive-to resorts right here at home: ten of them to be precise, within 150 miles of such major cities as Chicago, Dallas, NYC, Philadelphia, and Washington. The idea of visiting one might sound like cold comfort to frostbitten families eager to warm up. But our savvy sojourner knows that each has an over-the-top pool complex where the mercury holds steady at a tropical 84° every day of the year.
