Taking the Kids: Getaways to light up your winter

Also in NYC, Martinique New York on Broadway, which just celebrated its 125th anniversary, is offering 24 percent off stays between Jan. 3 and Feb. 4, 2024.

In Washington, D.C., of course, most museums are free. This season, The National Gallery’s show “Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers” will highlight the artist who would have turned 200 with a birthday celebration.

Take a road trip from Scottsdale to the Grand Canyon where you can combine a stay at a big resort with the awe-inspiring red rocks of Sedona and the Grand Canyon before the spring and summer crowds arrive. See an entirely different Yellowstone if you visit in winter.

There are plenty of admission and dining deals at the major theme parks. Save if you buy tickets online in advance and take advantage of credit card and other discounts. Save up to 30 percent on theme park tickets, for example, with AAA discounts. GOCITY.COM passes include discounted admission to the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, LEGOLAND California, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Opt for vacation rentals offering amenities you don’t have at home. Save money on your next vacation rent al by checking out a variety of websites that rent vacation homes. DVCRentals, for example, which features value rentals in Orlando, Anaheim, Hilton Head, Vero Beach, Florida, and Oahu by Disney Vacation Club owners.

Outdoors lovers willing to rough it should check out Recreation.gov, which offers rustic accommodations (often $50 or less per night) on federal lands and waterways by location. Brands such as Escape Vacations feature tiny houses for rent or sale in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Washington State and Wisconsin.

If you are traveling with grown or college-age kids, you don’t want to be surrounded by young children. Consider Virgin Voyages where we met many families — also ideal for mom-daughter getaways. The minimum age is 18 on these cruises. Sandals resorts are designed for those 18 and up and there are always enticing deals. (Learn to scuba at no extra charge!) Check out their Escape the “Winter Blues” deals at Sandals and Beaches Resorts with up to $1,500 air credit for bookings at select resorts, including the brand-new Sandals Saint Vincent and The Grenadines opening in March 2024.

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s fun simply to mull over all the choices together. Have fun planning!

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)