Every parent knows the feeling. It’s the same stomach drop sensation you get when you realize it’s picture day and you just sent your little moon beam to school sporting bedhead and a ratty old t-shirt. It’s the “Oh crud!” stir parents across the country are experiencing right now as they realize spring break is but a whisper away. The good news? There are plenty of destinations still ripe for the picking, dear procrastinators. Here are a few of my favorites.
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Chicago
WHERE: Illinois
Okay, sure—spring in Chicago can still feel a little brisk. But that’s hardly a reason to stay home when the city serves up enough crowd-pleasers to keep even the most unimpressible tween fully entertained.
Start with the classics: a
Chicago River architecture boat cruise, where the skyline unfolds like a pop-up book. Followed that up by wandering through the
Art Institute of Chicago for a quick hit of culture (and maybe a selfie with the lions out front). Then pivot from cerebral to heart-pounding at
Skydeck Chicago, the city’s glass-encased observation deck that lets brave souls step out over the streets far below.
Refuel with deep-dish pizza—obviously—and then close the evening with a true Chicago power move: seats at
Second City. Watching razor-sharp improv in the theater that launched the careers of
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Stephen Colbert just might convince the kids that yes, your vacation planning skills are elite.
2 OF 10
WHERE: Florida
For families looking for a do beach escape ideal for little ones, Destin, Florida, makes it easy. First off, there are 24 miles of beachfront to choose from (BYOSB—bring your own sand buckets). But what Destin also has is loads of kid-centric activities when it’s time to hose off.
Visitors can go crabbing, charter a fishing boat, or make a splash at Dolphin Oasis, the brand-new expansion at
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park on Okaloosa Island. The two-acre habitat features three interconnected dolphin environments filled with more than a million gallons of Gulf-fed saltwater, plus split-level viewing areas and presentation seating for hundreds of guests.
Back by the water, look for
Little Adventure Classes, fun, free activities, like learning to cast a net, happening right on the shore. That includes beach yoga classes that will begin the weekends of March 28 and April 4, so kiddos can stretch and play with a local guide.
And for teens, April 1 Destin-Fort Walton Beach begins
Reel Time, a program where kids get to compete in a virtual fishing tournament. They join real captains and teammates to track catches and win prizes through the app. Then they can test their skills in real life in Destin.
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Quebec City
WHERE: Canada
Got a history-loving kid who’s ready to branch out beyond the American Revolution this spring break? Head north. In Québec City, Canada, the story of North America unfolds a little differently.
Here, cobblestone streets wind past stone ramparts and centuries-old buildings that feel far closer to Europe than anything in the original thirteen colonies. Families can wander the fortified walls of Old Québec, explore the
Plains of Abraham where empires once clashed, ride up the
Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec, a slow-moving cable railway that connects the historic old town to the lower district, or duck into cozy cafés for hot chocolate and crêpes between museum stops.
For young history buffs, it’s a chance to experience another side of the continent’s story—French explorers, British battles, and a culture that has endured for more than four centuries. And for everyone else in the family, Québec City delivers the feeling of a European getaway—think buttery croissants, café-lined squares, and the music of the French language in the air—without the budget-busting transatlantic flight.
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Oklahoma City
WHERE: Oklahoma
Surely the OKC Thunder understand something the rest of us are only just starting to catch on to: Oklahoma City is having a moment. For travelers, that winning streak translates into a destination that feels energetic and unexpectedly cool for kids.
Hop a streetcar to the buzzy Bricktown district for canal-side dining and live music. Then dive into the city’s old-timey history at the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, an immersive tribute to life on the range. For a deeper understanding of the state’s past, visit the First Americans Museum, which offers powerful insight into Indigenous cultures and their preservation and perseverance in Oklahoma. And do make time for the Science Museum Oklahoma—arguably one of the best children’s museums anywhere, with a sprawling two-story campus packed with hundreds of hands-on STEM exhibits designed for curious young minds.
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Lucca
WHERE: Italy
Hear me out. You could go to Florence, Italy, in the summer like every other American tourist family. Or, you could go to its smaller, more adorable Renaissance sister city, Lucca, just 50 miles west, over spring break. I promise you that your children will have a better, if not equally eye-opening experience.
This medieval city, rich in Tuscan charm with grand piazzas, Roman ruins, world-class art and architecture, and one of Italy’s finest culinary scenes, delivers all the la dolce vita allure without the stress of a bustling metropolis. Rent bikes for the whole family and pedal its fortified walls. Go underground to the
Domus Romana in Lucca to see Roman ruins dating to the 1st century BCE. Shop for vintage treasures during its weekend antiques flea markets. Listen to buskers perform in the streets, then eat gelato until your cheeks hurt. Show your kids how to carpe diem like a champ.
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Columbia River Gorge
WHERE: Oregon
If the kids are lobbying hard for a camping trip, consider a compromise parents can get behind: glamping. It delivers just enough “great outdoors” cred to satisfy young adventurers—without sacrificing the comforts that make a family trip feel like a vacation.
Enter Under Canvas, the safari-chic glamping brand that has officially planted its flag in the Pacific Northwest. Its newest outpost,
Under Canvas Columbia River Gorge, opens for the season on April 23 just outside White Salmon, Washington, with fifty luxury tents across 120 sweeping acres perched high above the river Woody Guthrie once called “the greatest wonder… in Uncle Sam’s fair land.”
With Mount Hood on the horizon and Hood River—the self-proclaimed “Windsurfing Capital of the World”—just ten minutes away, it’s an ideal spring break basecamp for families. Days can be spent hiking Cascade trails, kayaking the river, or exploring nearby towns before retreating to great nearby wineries like
COR Cellars, before snuggling down in tents outfitted with in-suite showers, propane stoves, and West Elm furnishings. It’s camping, sure—but with creature comforts that keep everyone happy.
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Sevierville
WHERE: Tennessee
In Sevierville, Tennessee, the day often starts on the trail. Families can set out early for misty hikes, waterfall walks, and wildlife sightings in the country’s most-visited national park, where the possibility of spotting a black bear adds just enough thrill to keep kids paying attention on the trek. By afternoon, the rhythm can downshift back in town. Grab a casual dinner at
Pinchy’s Lobster & Raw Bar (I know, landlocked lobster sounds weird, but trust me) or fine dining feast at
The Appalachian, stroll souvenir shops open, and take in the quiet pride of a place that still claims Dolly as its most famous daughter. What you’ll discover is that the appeal for families is the variety. One day might mean fishing in a cool mountain stream or climbing into a
treehouse rental tucked in the hills. Another could involve letting the kids burn off energy at an amusement park like
Wilderness at the Smokies or simply wandering around town with an ice cream cone in hand. And for those who want to see the Smokies from a different angle,
scenic helicopter rides lift off nearby, trading switchback roads for sweeping views of the ridgelines.
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Maui
WHERE: Hawaii
If spring break is a chance to show kids that travel can be meaningful as well as fun, consider a trip to Maui. Nearly three years after devastating wildfires changed the island forever, Maui continues the long work of recovery—something visitors can witness firsthand in the resilience of its communities.
Days here still look like the Hawaii many families dream about: snorkeling in clear Pacific waters, spotting whales along the shore, and tracing the curves of the Road to Hana. But there’s also an opportunity for conversations about resilience, community, and what it means to rebuild after hardship. Many local businesses—from family-run restaurants to tour guides—are eager to welcome visitors again, making tourism part of the island’s recovery story.
For kids, it’s the kind of spring break that mixes beach days and adventure with a deeper lesson: that even in places defined by beauty, strength, and perseverance are part of the landscape too.
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Turks and Caicos
For families who believe spring break should involve turquoise water and a passport stamp, Turks and Caicos makes a compelling case. The islands are home to
Beaches Turks & Caicos, arguably one of the most family-focused resorts anywhere in the Caribbean, where kids’ clubs, waterparks, and endless activities keep younger travelers busy while parents actually get a vacation.
But the real star is the setting. Grace Bay’s famously clear, calm water is ideal for snorkeling, paddleboarding, and the kind of low-stress beach days that make traveling with kids feel easy. Add in reliable sunshine, and a relatively quick flight from much of the East Coast, and Turks and Caicos becomes the sort of spring break trip families talk about long after the sand has been shaken out of the suitcases.
10 OF 10
Jasper
WHERE: Canada
If you’re already mourning the end of ski season, here’s some good news: in the far reaches of North America, winter is still going strong. At
Marmot Basin in Jasper, Alberta, the lifts keep spinning until the end of May—long after many U.S. resorts have called it quits.
That makes it a surprisingly great spring break option for families who’d rather trade beach towels for powder days. Even better? Kids
ski free!
To get there, a shuttle runs between the town of Jasper and the mountain through April 12 for those who’d rather skip the drive—making a late-season ski trip feel like one last, glorious run before summer.
Pamela Anderson Tells Us Where She Goes to Feel Normal
Paige Powell
https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/canada/british-columbia/experiences/news/pamela-anderson-why-she-returned-home-to-canada
In a candid interview, Pamela Anderson shares the place she returned to so she could slow down, reconnect, and feel like herself again.
I think Pamela Anderson lives around here.”
It wasn’t the first thing I’d expected to hear during a ceremony to welcome Holland America Line’s Noordam to her first-ever port call at Nanaimo, British Columbia. And then I got more of the scoop from an acquaintance.
Pamela Anderson had left Hollywood and moved back to Ladysmith, just south of Nanaimo, where she was from originally, and they’d once sat across from her on a Helijet flight to the island from Vancouver.
It seems almost as though Anderson was destined to be in the spotlight. Her very birth drew attention—born on July 1, 1967, exactly the centennial of Canada’s confederation, so she was hailed as the “Centennial Baby.” Discovered in a Labatt’s t-shirt at a Vancouver football game, a modeling career quickly took her to Los Angeles, then transitioned to acting on series like Home Improvement and Baywatch, on Broadway in the musical Chicago, and in films such as Barb Wire and The Last Showgirl.
“After years in the spotlight,” read the announcement, “Pamela Anderson returned to her hometown of Ladysmith on Vancouver Island, reconnecting with her roots and embracing a quieter, more grounded way of living. In stepping back from constant reinvention, she found value in presence, simplicity, and a deeper connection to place. Her story is personal, but it reflects something many visitors discover in Canada: a place that supports a return to what feels authentic, where reconnection comes not from becoming someone new, but from remembering who you already are.”
A look on Anderson’s
Instagram suggests she’s found a good balance between gardening at home in Ladysmith and glammy worldwide red-carpet affairs promoting her films. But I was curious about what had drawn her back to Ladysmith (where she returned to live fulltime in 2019), and how travelers could reach that same “quieter, more grounded way of living”—at least during a visit.
Pamela Anderson’s Fond Memories of Vancouver Island
Fodor’s recently caught up with Anderson to learn more about what she might recommend for travelers to Canada—or travelers in general.
“I still come home to Vancouver Island to breathe,” she say. “It’s snow-capped mountains, the rocky beaches full of life—it’s ‘normal’ to me—unpretentious and free.”
One of Anderson’s most treasured locales is in her own hometown of Ladysmith, where she loves strolling down First Avenue, “especially during the Festival of Lights over the winter holidays,” she shares.
“It’s a childhood memory,” she says. “Being in the parade or on a float with friends.” Another of her childhood memories is the scent of crabapple blossoms and the flavor of their fruit, which she characterizes as “distinct.”
Ladysmith’s First Avenue certainly is picturesque, and it was named the
Best Street in Canada by the Canadian Institute of Planners.
Perhaps as a harbinger of later “beachy” roles, she continues, “I love my hometown’s small but charming
Transfer Beach, where I took swimming lessons in the ocean—I was a proud ‘otter.’” Proof, perhaps, that Anderson comes from tough stock—water temperatures off Transfer Beach reach a summer peak of around 66 degrees (a competition swimming pool is typically heated to around 80 degrees).
Tofino, on the Pacific Coast of the island, known for its ocean storms and picturesque, rocky bays, is “the surf spot we all wanted to go to,” she says, and she also enjoyed “Coombs, where the
goats graze on the rooftops of them market.” Coombs is just north of Nanaimo on the way to Tofino, where visitors in all seasons flock to the oceanfront
Wickaninnish Inn for ocean vistas and storm watching.
She also recalls
Cathedral Grove for its “beautiful huge trees,” reminding would-be visitors that “Vancouver Island is a rainforest/”
She rounds out her recommendations with
Butchart Gardens “one of my favorite places to get lost in,” and a stop into Victoria’s
Fairmont Empress Hotel for high tea. I’ll gladly second that—the hotel has been serving their afternoon tea since 1908, and the menu includes delights like a truffled mushroom quiche, English cucumber sandwich, and lovely fresh-baked scones with clotted cream, strawberry preserves, and lemon curd. Teapots even come with a timer so they know how long to let their tea steep in the pot. For a truly luxurious experience, you can do as I did and amp up the beverage line-up with a gin and tonic with
Empress 1908 Gin, which was inspired by the hotel’s afternoon tea.
A spokesperson for PETA, Anderson herself follows a vegan lifestyle. To supplement what she harvests from her own garden, she’s a fan of “wild asparagus and mushrooms foraged by experts—you can always find a guide.”
Wandering around the island, it’s easy to understand what would have drawn Anderson home. The neatly-tended gardens, the quiet hillside with vistas tracing lush temperate rainforest to rocky, driftwood-strewn beaches fronting the fragrant Salish Sea—it’s the kind of place suspended in a calm quiet that bores restless youths hungry to see the world, and centers weary adults who have seen more than enough of it.
Pamela Anderson’s Travel Tips
When it comes to self-care on the go, Anderson prefers products from
Sonsie, the skincare brand she co-founded in 2021. “It’s the best by far,” she says. “I have honed it so I have everything I need on travel days for hydration and healthy skin.” The brand is naturally vegan and cruelty-free.
When heading abroad from Canada, she might be bound for the south of France, particularly St.-Tropez, which she likes for the similarities to her home on Vancouver Island—with some caveats. “It’s a similar laid-back garden lifestyle, it’s fancier, I guess,” she says, also noting that “the Mediterranean has so many people in its high season.”
Wherever her travels take her, she’s still firm about the roots she’s chosen to return to. “I can appreciate [it] all much more now from a newer, seasoned perspective,” she says, pointing out that what makes both Vancouver Island and the rest of Canada such a distinctive, welcoming place for visitors are Canadians themselves: “The people are innately kind, and you feel safe here.”
The invisible culture gap that could be costing hotels repeat guests
https://hotelsmag.com/news/the-invisible-culture-gap-that-could-be-costing-hotels-repeat-guests/
Every serious hotel brand has a culture. Ask any senior leader, and they can tell you what it is. The values have been named. What happens next is the part that many properties have not built.
I have sat in rooms where ownership presented their brand culture with complete conviction. The values were real; the intention behind them was genuine. What those rooms could not show me was what the same culture looked like at 14:42 on a Tuesday, when the front desk agent was approaching the end of their shift, and the guest walking through the lobby had a preference from their last stay that never made it into any system.
That gap—between what a brand intends and what a guest encounters—is not a training problem or a motivation problem. The people working at the front desk, the housekeeping floor and the dinner service are, in most cases, trying. They are capable, they are not the gap. The gap is structural, and it is in the operating environment, not the strategy layer.
Culture does not break at the ownership level. It dissolves further down, in the transitions between departments, in the shift changes, in the moments when the information that would allow one person to do something meaningful for a guest exists somewhere in the building and has no way to reach the person who needs it. The housekeeper who noticed the guest moved every piece of furniture toward the window. The PM server who saw the same guest order carefully and ate half the plate. These are observations. In many operations, they go nowhere. They are not captured. They are not passed forward. They never leave the floor.
I watched that feeling form and then fade. It was never lost because someone stopped caring. It was lost because the operating conditions of a hotel — the shift rotations, the departmental silos, the volume of arrivals compressing into narrow windows — work systematically against the continuity that produces it. The conditions are not anyone’s fault. But they require a deliberate response, and properties have not built one.
The response I am describing is not a training program. Training produces capable individuals. What is needed is something different: a channel. A structured way for the people closest to the guest to pass what they are noticing to the people positioned to act on it, before the stay is over, while there is still time for it to matter.
In its absence, the intelligence that would change the stay stays on the floor. Ownership sees satisfaction scores. The scores look reasonable. What the scores do not show is the guest who had a seven-out-of-ten stay, left without complaint, and chose a different property the following season. That outcome does not appear to be a failure in any report. It appears as a booking that simply does not repeat.
Over time, and across enough guests, the cumulative effect of those absent bookings is visible in RevPAR trends, in return-rate attrition and in the gradual compression of rate premium against the competitive set. But by the time it is visible at that level, the operating conditions that produced it have been in place for months or years. The distance between cause and consequence is what makes this problem difficult to address after the fact.
Closing this gap means asking a different question. Not how to express the culture more clearly, but how the entire organization—from ownership to the floor —operates from the same understanding of what the guest needs to feel. Properties have not yet built the infrastructure to make that possible.
The brands that solve this problem will protect their rate. The ones that don’t will find themselves competing on attributes that were never meant to be the point.
This Is What a Gen-Z Teen Really Thinks of Going on a Cruise

Frantic00/Shutterstock
https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/this-is-what-a-gen-z-teen-really-thinks-of-going-on-a-cruise
Cruises aren’t just for retirees—or are they?
I thought I was in for a week of smooth sailing and relaxation. Ten days aboard the MSC Poesia as a 16-year-old with my 13 other family members was as chaotic and exciting as it sounds. Lucky for me, the 1,000-foot ship was just big enough for family bonding (and offered just enough space to avoid the drama).
You are probably wondering how I survived a trip with six grouchy kids and seven even grouchier adults. Honestly? I have no idea, but before booking your next cruise and inviting your whole family along, here are a few things you’re going to want to consider, especially when it comes to traveling with a Gen-Z teen.
1 OF 8
Onboard Wi-Fi? How About No-Fi
Don’t even bother trying to get any work done. Speaking from personal experience, the signal was almost as unpredictable as the guy singing in the room next door. Seriously, I couldn’t decide whether to give an award or splurge on a pair of earplugs. Before the trip, I promised myself that I’d be the “good student,” the one who kept up with all the summer program lectures and did all the assignments. Lucky me, a day into the cruise, the Wi-Fi decided to go completely haywire. Downloads, phone calls, and sending photos? All out of the question.
2 OF 8
Not Every Activity Was Made for Me (Or Anyone Under 50, for That Matter)
A day at sea is perfect for relaxation and contemplating the impending end of your vacation. If you’re not spending it in bed eating cocktail shrimp, you’re doing something wrong. But if, for some reason, you’re like me and would rather be searching for something less crustacean and more vacation, I don’t blame you.
The ‘classic cruise crowd’ activities, while definitely old-timey and sweet, are in desperate need of an update. While there is nothing wrong with making handmade cards or joining napkin folding lessons with grandma, sometimes heading to the spa for a relaxing (but pricey) treatment or sweeping the deck with your inflatable dart board skills might sound a little more promising. Too bad the most exciting thing on the schedule was bingo at 3 pm and a conga line you didn’t sign up for.
3 OF 8
There Are Generational Differences in Snack Behavior
I wasn’t prepared for the intense excursions. With the long days of city exploration, hiking, and scrambling to find the best local spots to eat during the hour-long free times, someone was always bound to be hungry. Fortunately, in a family of 14, there was always someone with a sack full of buffet treasures. From their logoed fanny packs, grandma and grandpa each whipped out three hard-boiled eggs while my aunt and uncle offered up plastic bags full of dinner rolls and croissants.
4 OF 8
Surprisingly, Not Everything is Complimentary
It was too good to be true. All the upsold, caveat-filled items that should have been free in theory ended up costing more than they were ever worth. I mean, sure, there’s free food at the buffet and free tap water you can drink from your room’s sink (which I don’t advise drinking), but anything better—pshh, don’t even think about it. For the good stuff, like lobster dinners (for $34 a piece) or bottled water, I hope you don’t mind paying an extra.
To save a few bucks, consider splurging on a drink package. Eighteen dollars a day, with unlimited drinks from the buffet and bars, is perfect for luxurious dining without blowing the budget. The drink package only gets you so far, though. As an avid orange juice drinker, I was quite disappointed to find that, even with the package and the many baskets of oranges at their disposal, freshly squeezed orange juice remains unattainable. I guess we’ll have to stick to the boxed stuff.
5 OF 8
The Family Group Texts Are Too Much
There’s something almost military about getting a text at 9 pm that says, “Meet for breakfast at 8 am.” You can’t escape it, especially with the truckload of other notifications that come with 13 other people leaving thumbs-up reactions. Unless you’re trying to annoy all the neighbors, don’t forget to turn your phone on silent.
6 OF 8
Are We Sure Cruises Are Actually Grandparent Friendly?
From the restaurant menus to the cruise app that everyone is expected to download, it’s like they grandparent-proofed the place. In theory, using QR codes for menus and an informational cruise app for announcements should make things more efficient—because why not?
It’s the twenty-first century, after all. But it becomes a problem when most passengers can’t figure out how to send a text, let alone download an app. And when opening a digital menu turns into a whole ordeal, it’s often easier to just have their grandchildren read it aloud.
7 OF 8
Cruises Feel Too Rushed
I hope you weren’t looking forward to really seeing it all. The whole trip seemed a little rushed, in my opinion. You get about eight hours at each destination, and that’s if everyone runs on time. Planning to sleep in? Think again.
Most days, the docking time is around 8 a.m., so unless you’re okay with skipping the entire stop, it’s an early wake-up or nothing. That said, even with all the chaos, waking up in a different country every morning was a breathtaking experience. No matter how tempting it is to hit snooze, trust me—it’s not worth missing what’s out there. Set those alarms (and a backup one too, just in case)!
8 OF 8
The Onboard Mini Mall Needs to Seriously Restock
Where else are you supposed to get all those random cruise souvenirs? While it’s meant for convenience, sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. Here are two things to remember on your cruise when visiting the mini mall so you aren’t left stranded without a toothbrush or nail polish: It’s closed when the ship is docked, and everything worth buying is completely out of stock by day four, so stock up in advance.
Don’t make the same mistake I did: forgetting my phone charger at home and waiting until the last second to buy one. Not only was the shop closed, but even when it did open, they still didn’t have any. Lesson learned: don’t forget your chargers at home.
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