In our neighborhood, autumn came early this year when Hurricane Irene washed out the last weekend of summer and school started before Labor Day.  Just a few days before the hurricane barrelled across New Jersey, New York and Vermont we enjoyed one last summer sunset in Long Branch, NJ.  #1 Son caught this image which pretty much sums it all up for us.

The last summer sunset of 2011
 
The lifeguards are all off duty and the bathing suits and suntan lotion have been put away.   The backpacks are full of newly purchased school supplies and a new season of  Travel with Teens and Tweens adventures awaits.  Happy Fall!
 
Note: we shared this post with the Delicious Baby photo friday roundup which is a great place to discover lots of fun family travel bloggers.
 
 

       The Atlantis resort in the Bahamas isn’t kidding when it describes itself as a “family-vacation Mecca”.  The resort includes a wide range of hotel rooms, suites and villas, as well as 21 restaurants and a gorgeous beachfront location.   That’s just for starters.  What really makes our teens wish they were at Atlantis  is the range and quality of high energy teen and tween activities available all day and most of the night.   From the world’s largest outdoor marine habitat to death defying water rides, no one in the family will run out of things to do here.  And to make it even more fun for teens, this winter the resort is launching a total make-over of its teen evening entertainment zone with the introduction of Club Crush – a high tech, parent free, VIP club experience for  teens ages 13-18.

The new Club Crush at Atlantis will give teens VIP treatment!

     The 14,000 square-foot Club Crush will feature an internet lounge, a game room stocked with the most up-to-date technology available, including a floor-to-ceiling gaming tower with 32 monitors, the first-ever teen-only branch of Starbucks, and a dance club complete with VIP sections, doormen and paparazzi!   Parents of teens can enjoy the resort’s casinos or more adult evening activities while the teens can play games and hang out with their new friends in this alcohol free club.  Of course, with the VIP dance zone, your teenage daughter will probably have to bring an extra suitcase of clothes (or go on a major shopping spree at the resort) so she can create the perfect diva look every night!

Is your teen brave enough for the Atlantis water slides?

Luckily, teens on vacation don’t need too much sleep.  After dancing the night away, there is plenty to keep them busy at Atlantis all day long as well.  The centerpiece of the resort is a 140-acre waterscape comprised of over 20 million gallons of fresh and saltwater lagoons, pools and habitats that are home to 50,000 marine animals.  Sharks, rays, dolphins, sea lions and many species of fish can be seen, and in some cases met up close during structured encounters or in snorkeling lagoons.    

      When they get bored with the sea life, teens and tweens can find plenty of thrills at Aquaventure, a non-stop water park that includes several death-defying near-vertical ”Challenger” water slide towers with names like Leap of Faith and the Abyss.  

     The Current, a lazy river on steroids, takes inner tube riders through a tropical jungle river featuring rapids, caves and rolling 4-5 foot waves. Water conveyors provide access to the Power Tower water slides, allowing guests to stay in their inner tubes for the ride to the top.  And did we mention the 11 pools, the rock climbing, the pottery studio, tennis courts,  and the arcade?  And that is all before the sun goes down when its time to grab dinner and head back to Club Crush.

The Current at Atlantis - not your mother's lazy river

     Obviously Atlantis is extremely popular during major school vacation weeks but if you can squeeze in a visit before December 22 or during January and early February, the resort has some great deals including free companion airfare on longer stays and the 4th night free on selected dates.   For families on the East Coast the short flight makes this a real option for a quick family getaway.

Disclosure

     As with all the articles in our “Wishing We Were Here” series, we received no compensation or incentive to write this article.   We just wish we here here!  Visit the link to see some of the other resorts on our wish list.

     Photos courtesy of Atlantis

 

     In our ongoing search for great seaside resorts that offer something special for families with teens and tweens we recently learned about an all inclusive scuba diving resort called Small Hope Bay Lodge on Andros Island in the Bahamas.  With just 21 rooms in hand built coral rock and pine beachfront cottages, the Lodge takes a low impact approach to beach vacationing.  Several 2-bedroom cottages are available for families.

View of the beach at Small Hope Bay Lodge

     Scuba diving is the main event with free introductory lessons available for beginners ages 10 and up.  For the more advanced, the Lodge also offers complete open water certification courses, including the PADI Open Water Course, Adventure and Advanced Open Water courses as well as specialty certifications.  Children under ten can try SASY (Supplied Air Snorkeling for Youth) which gives them an introduction to surface and underwater swimming with an air supply.

A Discover Scuba class at Small Hope Bay Lodge

        The intro course was explained to us as follows: It is generally from 1:30-3:30pm.   Participants meet in the “games room” to watch a short video after a brief description of the video from a dive instructor.  After the video the instructor will have a general discussion with the class and review the video.  Next, it is on to the dock to  learn about the basic gear required to scuba dive  and how to perform some of the basic skills. Then its time to suit up and get in the water using the ladder at the dock.   Once the guest can clear their mask and regulator properly, they familiarize themselves in the water and can scuba dive around the dock which is a shallow area of 3-5ft of water.   Sounds like a perfect introduction for teens and tweens.

A 2-bedroom cottage at Small Hope Bay Lodge

     The all-inclusive rate (i.e. $235 per person/per night till Dec. 18, 2010 with kids 2-7 yrs $95 and kids 8-12 are $120) covers beginner or refresher lessons for scuba diving and snorkeling, self-guided nature walks, windsurfers, Hobie Cat, Escape sailboat, kayaks, bicycles, and a hot tub on the beach as well as meals and accommodations.  More advanced snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing (fly fishing, spincasting, bonefishing, reef and deep sea), guided eco-tours, and massage are offered for additional fees a la carte or via  packages.  The Lodge’s web page offers a wide range of options.

Inside a cottage

     Small Hope Bay Lodge has four boats for diving and snorkeling, including two large pontoon boats, so that they can take divers and snorkelers in smaller groups to explore the local shallow reefs, wrecks, blue holes and coral gardens. There are three regular daily dives, sometimes four when a night dive is scheduled.  They tell us that In the winter, the water temperature is about 74 degrees Fahrenheit  and the summer water temperature is about 84 degrees Fahrenheit.

Snorkeling at Small Hope Bay Lodge

     In researching Small Hope Bay Lodge we were impressed by the many positive reviews we read online and by the general attitude of the staff.  Unlike many resorts that will only offer programs if a minimum number of people register, Small Hope Bay says that ”if someone is interested in learning to dive, they simply let a member of the dive staff know .. the minimum class size is 1, so as long as someone is interested in learning to dive, there will be a class”.   Thats the kind of service we look for!

Disclosure

     We’re highlighting Small Hope Bay Lodge because it is the kind of place our teens wish they were visiting instead of hitting the books at school.   We didn’t get any compensation for this article.  If you’ve been there please share your thoughts and comments.

    All photos courtesy Small Hope Bay Lodge

 
Beaches Turks and Caicos: Wishing We Were There

     As the weather cools off and the school routine sets in, we start wishing we were back on vacation.  We constantly research potential destinations, always looking for deals and windows of opportunity on our calendar.  Although we can’t go to all the wonderful places we discover, we enjoy sharing the best ideas with you, our readers.  This is the first in what will be a weekly (more or less) feature highlighting a destination from our ever growing wish list. Teens Can’t Get Bored at Beaches Turks and Caicos      Our teens are always looking for destinations that will allow them to try new things, get outside, and most importantly, have a chance to get away from the parental units from time to time.  Beaches Turks and Caicos has all [...]

 
Asbury Park, NJ Making a Comeback

          The beaches and boardwalk of Asbury Park, NJ were once jewels of the shore, featuring a mile of rides, mini-golf, shops, sand, beautiful people and happy families.  However, for the last 25 years or more it has been tough times in Asbury,  as the boardwalk and shopping district were largely abandoned.  Thankfully, the tide is beginning to turn in Asbury and for the first time in many years the summer crowds are coming back.      Our recent visit to Asbury Park shows that times are indeed changing for the better.  On a beautiful hot Sunday afternoon the beach and boardwalk were mobbed and a new generation of trendy restaurants and shops were doing a brisk business.   In addition, the town’s performance venues such as the Stone Pony, the Wonder Bar, the Paramount Theater [...]

 
Down the Shore ... with Earl

          Mother Nature, in the form of sun and surf, is usually the main summer attraction at the Jersey Shore.  Last week, however, strong waves and rip tides, courtesy of hurricane Earl, took center stage along the coast.         Although the storm did not deliver much in the way of wind or rain, it did have an impact on our daily plans since the wave heights and swimming conditions changed each day.  In the days before Earl arrived, the waves were strong enough to entertain the surfers but still safe for beach-goers.       As the week went on, the sun kept shining but the threat of rip tides forced life guards to close the beaches.  Our week down the Shore with Earl reminded us of the power of the ocean and the need to stay flexible with weather-dependent vacation [...]

 
Heading Down to the Jersey Shore!

     No matter how old they get, the teens  never get tired of the annual pilgrimage to the Jersey Shore.  Hope you enjoy these photos of some of our favorite Jersey Shore moments.   Need more ideas for great Jersey Shore activities for teens and tweens?  Check out all the links on our Jersey Shore  Top 10 list. Hitting the Beach in Belmar  Catching the Waves on Boogie Boards A Thrill Ride a Minute – Boardwalks Jersey Style Winning Some Silly Prizes in the Arcades  Can’t forget mini-golf Lots of time for family fun!      We included a link to these photos on the Delicious Baby Photo Friday roundup.  Stop by there if you enjoy family travel photos.

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