Where can you spend a lazy, quiet Florida beach weekend that’s conveniently less than two hours from Orlando’s thicket of theme parks and a mere 20-minute drive from downtown Tampa, yet far from the crowds that jam Clearwater and Treasure Island? Pass-a-Grille, that’s where. I’m an Orlando resident, and it’s where I head when I need a bit of good ’ol sun-and-sand relaxation.

Pass-a-Grille is actually a little residential community that’s considered part of larger St. Pete Beach. But nestled at the very southern tip of Long Key, it feels like the end of... Read More

     As a native Hoosier (no, I don’t know what the word “Hoosier” actually means), I can honestly say I’ve never been asked to describe Indiana beaches. In fact, most people probably don’t even realize the state has sandy waterfront property.

Well, it does…and thanks to a recent AAA Home & Away magazine fact-finding mission, I’m now keenly aware of not only the beautiful Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore coastline that hugs Lake Michigan in Northern Indiana but also the botanical melting pot that simultaneously exists there. Just 50 miles... Read More

Question: Charlotte Ross asks: We'd like to drive from Kansas City to Lake Michigan.  Any suggestions on where to go that would be about a day's drive (8-12 hours) and have a good beach and things for us to do with my 8 year old grandson?
 
Answer: Vickie Sievert-Leclerc, business support consultant at the AAA office in Dearborn, Mich. says: You will find many beautiful white, sandy beaches anywhere between Muskegon and Ludington, Mich. ... Read More

Question:  David Henning asks:  My wife and I are planning to go to Hawaii in March 2010.  What is a good length of time to stay (7 days, 10 to 14 days)?  We’d love to island hop, so what islands should we visit?  We enjoy the beach, we are not golfers, and we enjoy doing things on our own.

Answer:  Tonya Powell, Vacation Sales Specialist at the AAA office in Chico, Calif., says:  If you were going to visit just one island, I usually recommend five to 10 night stays.  Since you want to island hop, you need to determine how... Read More