Sherman's Travel

This week, millions of Americans are trekking near and far to spend Thanksgiving with beloved friends and family. They’ll also have to play catch-up with folks they would not associate with if not legally required to do so – in-laws. A recent survey conducted by Extended Stay American found most travelers will spend the weekend with relatives instead of putting up for a hotel. Chances of being backed into a corner by that one in-law you cannot stand are high, and it may seem the only choice to making it through is gritting your teeth and hoping for a stocked bar.

But if getting drunk in a locked basement with your cousins and discussing how your aunt’s boyfriend is, ugh, seriously the worst isn’t an option, there are alternative courses of action:

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The holidays are supposed to be a season for spending time with family, giving thanks, and recharging our near-depleted batteries. Unfortunately, for all too many of us, they bring about more stress than relaxation; between the cooking and cleaning, gift-giving and hosting, we often find ourselves needing a vacation from our vacations. So why not switch up your usual holiday traditions and take a trip during the holidays this year? With these domestic hotel deals, you can swing an affordable getaway without straying too far from home, and still avoid the usual stress of the season.

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You’ve heard Black Friday horror stories: the fist-fights, the pepper-spraying, the lines outside of Best Buy at two in the morning. If a sleepless night or black eye isn’t the way you like to get your shopping done, consider Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving devoted to thousands of online shopping deals. Over the past few years, hotels have caught on to the Cyber Monday trend and started promoting their own flash sales. The steep discounts below are only offered when booked on Monday, November 26, so pick your favorite destination, bookmark this post, and mark your calendars.

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Stay at a family-friendly oceanfront resort in Sarasota, Florida, this December, when book a room for four nights at the Lido Beach Resort. With this deal, you’ll save 25% on current resort rates! Plus, kids under 12 eat for free.

Located on a private beach along the Gulf of Mexico, this Lido Key island resort boasts two outdoor pools and a poolside tiki bar, and is only half a mile from dining outlets affiliated with the hotel. All rooms and suites offer kitchens or kitchenettes to help you save even more on the price of meals.

The Lido Beach Resort is also just three miles from downtown Sarasota, a culturally vibrant city on the Gulf Coast. It offers boutique shopping, fine dining, and an omnipresent arts scene.

This deal is valid now through December 23.

THE VALUE: Save 25% on current rates, plus kids eat for free.

THE CATCH: You must stay for at least four nights to receive these savings.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.lidobeachresort.com to book this deal.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find now rates of flights to Sarasota.

For trip-planning tips and information, see our Sarasota Travel Guide.

Escape to Las Vegas this holiday season while saving at an upscale hotel on the Strip. For only $38 per night, stay at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, which comprises two 22-story towers and an eye-catching 30-story pyramid between them. You’ll also receive two complimentary buffet breakfasts each morning. With current hotel pricing and and the cost of the buffet combined, this deal saves 70%.

Stay in a Pyramid Deluxe Queen Room at this price, a spacious room with free high-speed Internet in the action-packed pyramid. For just $20 more, upgrade to a sky-high Tower Deluxe Queen Room with stunning views of Sin City below.

Enjoy many of Vegas’ holiday attractions during your December stay, including the Bellagio Dancing Fountains set to Christmas music, the Winter Lights Festival, and the Magical Forest, which boasts hundreds of illuminated evergreen trees. As always, you can enjoy the world-famous casinos, shopping, and nightlife that set this city apart from the rest.

THE VALUE: Save 70% on your hotel stay and buffet breakfast at an upscale hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

THE CATCH: These rates are not available on weekends.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.luxor.com to book your room.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find now rates of flights to Las Vegas.

For trip-planning tips and information, see our Las Vegas Travel Guide.

Fly throughout the country this December with low holiday rates from Jet Blue. Fares start at just $34 for one-way flights!

See the holiday windows in New York City, the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., shop on Newbury Street in Boston, or ski down snow-capped mountains in Denver.   Looking to escape the cold instead?  Soak up the sun on beaches in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa or Long Beach, or enjoy family fun at the Disney World parks in Orlando.

Sample One-Way Fares this December:

• Las Vegas–Long Beach: $34
• Boston–New York City: $41
• Boston–Washington, D.C.: $46
• San Francisco–Long Beach: $59
• New York City–Washington, D.C.: $64
• Washington, D.C.–Orlando: $72
• Washington, D.C.–Fort Lauderdale: $75
• New York City–Orlando: $92
• Portland–Long Beach: $99
• New York City–Fort Lauderdale: $99
• Boston–Denver: $104
• Orlando–Austin: $112
• Boston–Orlando: $114
• Tampa–New York City: $114
• Austin–Boston: $134

* Travel is valid on select dates in December. All prices listed above were valid at the time of publication. Restrictions, taxes and fees apply.

THE VALUE: Pay as little as $34 on this holiday season airfare from Jet Blue!

THE CATCH: These rates apply to one-way travel only, before taxes and other fees.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.jetblue.com to book these flights.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Guides for holiday trip-planning ideas to these destinations, including New York City, Orlando, and Denver.

There will be more than 38 million auto travelers on the road this Thanksgiving weekend, predicts AAA, and if you and your kids plan to be among them, it’s not too late to change your mind and stay home.

Seriously, we both know that’s probably not an option this weekend. That being the case, let’s look on the bright side: Sure, a gallon of regular unleaded will average about $3.39 – 50 cents more than this time last year, confirm our friends at AAA – but that’s better than the nearly four bucks per gallon you paid in May. If you want to try your luck at gaming gas prices a little this weekend, the free GPS-driven AAA TripTik Mobile app for Droids and iPhones will let you compare gas prices, pull up maps, and hear verbal commands about when to turn, should you not already have a talking GPS device in your vehicle.

If it’s been a little while since you’ve hit the road with the brood during a holiday weekend, here are a few more things to keep in mind:

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Lugging around heavy winter coats and armfuls of shopping bags is a drag every year when the holidays roll around, so why not ditch the cold and sleet for Southern Cali? The Omni San Diego is offering a “Say No to Snow” package from just $139 per night – a nearly 50 percent savings – throughout the holiday season. From November 20 through January 5, book the package and score overnight accommodations, two peppermint margaritas at the onsite McCormick & Schmick’s restaurant, a free bottle of sunscreen, complimentary valet parking, and 10 percent off at Macy’s.

THE VALUE: Under normal circumstances, rooms cost nearly twice as much.

THE CATCH: Rooms are based on availability, but expect the holidays to fill up quickly.

THE DETAILS: Call 619-231-6664 and ask for the “Say No to Snow” package to book.

WE’VE GOT MORE: See our San Diego Travel Guide for more trip-planning information, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights and other hotel deals.

If your kids are pretty healthy throughout the year but always manage to get sick immediately before a holiday vacation, I probably won’t be able to stop you from getting aggravated or invoking Murphy’s Law. But I can assure that you’re not alone and that your child’s ill-timed illness has little to do with Murphy.

“Holiday colds and flus just in time for the holidays may be due in part to depleted immune systems,” says registered nurse and author Anya Clowers (www.jetwithkids.com). “Eating junk food, drinking festive drinks, crazy busy schedules, and cold weather combined with shared space indoors and on airplanes creates the perfect environment for viruses to take over,” she says, adding that ensuring that your family’s getting ample sleep, hydrating, and observing “good hand washing do make a difference” during your trip. Read more