You want to take the family on a nice vacation in the Spring but you don't want Junior to learn what "chug, chug, chug, chug" means yet. You want to have a nice "family" vacation without getting caught up in the "Girls Gone Wild" atmosphere that traditionally surrounds Spring Break. Here are some tips.



Try to take your vacation when most college students are still in school. Spring Break for college students can be from the end of February to the end of March, but most colleges have vacation the first two weeks of March. Plan your vacation after the first two weeks of March.

Avoid the traditional Spring Break college destinations: Jamaica, Cancun, Acapulco, Montego Bay, the Bahamas, South Padre Island off of the state of Texas, Daytona, South Beach, Key West and Panama City, which are all in the state of Florida. Basically anyplace warm, with sand and with beer. However you don't have to bring your family to Nome, Alaska either. Again, the off-peak college spring break times these destinations can be great, but that doesn't account for the high school kids who have left the parents at home.

Choose a destination that is "family friendly" such as Disney World in Orlando. There could be a few college students donning a pair of mouse ears completely wasted but since Orlando is far from the beach it is more likely to be a fluke. Look for vacations advertised as "family friendly", a ski vacation, Disney Land in California, or a trip to Colorado or Destin, Florida as these are all good possibilities. You can also check out your state tourism web sites for ideas of where to go where the drinking age is not an issue. Check out magazines like "Family Fun" which feature family vacation destinations every month for ideas.

Finally, remember -- if you happen upon a partying college student, relax, one day it will be Junior's turn.