TWO OF A KIND: FAMILY-FRIENDLY SPRING BREAK DESTINATIONS Galveston, TEXAS Connected by bridge and ferry to the mainland, this coastal island near Houston earns props for its Victorian character, plethora of family activities ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF GALVESTON CONVENTION CONVENTION GALVESTON OF COURTESY PHOTOS ALL & VISITORS BUREAU VISITORS & and 32 miles of beaches. Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark STAY SEE You’ll have a great view of the Gulf of Galveston Island was a major port of entry Mexico from your private balcony at the for immigrants to the U.S. in the 19th and AAA Four Diamond San Luis Resort, early 20th centuries. You can learn about Spa & Conference Center, located on this history at the Texas Seaport Museum always-lively Seawall Boulevard. The on Pier 21, where you can also tour Texas’ historic 1911 Hotel Galvez and Spa, official tall ship, Elissa, and watch a video another AAA Four Diamond beachfront about the Great Storm of 1900. Board the property, boasts a prime location next Seagull II at Pier 22 for a tour of the harbor to the Galveston Pleasure Pier with its and likely a few sightings of the area’s playful Galveston Pleasure Pier amusement park rides and attractions. dolphins. Learn about geological exploration Families with young children might want and offshore oil drilling on a self-guided tour to stay in the Moody Gardens Hotel of the retired Ocean Star oil rig at the Ocean at the center of the Moody Gardens Star Offshore Energy Center and Museum entertainment mecca with its waterpark on Pier 19. Galveston boasts one of the and iconic pyramids housing an aquarium, country’s largest collections of Victorian a rainforest environment, a science- architecture in The Strand Historic District. oriented discovery center and more. DO EAT Kids will love the 26-acre Schlitterbahn If you’re heading to lunch or dinner straight Galveston Island Waterpark, home to from the beach, The Spot has a fun vibe MASSIV, the world’s tallest water coaster. and super-casual atmosphere. For a more For natural waves, head to the beach; Hotel Galvez and Spa upscale family meal, try Gaido’s—also on the Stewart Beach is widely acclaimed as being seawall—which has been serving up fresh the most family-friendly on the island, seafood dishes for more than 100 years. Mama thanks to its food offerings, gear rentals and Teresa’s Flying Pizza gets rave reviews from shower/changing facilities. In a spring-break visitors and locals alike. The place to dine on plus for Galveston, alcohol is forbidden Tex–Mex is The Original Mexican Café in on every beach but East Beach. Standup the East End Historic District. If you have a paddle boarding and surfing are becoming night away from the kids, enjoy the view from increasingly popular on the island. Ohana the rooftop bar at Tremont House and follow Surf and Skate, adjacent to Galveston up happy hour with an intimate dinner at Johnny M. Romano Memorial Skatepark, Rudy and Paco’s, where the snapper dishes offers lessons in both water sports. You are a standout on the menu of South can horseback ride on East Beach with American fare. You’ll need a reservation. Galveston Island Horse & Pony Rides. Rudy and Paco's pecan-crusted snapper 12 AAA Traveler Worldwise Spring 2017 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Soft sandy beaches, all-inclusive hotels and activities galore make Punta Cana COURTESY OF HARD ROCK HOTEL PUNTA CANA PUNTA HOTEL ROCK HARD OF COURTESY in the Dominican Republic the perfect Hard Rock Hotel’s eden pool destination for a family trip to remember. STAY at Hard Rock Punta Cana, located in Most resorts in the Dominican Republic are the resort’s casino and open to non-hotel all-inclusive—a great way to control costs. guests, too. The décor will have you feeling Among them are the AAA Four Diamond as if you were in a rock star’s plush pad. Dreams Punta Cana, which features a large free-form swimming pool as well as clubs SEE for kids and teens. Fans of Sponge Bob and See the island’s mountains, rainforests and other Nickelodeon characters will enjoy sugarcane plantations from above on a hot-air Nickelodeon Resort Punta Cana with its balloon ride with Dominican Balloons. Take large water play area, Slime Time photo ops an excursion to Saona Island, most of which and character meet-and-greets. Memories comprises the National Park of the East, and COURTESY OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MINISTRY OF TOURISM OF MINISTRY REPUBLIC DOMINICAN OF COURTESY Splash Punta Cana boasts a waterpark enjoy a stop along the way to snorkel coral Hoyo Azul with seven waterslides bearing names such reefs filled with colorful fish. The Dominican as Kamikaze and Black Hole. There are Republic has extensive systems of caves, some slides for kids under age 10, too. AAA Four with cave paintings done by the native Taino Diamond Hard Rock Punta Cana features people more than 1,000 years ago. You can 13 pools, including several geared toward take a guided cave expedition near Punta kids and one reserved for adults. There’s even Cana at Scape Park. Consider taking the REPUBLICDOMINICAN a Music Lab on the property where those Hoya Azul Eco Tour at Scape Park, too; it’s ages 12 and up can shoot a music video or a guided hike that brings you to the base of a perform in front of a live audience. 75-foot-high cliff for a swim in a natural hole filled with ethereally blue waters. MINISTRY MINISTRY TOURISM OF EAT ARGIRES/ NICK BY PHOTO Your all-inclusive resort will offer multiple DO Dominican Balloons dining options, from poolside snacks Even beyond the beach and the pool, and burgers to ethnic eats to high-end you’ll find plenty to do at your all-inclusive restaurants. The Dominican Republic’s resort, from beach volleyball to non- well-developed agricultural sector means motorized watersports to family-friendly you’ll enjoy lots of fresh fruits and shows. But there’s plenty to entice you vegetables while you’re on your getaway as beyond your resort, too. Wannabe surfer well as fresh-squeezed mango, strawberry dudes can sign up for half-day lessons or passionfruit juice. Taste the local at Macao Surf Camp at nearby Macao MINISTRY REPUBLIC DOMINICAN cuisine, too, including las banderas, a dish Beach. Bavaro Adventure Park lives up to of rice, beans and stewed or fried chicken, its name with zip lining, mountain biking, or mangú, mashed plantains served with horseback riding, paintball, dune buggying vinegar, onions and, if it’s breakfast, eggs. and zorbing, an oddball activity that puts PHOTO BY NICK ARGIRES/ ARGIRES/ NICK BY PHOTO Parents on date night should consider participants inside a giant, clear plastic ball TOURISM OF the new fine-dining Casino Restaurant and sets them off rolling down a hill. A roadside fruit stand AAA Travel • 866.222.1357 AAA.com/Traveler 13.