Online

Wrapping Up a Package Deal

Take the worrisome details out of your next trip by selecting an all-inclusive resort. Many properties drop prices to fill empty rooms during the quieter shoulder season.

Look for bargains through www.rezrez.com, the Resort Reservations Network. Choose a location in the sun, mountains, or city; then explore the range of prices they offer, from budget-minded to upscale. Unlike many Internet travel agencies, this one includes all major lodging partners in searching a destination.

Before you make a final travel commitment, compare your plans with those on www.nr:resortdiscounts.com. Use the search feature to locate a particular time and area, or access the "Hot Deals" section for daily bargain postings. When we last checked, for example, they offered a seven-night Royal Caribbean cruise for $599 from Galveston or Tampa (October and December sailing dates). For those travelers wanting to stay closer to home, four nights at the DoubleTree Orlando Villas, including a four-day Park Hopper Pass and other extras, was $589 per person.

To land the perfect condo or house in Florida for that last summer dash to the beach, try www.resortquest.com. For the same amount you might spend on a hotel room, this site will pair you with a three-bedroom home.

Click on these Internet sites for the best deals on off-season travel, when lower rates and smaller crowds combine for special vacations.

On Par With the Course

Late summer and early fall are ideal times to score with bargain rates at the South's golf courses. With the click of a mouse, you'll be chipping in perfect weather on a world-class course.

Putt over to www. golfdog.com, and reserve tee times at the best links in the Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head, South Caro

lina, areas. Golf Dog, part of Carolina Golf and Family Vacations, rates area courses-a wonderful feature when you have more than 200 options. Be sure to browse the selection of accommodations. Choose from fully furnished condominiums on the beach, chain hotels, or resorts. The site will also lead you to dining and nightlife spots in the area.

Tucker Golf at www.biloxi-golf. com provides a similar service for the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coast regions, Alabama's renowned Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and Tennessee's Bear Trace facilities. Tucker's free quoting system provides details for navigating challenging courses during the day and relaxing at lovely resorts by night.

When you want to explore golf possibilities by state, point your cur

sor toward www.resort-golf.com. The site connects you with facilities that offer both lodgings and tee times.

Venturing Out

Chances are, if you're looking for a fun off-- season trip, you may like not-so-typical journeys as well. Here are a few adventure-travel outfits that focus on activities in natural areas.

Make our favorite site, www.gorp travel.com, your first stop. Browse for deals by activity (biking, rafting, snorkeling), by destination (choose from the entire world), or by interests (travel with family, ages 50 and older, solo trips). We also find this site useful for local excursions, as well as locating appropriate gear or travel literature.

Travelers who yearn to incorporate workouts into a vacation can log on to www.fitnessadventures.net. Their Blue Ridge Mountain retreat includes professional nutritionists and fitness coaches. You don't have to be experienced or in the best physical condition; the organization simply requests that you bring along a willingness to try.

One of the quirkiest jaunts we've found is at www.greentortoise.com. The organization offers trips across the US. in converted sleeper buses that travel all night as you snooze. In the mornings, you enjoy breakfast at a gorgeous national park, a deserted beach, or an awesome desert. Activities during the day may include swimming, caving, or mountan climbing. ANNETTE THOMPSON

Sit Back and Say and Say "Aah"

Sometimes you just want to be pampered. Pick the perfect spa vacation from www.spafinder.com. The site helps you decide on the type of experience you desire, sorting spas by affordability, activity levels, and lifestyle management. And when you can't get away for a day of relaxation, check out their Spa Library for wellness ideas you can use immediately.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Aug 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved