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Dear family travelers:
Maybe you can't face your know-it-all brother-in-law.
Maybe your tween is a vegetarian.
Maybe your summer getaway got cancelled.
Whatever the reasons, there's nothing wrong with planning an alternative Thanksgiving that will be a bonafide vacation without the cooking, dish-washing and cleaning-not to mention family drama-that Thanksgiving typically entails. 
You and the kids have half the week off anyway so you don't have to take as many vacation days. And if you're spending money to fly, you might as well go somewhere fun.
If you like being with your relatives, invite them along. If not, tell them you'll see them at Christmas.
The good news: If you plan smart and avoid peak travel days for flights, you can snare a bargain. Here's how:
Go to Europe. It's low season and you will find some of the lowest flight prices a year. While airfares are no bargain, you'll find attractive hotel rates, says www.hotwire.com, especially in cities like Prague or Budapest. Book a fight and hotel together and you will save even more. Here's what I wrote about touring Prague with teens. 
Go to Orlando. All of the holiday decorations are up but the Christmas crowds haven't yet arrived and you can score hotel rooms for well under $100 a night. Check www.visitorlando.com for the latest deals. Check out my new Kid's Guide to Orlando!
Go to the Caribbean. It is still low season and you will find many deals.
Take the snow bunnies and head to the slopes. IT is already dumping snow in the Sierras. Ski resorts typically are open by Thanksgiving with amazing deals that often include free lift tickets and rock-bottom room rates. Check websites like www.ski.com as well as your favorite snow resort. Look for deals from Wyndham Vacation Rentals in America's most popular ski  towns - Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, Beaver Creek, Park City and Sun Valley that include a "vacation Rentals Bill of Rights" to make sure you aren't disappointed. Even if snow conditions aren't optimal, the quaint mountain towns will be all decked out for the holidays.
Take a cruise. You may be able to avoid flying and cruise from a port near your home. You can also score a deal for $100 or less a night per person, say the experts at www.cruiseone.com . Check www.cruisecompete.com for more deals. Here's what I just wrote about using a travel agent to book a cruise.
Rent a big house on the beach. So what if it is too chilly to swim in North Carolina or northern Florida. You can save significantly on houses or condos in areas like Hilton Head, Amelia Island or Sandestin. 
Ride 'em Cowboy! Go to a Dude Ranch. They are homey, relaxed and offer the chance to get outside in beautiful country whether riding, hiking, fishing or maybe playing in the snow. And you'll eat terrific meals that you haven't had to prepare or clean up afterward.
Head to the city. Whether you want to ride San Francisco's trolleys, visit Chicago's museums or follow Boston's Freedom Trail, you'll find bargains, especially at business hotels, because business travelers are home. Here's what I wrote about learning African American History in Boston.
Go somewhere you've never been. Let the deal be your guide.
Take the kids somewhere you went as a child. See how much a place like Colonial Williamsburg has changed. You'll find plenty of 21st century fun-and great deals at Kingsmill Resort nearby.
The best part: Wherever you go, you only have to eat turkey if you want to!
Also on TAKING THE KIDS:
And from our partners Traveling Mom and Family Travel Network
   
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