Somewhere, The Sun is Shining...

If you're anywhere in the Northeast or Midwest parts of the US, you've probably seen enough snow this winter to last you a lifetime. Just when you thought winter was over...

If you're like us, one of the ways to beat the winter doldrums is to daydream about - or even take , if you can do spur of the moment - a warm-weather vacation. So it's the perfect time to point out that Travel + Leisure Family has come out with its list of Top 10 Family Resorts in the Caribbean. What we love about this list besides the whole "Caribbean" aspect? The fact that all of these places are great for kids while maintaining some kind of adult sophistication. (Although Beaches might be the only one we would pass up - you know our rule about Elmo on vacation.)



Royal Beachfront Villa
Four Seasons Great Exuma, #3 on the list



In short, here is the list:
1. Las Casitas Village and Golden Door Spa, Puerto Rico (we had the best massage we've ever had right at this spa)
2. Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa
3. Four Seasons Great Exuma at Emerald Bay, Bahamas (haven't been yet but if it's Four Seasons you can bet we will get there)
4. Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
5. Paradisus Puerto Rico Resort (we've heard fab things about the Costa Rica property of Paradisus too)
6. Four Seasons Resort Nevis (again, Four Seasons - enough said)
7. Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
8. Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Jamaica
9. Beaches Negril Resort & Spa
10. Westin St. John Resort & Villas, USVI (a personal favorite over here so we're glad it made the list)

Grab a cup of cocoa - or a shot of brandy - and then check out the full list, along with descriptions and pricing for the properties, here.

Travel + Leisure + Kids - We Love It

If you're a parent (which we're kind of assuming you are) and a subscriber to travel magazines like Travel + Leisure (call us crazy, but we figure that's a safe bet) then you probably already know that T+L has a great publication called T+L Family. With tips, reviews and all things family- and travel-oriented, this magazine is right up our alley. We just wish it came out more than 6x a year...

If you've never heard of this pub for parents, which has been out for a few years now, it might be because you can only get T+L Family if you're a subscriber to the parent publication - you won't find it on newsstands, you can't subscribe to it on its own and they don't really get overly aggressive with the marketing (which we are actually thankful for, as we get enough junk mail and spam as it is). Go to the T+L website, type in your account information for your T+L subscription, and you'll be able to request an additional (and free!) subscription to the family edition.

They've also added the Travel + Leisure Family Club, a membership club providing travel deals, concierge service, retail discounts and more - all with the family in mind - for the price of $139 a year. Although we love that this exists, we're not convinced of the real value of it yet: free concierge service and discounts are plentiful through credit cards or membership in any variety of clubs. The real hook here is the travel discounts, which we can't quantify yet but which we hope will include a lot of A-list places - you know, the types of places we're trying to keep tabs on right here at COL.

If you want to take the plunge right away, call 800-552-7885 or click on the link above. Once you do - or if you already belong - let us know what you think as you use the service, and if you've nabbed any great deals or otherwise gotten good mileage from this club. If you want to wait a while, we'll report back to you over time on what we're seeing... Stay tuned.