The town of Slave Lake has been hit by a major wildfire that leapt across bush and highways due to heavy winds on May 15, 2011 and over half of the town has burnt to the ground. Due to 100 km winds, firefighters were unable to continue on the ground or in the air to fight it. The entire town was evacuated. Slave Lake is by Devonshire Beach, and all amenities and services are out of Slave Lake. I would advise you to look elsewhere or talk to someone at Sustainable Resources Alberta, before traveling there this summer. Watch the footage and news on ctv or cbc.

Bol Island Brac, Croatia, has one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world. If you check into the luxury hotel called the Bluesun Wellness Hotel Elaphusa, you’ll be wondering how you missed this beautiful corner of the world all your life. For those who have done Disney and want to escape to a more natural beach vacation, you’ll find your children quickly adapt to the football (soccer) playgrounds, windsurfing, children’s club, children’s tennis club, mountain biking, surfing courses, diving courses, and sea water pools. Read more »

Before you automatically rule out Florida as your next family vacation destination, may I say that you are passing up a beautiful area on the Gulf of Mexico. When I was there in April, I headed back to the place we frequented during my childhood, Passagrille at St. Pete Beach. Read more »

Coopers Beach has gained the title as the top rated beach in the United States this year by the famed Dr. Beach, bringing it up from third place last year. Coopers Beach has 500 official feet of shoreline, but it extends for seven miles of pristine beachfront for your summer pleasure. If you are from New York this may be for you a cheap family vacation. So what is the big deal about this beach? Read more »

You haven’t experienced the ultimate beach vacation until you’ve traveled to south of Mercury Bay on New Zealand’s Pacific coast.

The volcanoes provide hot water at extreme heat traveling through deep underwater reservoirs providing around 16 liters per minute of hot water reaching around 63 degrees Celsius, or approximately 145 Fahrenheit. The hot springs are located at the beach, not your average location, which is why people flock here to experience the mineral dense waters that fill the hole they dig for themselves. Read more »

Not every camp site has the luxury of being able to camp this close to the ocean. If you don’t care about warmth, this California gem called Carpenteria State Beach, can provide the thrill of seeing sea lions and seals from December through May. If warmth is your preference, which for most of us it is when taking our children on family beach vacations, wait until the summer months when you can enjoy the swimming also. Who knows, maybe you’ll still get to see a gray whale and dolphins. Read more »

I cannot understand how this gem has escaped the radar of beach aficionados. I mean, I will never forget my experience floating in the Dead Sea in Israel, slathering mud all over my body and hair, and basking in the sun, an unforgettable day. Yet I never knew that in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, at a town called Watrous, is the buoyant waters of Manitou Beach and Little Manitou Lake. Read more »

The pirate Blackbeard met his death here long ago but the island will likely never let him go, as seen by the stories and sites steeped in his history and adventure. Read more »

Every time I think of the Cayman Islands, I remember the movie with Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman, doing business and pleasure on the island and regretting both. Fortunately, there are some beautiful deals this year prior to December 31, 2009, that encourage families to take a plunge and try somewhere new without such regrets. Read more »

Shallow waters perfect for young children may be one of the details you’re looking for when considering the best family beaches. This one was voted best beach for the U.S. in 1999. Read more »

Think island and state park together, think protected and beautiful, with the only man-made additions being a snack shop, ranger station, playground, picnic areas, gift store, and marina. Caledesi Island beach has been voted the #1 beach in the U.S. in 2008. Read more »