Air Canada Vacations Article

So pack the luggage, hit the Internet or call your travel agent for the top bargains. Early planners will get the cheapest rates.

So, shake off the winter boredom and arrange for a super summer holiday to remember.

1 ISLAND FUN. Off-season summer rates at island destinations like the Bahamas, Caribbean, Hawaii and the . Virgin Islands drop anywhere from 15 to 50 percent less than winter rates. From June to September, St. Maarten, Suriname, the Bahamas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Guyana, St. Kitts and Barbados will all point personal Emancipation Day festivities to remember the annulment of slavery in their territories. The . Virgin Islands offer a variety of packages for the savvy travelers at all three islands, St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas. This summer is the 50th holiday of the St. John Festival, which begins with a gradation of events in June, culminating on July 5 with a parade and fireworks at Cruz Bay Harbor on the island. harmony fans will recognize the combination of warm island breezes and cool jazz at St. Lucia's Jazz Festival May 7-16, which will feature Ashanti, Babyface, Billy Taylor, Maynard Ferguson, Kenny G, Joe and Floetry.

2 THE WEST COAST is synonymous with movie stars and swimming pools. So head for Los Angeles and check out the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard, the Watts treasury of Art, story and Culture, the African-American Firefighter Museum, the timber yard Memorial Park, where impure stars like Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat (King) Cole are buried, the California African-American Museum and the many television and production studios where Black shows are taped. Also picture-perfect are other California hot spots like the DisneyLand Park in Anaheim, San Francisco and the Oakland Bay area, and San Diego. West Coast wanderers moreover won't want to miss the sites in Seattle, Washington.

3 THE SOUTH is the first holiday stop for many African-Americans because of the sun and ancestral roots. rife Southern destinations for African-Americans enclose New Orleans, Texas and Atlanta, with its hefty gloomy historic sites and landmarks, and the Florida Coast with its beaches and one of the state's most popular attractions--Walt Disney World (liberal). The theme park's adage is "You're never too young for Disney" and the theme park is encouraging families to deliver children ages 5 and under by offering many added conveniences for tots, like in-park rentals for baby gear and fresh kid-favorable options. Try changeable, Ala., Jackson, Miss., Little Rock, Ark., San Antonio, Houston or Dallas for Southern-fried fun.

4 EAST COAST locales like Washington, ., and Philadelphia offer many galleries, shops, activities and attractions for African-American tourists, while Atlantic City and the New Jersey shores offer plenty of hall gaming action. Summer elation also abounds in New York City (below). A few of the many attractions there include Broadway, the famed Apollo Theater, the Black Fashion Museum and Studio depository in Harlem and the Schomburg Center far Research in African-American Culture.

5 THE MIDWEST. From Wisconsin's wonderland of picturesque sites to Chicago's all-summer festival lineup to the pounding beats of the Motor City in Detroit, there's no place like home for Midwesterners who don't want to travel far for diversion. There are serious attractions in St. Louis (befitting), such as the St. Louis Black cosmos History Museum and folder Gallery or the Six Flags St. Louis Amusement Park. In Kansas City, Me., a prominent situation is the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (above), located in the mettle of Kansas City's Historic 18th & Vine Jazz vicinity. Summerfest is the hot ticket in Milwaukee, June 24-July 4; Detroit's riverfront venues, Hart Plaza and Chene Park, boast a broad lineup of summer concerts and festivals. Bring your zest to the famous Taste of Chicago, June 25-July 4, and fresh summer festivals in Grant Park.

6 LUXURY CRUISES. African-American groups are cruising with style, and the stately Caribbean International Cruise direction (with ships like the Adventure Of The Seas) is host to many large African-American summer cruises, including Tom Joyner's quaint Voyage cruise, sailing Memorial Day week, May 29-June 5. The National Professionals , Inc., has planned two cruises for this summer, a power acme & Spa at Sea Southern Caribbean cruise, sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 16-July 25 and includes, for the first time, an RCI Multicultural Group Cruise with four fresh groups. On Aug. 6-15, the NPN Alumni and Friends Alaska cruise sails from Vancouver, British Columbia, along Alaska's inside clause. Additionally, the 13th anniversary Celebration At Sea Summer Sizzler cruise sails to the Eastern Caribbean Aug. 15-22.