Want to get away but school has started? You're not alone if you're dreaming of a place to take a break while your kids do their distance learning.
There's a new trend out there called "schoolcations" for those who are ready to take a trip. There's a little bit of something for everyone.
For those craving a beach getaway, there is the Four Seasons Punta Mita.
“it's a beautiful destination in the Mexican Pacific,” said Miguel Peregrina, the on-site communications and marketing director at Four Seasons Punta Mita.
“We were thinking what should we do because on top of all that it was long stays,” Peregrina added. “People are arriving for three weeks or longer stays.”
This particular resort was the first of the of the Four Seasons to open in Latin America. After their post pandemic re-opening in early July, Peregrina said they started getting some interesting inquiries.
“We are receiving a lot of requests for a study buddy, which is like a nanny with technical expertise familiar with operation in the resort that can stay with the kids while they’re doing online classes,” Peregrina said. “And we have professional tutors.”
There's golf, tennis, and folklorico lessons if you're so inclined. You get to work in a cabana, while your kids do their work too.
If you have mountains on your mind, you can head to the Poconos, where students are working on computers while wearing masks
“They’re doing their homework or they’re online with their class at the moment, trying to stay engaged with their schoolwork,” Robert Howell, general manager of the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resorts, said.
The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resorts has a "Monitored Learning Environment" for children.
“Mom and dad are out and about; they could be on the porch having coffee, they could be on the golf course or sitting by the river, or swimming in the river,” Howell said.
The historic Inn opened in 1911 and also boasts historic golfing.
"We have golf on an island in the middle of the Delaware River,” Howell said. “When you cross the bridge, you’re immersed in golf. Sam Sneed, Arnold Palmer, Walter Hagen, it has a storied history.”
There are also hikes on the Appalachian Trail, river trips, or just fresh air on a patio.
If your kids are craving a water park, there's the Howl N'Learn option at Great Wolf Lodge. For now, five of its 19 locations are offering a "schoolcation."
“The parents who when they’re at home with their kids really don’t get a break to focus on their work,” Great Wolf Lodge communication director Jason Lasecki said. “We gave them the opportunity to put them in this independent learning center and then the parents can go off and take those conference calls and do those work things that they’re not able to do when they’re doing the remote learning with their kids.”
Lasecki says they realized last spring that parents were having a hard time making it all happen.
“When you’re done with your school, you’ve got the water park there,” Lasecki said. “You can go have fun in the water park that afternoon even if it's the day of your check out. You can stay and play in the water park until it closes that night so you’ve got all those fun activities at Great Wolf that you can take advantage of.”
