Destinations like Cancun, Miami and Puerto Vallarta usually rear their heads when Spring Break conversations begin around the dinner table. While there’s nothing wrong with these destinations, March is also an amazing time to visit other less obvious choices with the family. Don’t let your upcoming Spring Break fall prey to a crowded beach, visit one of these destinations instead.
Check out our top 5 picks for Undiscovered Spring Break Destinations for 2019
Lake Tahoe, California
For a unique combination of mountain adventure and shoreside barbecues, consider visiting Lake Tahoe this Spring Break. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to ski in nothing but a swimsuit, make your way up to Northstar or Squaw Valley for a sun-soaked slalom. After a day of skiing, relax by Emerald Bay’s gorgeous water or go shopping in South Lake Tahoe. Snowshoe/hiking trails, delicious local food, concerts, and breweries are also plentiful in the surrounding area. For ski/snowboarders, this Spring Break destination is a must.
Brazilian Coast
Looking for a tropical beachfront Spring Break without the deafening crowds found at other destinations? Consider booking a property on Brazil’s expansive coast. The coastal states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Parana and Santa Catarina all feature miles upon miles of unspoiled beach. Between Rio and Florianópolis you’ll find plenty of beachfront properties, including some residences surrounding the famous Balneario Camburiu Bay. For beach fun and cultural exploration, a coastal Brazilian retreat might be just what the doctor ordered.
Park City, Utah
Another destination for ski lovers, Park City is a multi-faceted destination with lots of family-friendly fun to offer. Besides skiing and snowboarding, Park City, in Spring, features a Free Après Ski Concert Series, the Park City Museum, a wide variety of restaurants, distilleries, fly-fishing, hot-air balloon rides, and various hiking trails. Outdoor activities, great food, and relaxation all await you and your family this Spring Break.
Carlsbad, California
The perfect coastal family destination on the outskirts of San Diego, Carlsbad offers many of the main staples of a beachfront Spring Break without the crowds or rowdiness. Small children will have plenty to do besides playing on the beach. Take the kids to Legoland California, the San Diego Zoo or the Museum of Making Music for fun and educational experiences. Disneyland is also just a short drive up to Anaheim. Book a Carlsbad Spring Break stay for a kid-friendly vacation with plenty of sun and lots of fun.
San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
Your most unique option this Spring Break is Argentina’s Patagonia mountain range. San Carlos de Bariloche, a mountain town surrounding a large glacial lake, is one of the most beautiful hidden gems of the Andes. With Swiss and German architecture, Bariloche feels more like a misplaced Bavarian village than an Andean town. Enjoy swimming, mountain biking, kayaking and Bariloche’s Swiss-style chocolate stores during your mountain stay.
Make the most out of this Spring Break by going outside the box!
Looking for more ideas? Check out our current March availability by clicking below.
THIRDHOME Exchange members have recently returned from Carlsbad, California and Vaalwater, South Africa. Keep reading to learn about their THIRDHOME experience.
Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara | Carlsbad, California
If you’re looking for poolside relaxation and resort amenities, look no further than the Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara, in North San Diego County. These beautifully appointed residences can sleep up to 4 people and feature a full kitchen, breakfast bar, living area with fireplace and dining area. A short walk away you’ll find a variety of swimming options for both adults and children. Head down to the Driftwood Spa and experience three-uniquely designed treatment rooms to fully unwind during your stay. The resort concierge is at your beck and call and can help arrange beachside activities, golf outings, tennis matches and much more. But you won’t have to go far for great golf. Aviara Golf Club, designed by Arnold Palmer, was named one of the best courses in America by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. You won’t want to miss this hidden Carlsbad gem during your next California holiday.
THIRDHOME member Lisa says, “Love this trip!!! To escape the Texas heat, I jumped at the chance to stay at the Four Season’s Residence Club. We stayed in the 1 bedroom premium villa for 2 back to back weeks! It is everything you would expect from a Four Seasons property.” click here to read more of Lisa’s review.
Tsheshepe Game Lodge | Vaalwater, South Africa
Venture to South Africa for the trip of a lifetime. Tsheshepe Big Five Game Lodge is located within the 7,500 acre Welgevonden Game Reserve. This reserve is famous for its first-class safari experience and the high likelihood of viewing members of the Big Five (Lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and water buffalo). The reserve is also a world-class birdwatching destination and features a rich assortment of indigenous flora. The safari lodge itself can sleep up to 10 people and features open living spaces, a pool, gym and several vantage points for wildlife spotting. Tsheshepe’s staff will escort you around the reserve in the specially converted 4×4 game viewing land cruiser. Tsheshepe Big Five Game Lodge is truly where luxury and the wild meet.
THIRDHOME member Renee says, “This was an epic trip for our family of 3 and some friends. We loved the experience at TSheshepe Lodge…If you ever have wanted to do a safari please come here…We were so sad to leave this amazing new set of friends we have made. Thank you, Steve, for putting this on THIRDHOME for a trip we will never forget.” click here to read more of Renee’s review.
Members, click here to view all available weeks and plan your next THIRDHOME Exchange trip. Remember, you must be logged in to your account to see availability.
Want more information about our luxury home exchange club? Click here to learn more about THIRDHOME.
Dr. Charles Stoopack, a clinical instructor at UC San Diego and a former practicing OBGYN, has a second home in Vail, Colorado. He combines his love for skiing and adventure with THIRDHOME ski properties across the globe. He also loves discovering new cultures and attending musical events in Vail. He highly recommends catching a George Balanchine ballet (either Swan Lake or Serenade) if you ever get the chance. Meet THIRDHOME member Dr. Charles Stoopack!
Left to Right: Dr. Stoopack, his wife Judy, daughter and daughter’s fiancé Tyler
How did you get involved with THIRDHOME?
I saw an article in a travel section of the Sunday paper. This was back in the fall of 2014. It just sounded like such a unique concept. The article showed all these places you could go, and it looked amazing. What happened at that point, I either called or emailed THIRDHOME in October, and we had a couple of conversations and I ended up joining around Christmas.
Dr. Stoopack and Judy in Ireland
Where are you based?
I’m based out of Carlsbad, California, which is North of San Diego. I grew up in New York and moved here when I was 25 for my residency at UC San Diego, and I just fell in love with the place.
Dr. Stoopack hiking through Grouse Creek Trail in Vail
What do you do for a living?
I originally practiced as an OBGYN. At this point in time, I’m a professor at UC San Diego. I used to be in clinical practice for 23 years, but I had to have some orthopedic surgeries and stopped practicing and transferred to education. It’s wonderful teaching. I’m doing a lot of good. You try to mold young physicians into caring doctors, try to teach them what we call the “Art of Medicine,” how to appropriately care for patients to make them feel valued. The gain as a physician is that your practice will be more fun and be rewarding if you have that sort of relationship with your patients.
Dr. Stoopack with the staff of Bon Vivant Barbados
Who do you usually travel with?
My wife and my daughters. Now they’re both engaged, so we’ve got two weddings coming up this year. We travel with other couples as well. The idea behind joining THIRDHOME was that the properties were large and we could bring groups of friends or family.
Left to Right: Family friend Martha and Judy Stoopack at Villa Celeste
What are your favorite travel hobbies?
I like skiing. I also like beach holidays with a beautiful beach that has nice sand and warm water. I like traveling where it involves culture, fine dining and fine wining as well. Not like whining, but wining!
Dr. Stoopack with his brother, Peter, and his best friend Knut
In your past travels with THIRDHOME, what was your favorite destination and what did you love about it?
I wrote down the whole list so I could think about it. I would say Barbados. We stayed in a 9 bedroom and 9 bathroom villa that was fully staffed. The whole experience was very spoiling. The staff felt like your family after a day or two. They prepared all the meals. We paid for food and staff, of course. We had access to a private beach club at Sandy Lane which is one of the premier beach clubs in the world. It’s where Tiger Woods got married. The whole thing, the island, the people the staff, the access to the beach, it was just wonderful. We brought 13 people with us, and there was plenty of room for everyone. The food was incredible. We’d come home from wherever we were and there would be pitchers of margaritas and hor d’oeuvres waiting for us. We’d be sitting at a long dining table and it felt like we were in an old fashion movie. It was just spectacular.
Dr. Stoopack and Judy with friends and family in Doolin, Ireland pub
What’s the next destination you are eyeing to travel to with THIRDHOME?
I’m going to Kenya next, to two different THIRDHOME properties. We’re going to Hippo Point and then to Cottars Mara Private Homestead. They look incredible. There was only one week available at Cottars, and it’s our 30th wedding anniversary and after several weeks of talking with the owner, with the help of Liz Bates, THIRDHOME‘s Director of Travel and Concierge Services, the owner agreed to give us that week. We’re very excited! The other property [Hippo Point] was featured on the cover of Architectural Digest as well. It has a gorgeous tower. I recall reading that Brad and Angelina had stayed there once, too.
Ski trip to Whistler
What do you love most about your property with THIRDHOME?
The skiing in Vail. It’s the best skiing mountain in North America because it’s not terribly cold (Whistler members would argue with that). You get sunny days, which is much different than Whistler, where it was very dark. Vail’s got the back bowls, which if you don’t ski are these large open areas, they call them the legendary back bowls. The condo is extremely well located. It’s about 5 minutes from the gondola, if you don’t want to walk to the bus stops out front too. Our building went under a $10 million remodel so everything is updated and upgraded. The location is wonderful, 3 nice bedrooms, and 1800 sq ft. It’s very spacious. You can go there with other couples or two families and not feel on top of each other. I used to bring our daughters along with their friends for ski trips. We still go every summer for the annual dance festival. Something that’s unique to Vail is the summers. There is a BRAVO music fest that goes through July for 6 weeks or more, then a dance fest, then a jazz fest around Labor Day. There are a lot of cultural experiences that are just delightful. During the day you can hike or golf, then at night you go to the performances. These are world-class performances. The saying is that people go to Vail for the winter and then move there for the summers.
Any personal/family achievements you’d like to share?
Both of my daughters are engaged now so we have a busy year ahead of us. Their fiancés are great guys. We also have our 30th wedding anniversary coming up.
How has THIRDHOME changed the way you travel?
It allowed me to visit places that we probably would not have gone to and has allowed me to have accommodations for many people.
Left to Right: Dr. Stoopack’s daughters their friend at Bon Vivant
Anything else you think members should know?
I think the staff [of THIRDHOME] is wonderful. The concierge and member services are very helpful: Liz, Kristine, Amy Jo, Kelly. I hope I didn’t leave out anyone. I got a friend to join, and he booked a trip to San Juan Island. Actually, I’ve had two people that joined and two others thinking about it. And the Chairman’s Club, I’d thought about it for a while and when I finally did it, I loved it. It’s definitely worth it.
Dr. Stoopack and friend Jon at Villa Azul Celeste