Sandbox World Travel With Mike Cohen

I may not have met the great Donald Trump, but the day my family and I spent at the spectacular Trump International Beach Resort in Sunny Isles was unforgettable to say the least.

The Trump International Beach Resort is a lavish oceanfront oasis, complete with its own private and pristine beach and delightful grotto-style pool complex. A new member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the place offers 390 oversized guest rooms and suites, each with a private balcony and spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean or Intracoastal Waterway. Luxurious amenities at Trump International include a full-service spa and fitness center, two restaurants, three lounges, tennis, a business centre and 22,000 sq. ft. of meeting and banquet. The property opened in 2003 and has been consistently hailed as one of the best Miami Luxury hotels. It is managed by the newly-formed International Resorts Management Group.

Sunny Isles Trump International

This masterpiece was created by Donald Trump and Dezer Properties, and rises as a striking landmark to luxury amidst the white sands of South Florida. You can shop on site and at nearby boutiques that rival those of the world’s fashion centers or spend a relaxing day at the spa. There is no shortage of indulgences her

FOR KIDS: When it comes to vacationing, kids are seeking to have the most fun. An interactive adventure designed just for the little one ages 5 to 12, “Planet Kids” is a high-energy program tailored to provide children with the opportunity to experience the many cultural and educational environments South Florida has to offer. Children are sure to enjoy the many activities that include off-property excursions, beach and pool games and arts and crafts projects. Recreation Director Tom Card and his staff play a very active role poolside. One of the highlights of each day is when Card tosses in a giant ball that the kids try to toss about.

While the kids are busy on their adventures, parents can indulge themselves and slip into a sultry oasis amidst the resort’s private stretch of pristine beachfront and its magnificent grotto-style oceanfront pool complex. Adults are invited to enjoy a taste of the tropics at Gili’s Pool Bar featuring a sensational Piña Colada menu promoting an extensive list of twelve one-of-a-kind Piña Colada concoctions or check out the trendy Lime Lounge featuring nightly entertainment and a selection of tapas and specialty cocktails.

Guests can also unwind at the resort’s cutting-edge full-service spa, Aquanox. Ranked as one of the “Top Resort Spas” in 2008 by Conde Nast Traveler, Aquanox, provides a serene sanctuary and takes you on a journey to total relaxation and rejuvenation. The spa’s extensive menu includes an array of the following treatments: customized spa packages, massages, facials, body treatments, enhancements and waxing. Accommodating the most discriminating palates, especially those little picky eaters, the Trump International Beach Resort offers a variety of dining options where the whole family can spend time together over delicious cuisine. The resort offers Neomi’s Grill, a Mobil Award-winning restaurant featuring American and tropical-inspired fare in an elegant yet casual oceanfront setting and the Lime Lounge, serving a light, casual lunch and appetizers. While soaking up the sun, families can enjoy a poolside meal at Gili’s Pool Bar featuring a delightful menu of lighter fare with the added luxury of spectacular ocean views.

THE CABANA EXPERIENCE: For the true experience of luxury, try to reserve the new pool and beach cabana food and beverage experience. I cannot understate how strongly I recommend it. We were generously given an opportunity to try it and let’s just say we did not want to leave as the sun began to set.

The oversized air conditioned cabanas redefine the hotel experience and include a refrigerator stocked with soda and water, a television, wet bar area and microwave, a table and chairs, couch and chaise lounges. Beach cabanas are equipped with private bathrooms and showers. Overlooking either the pool or beach, your cabana attendant will serve you three separate culinary offerings throughout the day, based on two adults. Additional items may be ordered and charged to the guest room directly. Start off with the Rise & Shine experience at 10 a.m. with some smoothies, fresh fruit and berry blend accented with Brazilian acai berry, French press coffee, citrus scented tea scones with agave honey, Vermont butter and sour cream pound cake with yogurt topping. The Siesta at 2 p.m. features a choice of fresh muddled Mexican margaritas or Miami mojitos, beef empanadas, cilantro chili salsa and mini Cuban sandwiches. In between , if you have room in the tummy, you can sample some dessert. The club sandwiches are extraordinary. At 4 p.m., Food and Beverages Manager Julio Rodriguez stopped by the cabana with the Sunset snack: Floridian mango champagne cocktail, bittersweet chocolate dipped fruits and champagne biscuits. All cabanas can be rented on a daily or half day basis – they are simply the ideal place to conduct business, plan a family outing or simply unwind.Prices range from $200 for a half day to $325 for a full day.

For more information on Sunny Isles Trump International go to ( www.trumpmiami.com ) or call 305-692-5600.

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When I planned our trip by car to Chicago, I decided that we would make two stops on the way from Montreal: one in the Toronto area and another in Michigan. I must admit that I had never heard of the small Michigan town of Frankenmuth ( www.frankenmuth.org ) before my brother-in-law flagged it for me.

Frankenmuth is considered “Michigan’s Little Bavaria,” and it delights over three million visitors annually with loads of unique attractions, shopping, restaurants, hotels and camping, festivals, and family fun! Regardless of the time of year, the festivities are always in full bloom. Whether you come for a chicken dinner, to buy a special ornament, attend one of Frankenmuth’s many festivals or to simply see what’s new, Frankenmuth welcomes you with its flower-lined streets and Bavarian hospitality. The community of Frankenmuth is conveniently located just minutes east off I-75 between Flint and Saginaw, Michigan.

The draw in Frankenmuth turned out to be Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark ( www.zehnders.com ), which offers 152 deluxe accommodations including 63 new suites and over 30,000 square feet of aquatic fun with their Splash landing play area, Dumping Bucket, Giggling Gorge and Perilous Plunge four storey tube slides. Here you can also relax in a whimsical whirl hot tub and float along a Crooked Brook Creek lazy river. A towering 26-foot tree is a prominent feature in the new hotel lobby with a large gas fireplace built into the trunk. Zehnder’s Splash Village includes elves and fairies as part of the waterpark and hotel’s overall theme. There is also an 18-hole championship golf course. The waterpark is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m Friday through Sunday and in the summer months.The waterpark is fully staffed with certified lifeguards. Water toys and non-approved flotation devices are prohibited. Towels, inner tubes and life jackets are provided at no additional charge. Standard rooms and family suites come with four passes, and family loft suites come with six passes. Additional passes can be purchased at $15 per person per day. The purchase is limited to the maximum occupancy of your room. I strongly recommend a stay of a few nights here. You can call toll free at 1-800-863-7999.

Rooms range in price from $129 - $374, depending on the dates of stay and type of room you would like. Standard rooms sleep four guests and include two double beds. Family suites sleep four to six guests and include two queen beds, two televisions, microwave, fridge, and fireplace. Loft suites sleep four to eight guests and include the same layout as a family suite, plus : a loft with an additional queen bed, and television upstair. Parlor suites sleep up to four guests and include a king bed, double sized pull-out soft, wet bar, microwave, mini-fridge, two flat screen televisions and a jacuzzi tub.

DINING: Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth is the heart of Midwestern hospitality. In its ten dining rooms, which can seat more than 1,500 guests, Zehnder’s offers a full-service menu that features all-you-can-eat family-style chicken dinners, seafood, steaks, fresh baked goods and European desserts. Each year, Zehnder’s serves nearly a million guests with the superb hospitality that has made it a world-wide attraction. Dinners range from $15.25 to $21.50, with children’s portions and special event menus available. Our luncheon menu is available Monday through Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. Zehnder’s is open seven days a week. (For full hours of operation, see left). We are only closed on Christmas Eve, and for our annual employee Christmas party in early January.

A tradition of good taste began 150 years ago when The Exchange Hotel opened its doors in 1856. The Zehnder family purchased the hotel in 1927 and the tradition of good food and hospitality continues today at Zehnder’s of Frankemut Hospitality abounds with traditional family style chicken dinners and tantalizing breads and pastries in the world-famous Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth restaurant.

GOLF: The power of nature shaped into one of Michigan’s most beautiful golf courses, The Fortress defends itself with its terrain, challenging bunkers and signature island hole. Situated just 435 yards from the front porch of Zehnder’s in downtown Frankenmuth, The Fortress encompasses 6,813 yards of formidible play on an 18-hole, par 72 course. About 25,000 rounds of golf are played on the course every season.

WHAT TO DO: Frankenmuth’s two world-famous landmark restaurants, along with Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, anchor the city’s picturesque Bavarian village area. Take a promenade along the main street, just a short drive or walk from the hotel and there are a variety of shops to explore not to mention a few yummy fudge stores. Choose your favorites at wine and beer sampling. Frankenmuth River Place also has 36 unique shops and attractions that include a paddlewheel riverboat and a free nightly laser show.

Frankenmuth is a family affair. Bring them all: kids, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Suzy, Uncle Ned and anybody else who wishes to tag along. The reason is entertainment, shopping,and dining enough to build memories for the whole family, wrapped in the beat of oom-pah-pah music and the traditions of its Bavarian heritage.Kids will head for River Place for AMaze- N Mirrors, losing themselves in the maze of glass and mirrors. Still more fun can be had at the haunted Midnight Manor while the teen’s head for their games and arcades. Mom, Grandma and Sister Sue head for the gifts and jewelry, boutiques, and antique shops, with a side trip to Prime Outlets of Birch Run with over 150 stores. The men in the family may prefer golf, the leather shop, and Michigan’s Own Military & Space Museum. It’s a family gathering again at the weaving shop, the 18th century flour mill, and the covered bridge over the Cass River. Kids lead the way to the glockenspiel to watch the marking of time in the tower.

As evening shadows drape the town in twilight, gatherin the Festivalà Platz of FrankenmuthRiver Place to watch the free Lights Fantastic laser show. For more activities, schedule your visit during one of Frankenmuth’s numerous festivals. With the family along, you may want to consider lodging with a pool. Riverboat tours are fun for the whole family. Proud of their Bavarian Heritage, but remembering they are Americans first, Frankenmuth citizens refer to the present in the upper part of their shield and to the past in the lower part. The American eagle stands proudly with its wings outspread over the vertical stripes denoting the 13 original states.The word “Franken” represents the Province of Franken in the Kingdom of Bavaria from where the original Frankenmuth settlers came. “Muth” means “courage” in German, thus FRANKENMUTH means “courage of the Franks.”

Frankenmuth plays host to the annual Zehnder’s Snowfest in January, the World Expo of Beer in May, the Bavarian Festival in June, the Volksläufe (People’s Race) in July, the Summer Music Fest in August, the Autofest, Oldies Fest and Oktoberfest all in September, and the Holiday Celebration & Candlewalk in November.

Fot more information on Frankenmuth   go to ( http://www.frankenmuth.org )

Step back in time and discover Eastham’s preserved National Seashore beaches. Learn about the town’s colourful history at various museums, visit Eastham’s working windmill and enjoy the lively band concerts on the Town Green. You can tour historic Nauset Lighthouse, catch the breathtaking views from Fort Hill and Salt Pond, kayak through Nauset Marsh to the outer ocean, fish, swim or canoe the pristine kettle ponds and bayside beaches. The western border of Eastham is lined with six miles of beautiful beaches overlooking Cape Cod Bay. Just as magical as the National Seashore, Cape Cod Bay offers calmer and warmer waters, amazing flats at low tide and breathtaking sunsets. The most notable and largest Eastham bay beach is First Encounter, the location where the native Indians first encountered the pilgrims in 1620. It’s great for kids, with its extraordinary low tides. Buy them a net and watch as they scoop up crabs of all shapes and sizes in water up to your ankles.

The Four Points by Sheraton Eastham Cape Cod ( www.fourpoints.com/eastham ) , a modern full-service hotel, is the perfect property to stay. It almost looks out of place on busy Route 6, which consists mainly of small motels. For summer trips, an early winter booking is highly recommended. Hyannis is only 45 minutes away. The hotel has beautiful indoor and outdoor swimming pools and is close to the beaches. Kids particularly adore the indoor pool, which is well heated and situated in very pretty surroundings. If you book early enough, you can get a poolside room. There is also a jacuzzi. When Sales Manager Cynthia Ladd met me at the front desk, she made my life so much easier by providing me with small cue cards containing door to door directions to the best beaches and nearby towns. This hotel also has a fitness facility, a game room, refrigerators and coffee makers in each room, an on-site restaurant (Bellamy’s) and five meeting rooms in case you want to hold a company conference here. This is apparently a very popular option in the off-season. The front desk will get you anything you need, be it a dinning reservation, tickets to a show or a car rental. Check out the Cape Cod Rail Trail Bicycle Trail, only 100 feet away. The hotel underwent a substantial renovation program a few years back and it shows. Rooms are beautiful. They all have fridges, including a small freezer spot to place your icepack. So go to the nearby convenience store and buy everything you will need to pack a great picnic lunch. This will amount to a substantial saving. This Sheraton is part of the Linchris Corporation www.linchris.com. Log on to learn about some of their other top-notch properties, a number of which are also in Cape Cod.

Orleans is home to one of the Cape’s best dining spots, the Orleans Inn and the region’s finest quality theater and studio called Academy of Performing Arts ( www.apal.org ). The Academy Playhouse delivers the best drama, musicals, comedies and original works you can find on the Cape. It is a year-round source of great entertainment for all ages. Established in 1975, this non-profit organization is dedicated to producing high quality performances and nurturing the artistic development of our community. Last summer my family and I attended a performance of A Chorus Line. I must tell you that I am still humming the songs to this day. The cozy 162 seat theatre, which captures the essence of live theatrical experience, was filled to capacity and the young cast was just outstanding. Most shows are perfect for young children. As for the Orleans Inn ( www.orleansinn.com ), which is just up the road on Route 6A,, this is a family-owned establishment. Ed Maas, his wife Laurie and their eight children have all played a role in making this historic property a must stop since purchasing it eight years ago. The restaurant offers the finest menus, from a varied selection of fresh local seafood, produce and grill specialties. There is a kids menu, offering everything from chicken fingers and burgers to pasta and pizza. Homemade desserts, specifically the chocolate layer cake, are to die for. If you order lobster, this place will take every piece out of the shell for you – a unique offering. Also, try the clam chowder. The Inn itself was built in 1875 and eventually served as a boarding house, a summer vacation hotel and restaurant. While it presently boasts 11 beautifully renovated guest rooms, the place is mainly used for weddings and corporate functions in the elegant downstairs Cove Room. It leads to the waterfront deck and has a seating capacity of 150. Ed Maas told me that there have been many Jewish simchas held at the Inn.

Finally, a trip to Cape Cod is not complete without exploring Provincetown—literally the last town on the Cape until you run out of land. Bubala’s By The Bay, at 183 Commercial Street, not only has a delightful menu for all three meals of the day. It also offers free parking, a true luxury on what is the best place for people watching in town. Before or after dining, take a walk and check out all of the interesting shops. You can also log on to www.provincetownpocketbook.com and order this neat little publication.

For more information on Eastham go to ( http://www.eastham-ma.gov )