The Herald-News from Passaic, New Jersey • T2

T2 HERALD NEWS GO! Sunday, July 4, 2010 CONTACT US DEALS A.C. for the family The deal: The Chelsea Family Fun package at the Chelsea in Atlantic City. This non-gaming boutique hotel, celebrating its two-year anniversary next month, is giving families the op Do you have a comment, story idea or suggestion? Let us know. Call us at 973-569-7079 or e-mail us at travelnorthjersey. com.

Travel editor: Marc Schwarz Schwarznorthjersey.com Travel writer: Jill Schensul Schensulnorthjersey.com Editorial Assistant: Terecille Basa-Ong BasaOngnorthjersey.com Mountainside in Jamaica The deal: Strawberry Hill Unwind package at Island Outpost's Strawberry Hill Hotel Spa in Irish Town, St. Andrew, Jamaica. Nestled in the island nation's Blue Mountains, the former 1 8th-century coffee plantation lets guests discover a different side of Jamaica while getting some in the process. Cost: From $455 per night, based on double occupancy, and $296 per night, based on single occupancy. What's included: Breakfast; a la carte dinner; Elemental consultation and Elemental Nature Massage; use of sauna, plunge pool and yoga shala; fruit punch, herbal water, tea.

When: Through December. Information: 876-944-8400, islandoutpost.comstrawberryhill. Terecille Basa-Ong Renewed resort near San Diego The deal: Introductory offer at Park Hyatt Aviara resort in Carlsbad, Calif. The former Four Seasons Aviara is now a Park Hyatt resort, and it is welcoming its first guests with a free night and resort credit. Cost: From $350 per night, based on double occupancy.

What's included: Third night free, $50 resort credit. Hyatt Gold Passport members get a third night free, $1 00 resort credit and 1 0,000 Gold Passport bonus points. When: Introductory offer through December; must be booked by Sept. 6. Gold Passport through Dec.

21 must be booked by July 31 Information: 800-55-HYATT (554-9288), parkaviara.hyatt.com. Must use offer code PHA50 for introductory offer; PHA1 OK for Gold Passport. tion to enjoy the beach side of Atlantic City this summer. Cost: From $259 for one night and $438 for two nights, based on quad occupancy. What's included: Four tickets to Absecon Lighthouse, $1 00 credit for two-hour surfing or swimming lesson, minigolf for four, kids under 1 8 eat for free off the T-Power menu with a paid adult at hotel restaurant, beach service and parking.

When: Through August. Sunday through Thursday only. Information: 800-548-3030, Must use promotional code FAMFUN when booking. FTI QUICK GETAWAY JL NEWS NOTES Horse tour limits A county along North Carolina's Outer Banks is considering limits on increasingly popular tours to see wild horses galloping along the beach in Corolla. Currituck County commissioners told The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, they are considering a moratorium on new horse tours to protect the animals and respond to complaints from residents.

The Outer Banks are one of the few places where wild horses roam along the beach. Currently, eight companies with 45 vehicles have county permits to take tourists to see the 100 or so horses that usually travel in small groups. This is the first year Currituck County has required permits. Wild Horse Adventure Tours owner Richard Brown says bookings in 2010 are already at the same level where they peaked last July. Late start for airport Berlin's new airport will open in June 2012 seven months later than previously planned.

Officials said new security demands for Berlin Brandenburg International airport had changed the opening date to June 3 from Oct. 30. The Associated Press ON THE WEB OffandAway.com OffandAway.com is a new auction website for travelers who want to gamble on winning a luxe hotel experience for about the price of a standard room. What's hot: It's dangerously addictive. You fork over money for the opportunity to bid on suites at luxe properties in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Napa, Miami, Las Vegas and more.

Whoever wins the auction must book the room within 24 hours. Losers can still use the money they have spent on the bids to book a hotel room from a long list of properties, but they have only seven days to do so. Bids from multiple auctions cannot be combined. Winners clearly get a deal, but winning isn't easy. Recent auctions included two nights in a junior suite at the Etano in New York City for $71 and two nights in the Author's Suite at the Alexis Hotel in Seattle for $127.

What's not: Buyer, beware: The auction isn't over until the fat bidder sings. When the auction timer drops to zero or even close to zero 30 seconds more is added every time someone bids. With bids costing $1, your money (and time) could get sucked up quickly. I wouldn't recommend this site if you actually needed a hotel room, but this has the potential to be a fun way to purchase recreational travel, despite some frustration. Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times The Dominator, with 4,210 feet of loops, rolls and corkscrews, is the world's longest floorless roller coaster.

Thrills reign at Virginia park Soaring coasters make Kings Dominion a hot attraction TRAVEL WARNINGS The U.S. State Department issues travel warnings when it recommends Americans avoid a certain country because of potential dangers. The countries below are on the current Travel Warnings list: Newly added: Niger Ongoing: Afghanistan Algeria Central African Republic Chad Colombia Cote d'lvoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea Georgia Guinea Haiti Iran Iraq Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Kenya Lebanon Mali Mauritania Mexico Nepal Nigeria Pakistan Philippines Saudi Arabia Somalia Sudan Uzbekistan Yemen More information The Office of Overseas Citizens Services in the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs: 202-501-4444, travel.state.gov. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's International Traveler's Hotline: 404-332-4559; Traveler's Health Automated Information line: 877-FYI-TRIP (394-8747) for travel-related health topics, or cdc.govtravel. Back to 'bundling' In airline industry parlance, the practice of charging separate fees for extra services and products such as blankets and pillows is called "unbundling." It's the equivalent of ordering off an a la carte menu.

American Airlines recently became one of the first U.S. carriers to "re-bundle" some of those extras. Think of it as the equivalent of ordering a combo meal at a fast-food chain. Passengers who buy the "boarding and flexibility package" can board the plane early; pay only half the regular service fee if they need to change flights at the last minute; and get to fly standby on an earlier flight at no extra charge. The price ranges from $9 to $19, depending on the route.

Rick Seaney, founder of the airline pricing website FareCompare, said he expects more airlines to start rebundling. "You are seeing the first wave," he said. Los Angeles Times big deals Thomas' only all-inclusive, with deals as much as 60 percent off. Troll for deals on online travel auction sites like familygetaway.com or jetset ter.com. Become friends or fans of favorite resorts on Twitter and Facebook.

course, you'll save the most if you book a villa (wimco.com, hideaways or condo (vrbo.com), where you spread out, cook some of your meals split costs with friends or extended family. Consider Mexico, where you might a cheap airfare and lodging deals south of Cancun in Playa del Carmen (playadelcarmen.com) that start at just $215 a night. Try Casa De Los Primos in Akumal which offers some of the best snorkeling along Yucatan Peninsula. KINGS DOMINION red, white and blue rhinestones, but make no mistake, this is a park for serious riders. Insider tip: The first big coaster is the Dominator, and it's right inside the front gate.

Do not ride it as soon as you get to the park. That's what novices do. Instead, head back to it in midafternoon, when very few people are entering the park and there's no line. Food: Pretty much what you'd expect, although Juke Box Diner offers burgers with a side of nostalgia and there are abundant funnel-cake stands. The park allows you to bring in unopened bottled water.

Do it. Bottled water inside sells for $3.75. Need to know: Kings Dominion is in Doswell, about two hours south of Washington, D.C., and just north of Richmond on Interstate 95. Admission is $56.99 for adults and children taller than 48 inches. Children 3 and older but under 48 inches tall and seniors 62 and older are $33.99.

Check online for discounts at kingsdominion.com. Parking is an extra $10. Call 804-876-5000. entices with out TripAdvisor's new Trip Friends feature, tripadvisor.comTripFriends, for advice on locales from Facebook friends. Traveling with kids? You'll probably save the most at all-inclusives, says Jamie Samuels.

Antigua's Elite Island Resorts (eliteislandresorts offers a "pay for one and bring up to four" deal that's a little more than $100 a night per person. At DM and Tamarijn Aruba (diviaruba.com, or tamarijnaruba.com), two kids up to age 17 can stay and eat free when accompanied by two adults. For single parents, the Occidental Grand Aruba (Occident al.com) invites up to two kids 12 and under to stay free with one parent. The U.S. Virgin Islands' Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort has just become St.

Of can and get the One of the most helpful aspects of the park brochure you receive upon entering is the Ride Rating System. Not including the park's Edzville and Planet Snoopy sections aimed at the youngest visitors, there are 30 rides at the park; 22 are rated "high thrill rides" or "aggressive thrill rides." Don't say you weren't warned. For tykes: This year, part of the kiddie segment of the park has been re-themed "Planet Snoopy." (It used to be Nickelodeon-branded.) Joe Cool Driving School, in which tykes get to steer cars around an obstacle course can engender long lines, but it's definitely a crowd-pleas-er. Like everything at Kings Dominion, it is gleaming, welcoming and spotless. For coaster lovers: If you're a Disney World Space Mountain fan, don't miss Flight of Fear, an indoor, in-the-dark experience.

For my money, the ridiculously rough, wooden Grizzly is the best. For bench-warmers: The Eiffel Tower offers a scenic panorama, and along International Street you can sit and listen to would-be American Idols belt out "Proud to Be an American" while festooned in lure families. St. Lucia (stlucianow.com) has launched a family "Go Bananas" package with free meals for kids under 17, a complimentary room upgrade, a complimentary excursion, a Eds Education day at Pigeon Island National Landmark, an island-wide discount card and my favorite a complimentary night of babysitting. St.

Etts has "fall in love with St. Etts Nevis" (stkittstourism with free night offers and special kids' discounts. Packages include free nights at reduced summer rates (pay for two and get two free at the Viceroy Anguilla), free diving for kids and teens (Captain Don's Habitat in Bonaire, habitatbonaire.com), free excursions to Maya ruins and a rain forest (The Inn at Robert's Grove in Belize, robertsgrove.com) and more. Check Headed to a theme park this summer? This is Week 3 of a look at four that are within driving distance. By TRACY GRANT THE WASHINGTON POST Everything about the Intimidator 305, Engs Dominion's new roller coaster, is, well, intimidating.

The gleaming red and yellow edifice soars 305 perfectly vertical feet (hence the name) into the air. Shot out of a cannon is as good a way as any to describe how it feels getting to the pinnacle. But the intimidation begins long before you are tightly harnessed into the train. The warning piped over loudspeakers while you wait in line is no ordinary affair. A veteran coaster rider, I've never had one give me a moment's pause that is, until the Intimidator: "You know your limitations; Kings Dominion does not." How you will react to such sobering words will pretty much define your experience at Engs Dominion.

If your reaction is "Cool. Bring it on," this is the park for you. If not, well iting the Blue Iguana Recovery Center (blueiguana.ky) yes, they really are blue; or tickling green sea turtles at the Cayman Turtle Farm at Boatswain's Beach (boatswainsbeach.ky). Island-wide family deals are being offered this summer, like the Cayman Summer Splash (caymansummersplash a free night when you pay for four, 30 percent off on kids under 12, flights on Cayman Airways, free entrance for kids at many attractions, free meals at restaurants, free diving rental gear for kids up to 17 and half off on dives and free open water certification when kids are accompanied by an adult. Despite high airfares (which incidentally will be no bargain whether you fly to California or the Caribbean), the Caymans aren't the only islands trying to TRAVELING WITH THE FAMILY With airfares sky high, Caribbean Rum Point on Grand Cayman's North Side is a Caribbean beach that's everything it should be: quaint, hammocks strung from palm trees, crystal-clear water, white sand, a first-rate beach bar and enough water toys to keep the kids happy.

It's a Sunday favorite with locals EILEEN OGINTZ TAKING THE KIDS (caymamslands.ky), but tourists in the know like it too. The Cayman Islands also offers kids plenty beyond the beach the chance to learn new tricks at the Black Pearl Skate Park, the second-largest skate park in the world (blackpearl.kyindex.php); vis-.