Here are a couple of super seaside spots for your gang.

BAHIA HONDA STATE PARK

WHERE IT IS: Big Pine Key, Florida
THE HOOK: Enjoy a piece of paradise for less than $40 a night. Bahia Honda State Park offers 80 campsites, six cabins, and one of the Keys' best beaches (sand so white, you've gotta wear shades) on 524 acres fringed with gumbo-limbo trees and silver palms. In between hiking nature trails and snorkeling in bathtub-warm waters (gear rentals are available), your clan can fish for dinner off Old Seven Mile Bridge.
BONUS POINTS: Kids will be mesmerized by the turtles, fish, and alligators at Blue Hole and by the tiny, rare Key deer at the National Key Deer Refuge.
THE TAB: A basic campsite costs $31.49 per night; park entrance is $5 per carload plus $0.50 per person. Sites fill quickly, so reservations are recommended. Call (305) 872-2353 up to 11 months in advance (call now for next year) or visit Florida Department of Environmental Protection. To try for one of eight first-come, first-served sites, arrive at the park before 8 A.M. Another option: Sugarloaf Key KOA, which offers tent sites (and a pool) for around $42. Call (800) KOA-7731 or visit KOA Kampgrounds.

DISNEY VERO BEACH RESORT

WHERE IT IS: Vero Beach, Florida
THE HOOK: A charming seaside resort on a 26-mile beach, with true Disney attention to detail and none of the crowds. Within moments of arrival, kids will leap for Pirate's Plunge, a 163-foot spiral water slide that plunks riders in a heated pool (spring temperatures here are quite variable). Other diversions include a seven-mile bike path along Indian River Lagoon, miniature golf, water sports, tennis, and campfire sing-alongs. The Disney Discovery Club offers supervised marine-themed activities (like visiting a working marine laboratory) for 4 to 12-year-olds. Nearby, you can take a manatee-watching cruise, play golf, or visit a museum to marvel at shipwreck treasures from along the Florida coast.
BONUS POINTS: Goofy and his son, Max, show up for breakfast every Saturday.
THE TAB: Nightly rates start at $259-$359 for a room with a kitchenette, two full isze beds and a small refrigerator. Call your travel agent or (407) 939-7775.

TRAVELER'S TIP

Flying from a small airport rather than a major hub can net you big bargains, although it sometimes means more driving. Be sure to shop around.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Originally published in March 2002, updated February 2005.