Theme Suggestions Needed

We are 7 months away from week 1 and we are already excited about summer 2011. Each summer the theme helps develop the FVC environment. From Gilligan's Island (2007) to Around the World (2010), this summers theme can be broad or defined. The theme has to be well thought out and exciting. In February, the theme suggestions will be presented to and voted on by a select group of your favorite FVC staffers.

Each year we ask vacationers and staff to provide us with their suggestions for the theme for the upcoming summer; creativity is encouraged. We are ready to start compiling a new list of theme ideas and we can't wait to hear from all of you. Email your theme suggestion(s) to vacation@familyvacationcenter.com.

Watch clips from past FVC shows on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/user/FamilyVacationCenter

Meet the FVC Pet!

Profile
Name: Jordan Jr.
Type of Fish: Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens)
Background: Jordan Jr. was abandoned by his original owner (an FVC staffer who will remain unnamed.)
Favorite Color: Purple
Hobbies: Starring at People
Reading underwater novels
Swimming in circles
Favorite Quote: “Our offense is like the Pythagorean Theorem. There is no answer.” -Shaquille O'Neal
Favorite Activity at the FVC: The Water Show!

"Come visit me this summer at the FVC!" -Jordan Jr.

Photo Contest Announced!

Send me your favorite photo from summer 2010. The winning photo will be featured in the Winter Scenes (our quarterly newsletter.) Email photo to vacation@familyvacationcenter.com

*This has to be my favorite picture from summer 2010. The magic of the FVC captured in a photo... amazing!

Photo by our fabulous photographer, Pierce Larick. http://www.newrevolutionphotography.com/

Registration for Summer 2011

Registration has started! We are now accepting reservations from all 2010 FVC guests. We have made a lot of changes to our registration process and I want to break down the details to eliminate the confusion. Happy November!

Visit http://familyvacationcenter.com/rates.html to register!

Important Registration Dates
November 1st- Registration for 2010 Vacationers
November 15th- Registration for all former FVC guests
December 1st- Open Registration
December 31st- End of Early Bird Special Rates and Last Chance to have a 2011 $200 Space Reservation Refunded

New Payment Plan
Day of Registration- Deposit of 10% of Final Balance Due
January 15- 50% of Final Balance is Due
April 1- 100% of Final Balance is Due (final payment)

New Cancellation Policy
1. Cancellations received before January 15, 2011 are charged a $50 cancellation fee per suite.
2. Cancellations received between January 16, 2011 and 30 days before the start of your vacation are charged a $100 cancellation fee.
3. Cancellations within 30 days of vacation will be assessed a 25% cancellation fee if the week is fully booked. If the week is not fully booked there will be a $100 cancellation fee.
4. Canceling one individual from your party will result in a full refund for that individual, up until the start of your vacation, unless as a result you do not meet the minimum number for your suite, at which point the $450 surcharge will be assessed or you will be moved to a smaller suite, if available. If you cancel an individual after the start of your vacation, a 50% refund for that individual will be issued.

Questions?
Call the main office at 805-893-3123 or email info@familyvacationcenter.com.

Halloween Costume Ideas from the FVC Staff

Need a last minute costume for your kid(s)? Or yourself? The FVC staff wants to share with you some of their favorite costumes that they have worn in the past.

David Silva (Front Desk Supervisor 2010):
Yoda: At the age of 3, David was a toddler version of Yoda. His family dressed up as the rest of the Star Wars cast. Great idea for the whole family!
Cousin It: In Kindergarten, David was dressed up as Cousin It. He wore a full body fur suit and enjoyed every second of it.

Monique Ledesma (Kids Group Assistant 2010)
For Siblings or Couples
Flower and Bumble Bee: In kindergarten, Monique was a flower and her brother was a bumble bee. Cute!
Christmas Tree and Present: As children, Monique and her brother dressed up as a Christmas Tree and a present. Original and festive.

Megan Souleles (Assistant Director)
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum: In 4th grade, Megan and her best friend dressed up as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee and won their school's costume contest.
Bear: In college (yes, in college), Megan dressed up as a bear. She wore a full brown and furry body suit and bear ears. It was a hit!

Early Bird Special Announced

I am excited to announce that the FVC will be offering a great discount for the 2011 summer season. Not only are we not increasing the rates, but we are discounting them by 5% if you register before December 31, 2010. Check out the 2011 discounted rates below.

By decreasing our rates, we hope to make this fun-filled family vacation affordable to all families. We love our vacationers and hope that we are helping them out with this new early bird special.

Discounted 2011 Rates (Register before Dec. 31st)
Adults & 13+ $871 (Save $46)
Children 8-12 $807 (Save $42)
Children 4-7 $774 (Save $41)
Children 1-3 $638 (Save $34)
Under 1 year $387 (Save $20)

Freebirds is growing...

Freebirds is an FVC favorite! For all of us that love late night Freebirds (especially on Thursday night after Karaoke), will be glad to hear that Freebirds is adding new locations on the West Coast. There is a bigger Freebirds coorporation (which the Isla Vista Freebirds was originally associated with but separated from) that has plans of opening 5 new locations in California in the next year. Some of the new locations include; Ventura, Culver City and Marina del Rey. USC will be enjoying late night burritos as well. Is this the same Freebirds that we have come to love? I am not sure but I do hope that more people in this world can experience massive 4 serving sized nauchos with the best bbq sauce ever created. If my love for Freebirds was a building, it would be the size of the Eiffle Tower. If you are lucky, a Freebirds might be coming to your town soon... keep updated at http://www.freebirds.com/. You can even order online!

Mini-Weeks! Because everyone's busy!

Even though I'm just a sea creature, I've been super excited by the flurry of activity that has taken over the Family Vacation Center office. We have an ad running in Bay Area Parent, California Coast Parent, Sunset magazine, and a bunch of mothers' club newsletters. It is very fun & exciting but also very busy!

Which brings me to my next point. I know that our office can get hectic but it may be nothing in comparison to the craziness of family activities. You may want to come see me and have a wonderful summer family vacation, but you don't have the time. Between grocery shopping, vacuuming, get-togethers, jobs, finger painting, the kids yelling, and just life, you may not know where you would fit a summer family vacation in.

This is what brings me to... Drumroll...Mini-Weeks. Mini-weeks are new this year at our summer camp and I'm very pleased with the idea. Let me tell you what they are. So, instead of a full week long stay at the Family Vacation Center, your family would be staying 4 full nights and 3 full days, checking in on Saturday and leaving Wednesday. You would still get to experience some of our top activities like:

our parent wine tour
the adult mixer
the family talent show
pub trivia night
casino night
kids' field trip
golf tournament

and all our other regular activities like the hike, the mountain bike ride, tennis lessons, surfing lessons, and flexible inclusive childcare are still available.

I might just have to invite my busy Starfish clan this year because although they hate to leave the ocean, mini-weeks are a perfect solution for a busy family.
Want more info? Go here! http://familyvacationcenter.com/rates.html

Enjoy some pictures of the above mentioned activities...

family carnival


Surf lessons.


tennis


family carnival


wine tasting (obviously for parents only!)

Welcome to the FVC Blog!

In case you didn't already know, I'm Sandy the Starfish. I'm just your ordinary sea creature with a passion for summer family vacations. Of course my absolute favorite vacation spot is my home - the UCSB Family Vacation Center (FVC) in Santa Barbara, California.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm pretty old. I've been around since the FVC started, which was way back in 1969. Since then, I've seen about 60,000 vacationers come through my lovely home and I've enjoyed every minute of it! How could I not? There are so many fun activities like crafts, surfing lessons, tennis, campfires... I'm never bored. In fact, I never leave this summer camp because I can't imagine a better family vacation anywhere else.

So, kick back, relax, and enjoy my blogging about family vacations and the FVC!