Wherever you sit on the issue of testing, standardized tests and the accompanying pressures are part of the American educational system. Our city kids are faced with high-stakes tests from an early age, from the G&T to the ERB to Regents to the granddaddy of them all, the Scholastic Aptitude Test for college-bound high school students.

In order to improve their score, many teens enroll in SAT prep programs during their junior year. These classes usually meet twice a week for a few months, cutting into after-school activities and precious study time during an already stressful school year. So when it came time for my 11th-grade daughter to face the SAT challenge, we opted for a different solution: a six-day summer intensive course and camp in rural Southern Maine. While SAT prep is the camp's main objective, the kids also have plenty of time for traditional summer camp activities. The serene Maine setting on Panther Pond was just the respite my stressed-out city kid needed.

Pre-Thanksgiving travel is like the calm before the hectic holiday travel storm.  If you can manage to get away just before or just after Turkey Day, you won’t find big crowds and you will find deals.  East Coast residents can enjoy discounts at rustic Shenandoah National Park, off-the-grid Maine Huts &Trails, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, urban-cool New Haven and Woodloch Resort in the Poconos. Out west, consider a trip to Los Angeles, Death Valley or Phoenix. There are warm weather deals in Florida and at Atlantis in the Bahamas.
True travel mavens are gearing up for Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, when the Internet is flooded with hotel and airline bargains.  These deals are usually announced at the very last minute, so you won’t get much advance notice. In recent years, hotel chains like Starwood, Sheraton, Embassy Suites and Marriott have offered consumers deep one-day-only discounts. All-inclusive family resorts like Beaches and Club Med have also offered bargains, so keep these chains in mind if you’re looking to score a Cyber Monday vacation deal.

Wave goodbye to summer with an eleventh hour family getaway.  Check out hipster-haven Portland Maine, the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls or the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  Big Texas has deals in charm-filled San Antonio and cowboy-crazed Fort Worth.  If you’re looking for a tropical location, Curaçao, Aruba and Puerto Rico are dishing up legitimate savings. Myrtle Beach usually stays warm well into fall, and this year brings special savings.  Florida bound vacationers will find deals in Orlando and Captiva.  If you’re headed to Europe, Airberlin is auctioning upgrades to fly business class.