TAX REFUND 101
Many Happy Returns: How to Spend Your Tax Refund
Learn the tricks of the kitchen -- and the table -- on a culinary vacation in Tuscany.
(The International Kitchen)
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After agonizing over receipts and mind-numbing forms, my fellow American taxpayers, you need a vacation. This year, let Uncle Sam foot the bill (well, it's actually you, but we can pretend). According to the IRS, the average tax refund this year will be $2,428. To help you spend that windfall, we've planned two trips -- one domestic, the other international -- for singles, couples and families of four. And don't feel bad about blowing your check: It's the American way.
-- Andrea Sachs
SINGLES
· DOMESTIC: Clock some serious miles in southwestern Utah on a Timberline Adventure trip (800-417-2453, www. timbertours.com ). On the week-long excursion, hike (25 miles) and bike (235 miles) through stunning Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. The $1,895 price includes lodging (singles are paired with a roommate), breakfast and dinner, park fees and transfers from Las Vegas. Add $125 for a bike rental and $70 for lunches. The flight to Vegas costs around $230. With your remaining funds (minus $5 for the shuttle to the airport), treat your throbbing muscles to a deep-tissue massage at the Mandalay Bay resort's spa in Vegas ($90). Info: 877-632-7300, www.mandalaybay.com .
Total: $2,415, leaving $13 for the airport slots.
· INTERNATIONAL: How does a $1,100 plate of pasta sound? With the International Kitchen (800-945-8606, http:/
Total: $2,342, with $86 remaining for a great bottle of wine, a tiny David statue and a roll of Tums.
COUPLES
· DOMESTIC: Float up and down the Mississippi River on a houseboat from Fun 'N the Sun (888-343-5670, http:/
Total: $2,310, so you can budget $118 for a fishing license, rods and bait -- in case the food runs out.
· INTERNATIONAL: He wants mountains, she wants beach. Get both -- plus jungle and city -- on a self-driving tour of Costa Rica (two flights to San Jose go for $820). Adventure in Costa Rica (011-506-256-2136, http:/
Total: $2,427, with your last colon going toward a howler monkey keychain.
FAMILY
· DOMESTIC: Pack up the family -- and dog -- and drive to Ocracoke Island, off North Carolina's Outer Banks. (Budget about $100 for gas and mini-mart snacks.) Peak season, you can rent a charming house like "Beach Burrito," which has three bedrooms, a fish-cleaning station and a price tag of $1,600 per week. Info: 252-928-6261, http:/
Total: $2,425; use the remaining three bucks at the car wash to suck up the sand in the back seat.
· INTERNATIONAL: Kids love nothing more than water, cute animals and hobbits. So treat 'em to all three with an "African Lion Safari" package (800-263-3508, http:/
Total: $2,343.50, with $84.50 left for shopping at the St. Lawrence Market.
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