For a REAL getaway, off-season travel is the way to go! Let the others tiptoe through the crowds at the beach at the height of summer or stand around at the ski lift in the dead of winter. Consider a beach vacation in the early fall...many places reduce their rates after Labor Day, so you can take advantage of those savings and enjoy the salt, sand and surf without the crowds. If winter sports are your way of de-stressing, go in early spring. There's still snow at higher elevations and, chances are, you'll have the slopes to yourself. Once you decide on surf or snow, book that off-season vacation package and go!