If your kids aren't ready for kindergarten yet, draw a big smiley face on your calendar over the entire month of September. Then start planning a great end-of-summer escape. Without a doubt, the ninth month is the most wonderful time of year for a family getaway with small fries. When bigger kids head back to the classroom, several lovely things happen at top vacation spots: prices freefall, crowds thin out, and the weather remains quite like it was in late August. After all, summer doesn't officially end until the third week in September.

The season opens with a flurry of Labor Day Deals, and then the autumn specials begin to roll in. We've already told you about the fabulous gas rebates tagged to vacation rentals in northwest Florida and Hilton Head, and there will be more to follow.

At some properties, September means an all-out toddlerfest. Each year, an increasing number of big-name resorts come up with programs specifically conceived to court the 5-and-under set (see Little Kids, Big Savings).

Remember, you've only got a handful of Septembers before your kids go off to school. Make the most of this one!