Friday, June 14, 2002 | 11:03 a.m.
School's out for the summer, and families across the Las Vegas Valley are gearing up to get away.
For many parents with school-age children, it might be their only chance.
"It's a juggling act," Annemarie Robinson said of scheduling her summer vacation. Between her and her husband's work schedules and her daughter's school schedule, there is usually a very small window of opportunity to take a family vacation.
"I have another girlfriend at work who tried to find a time where she and her daughter both could go," Robinson said. "She never did get a vacation."
Parents often have to catch as catch can, with many finding this period between the letting out of Las Vegas schools and the start of summer school on June 24 a ripe time to pack their bags and get out of town. Others take advantage of the weeks between when summer schools close, Aug. 3, and the first day of school Aug. 26.
Dolores Cintora, a Clark County School District teacher's aide, always plans her family's vacations around her grandchildren when they are off from school. In fact, she takes her children and grandchildren on one trip after school lets out and another before school resumes.
"We live together and always do things as a family," she said after getting a map from the local AAA office for a trip the family will make to the San Diego Zoo.
Her 15-year-old grandson Jesse Cintora, who with his 12-year-old sister Christina accompanied their grandmother to the AAA office, said the vacations provide a rare commodity.
"I like family vacations because it gives us all a chance to be together," Jesse said. "Everyone works different shifts so we don't usually get a lot of time together."
Clark County School District figures show that 175,000 students attend nine-month schools that let out this week, while 70,000 attend 76 year-round elementary schools. About 16,000 are enrolled in summer school.
"Whether it's traditional or year-round schools, the tradition of the summer vacation remains strong," school district spokeswoman Mary Stanley Larsen said.
Stephanie Eriksen finds that summer is the only time her family can get away.
"With my son on track break 11 months out of the year (year-round schedule) and my daughter going to high school nine months out of the year, it's hard to find time when they are both off," Eriksen said. "Add in a busy work schedule to that, and it's quite complicated."
In addition to the scheduling break that summer offers, Robinson said her family likes the warmer and more consistent weather summer offers for outdoor activities.
"We like to do stuff when the sun's out," she said. "I don't want to go hiking in the rain."
Robinson's family plans to go to Ceder City, Utah, a popular destination for Las Vegans for its proximity, cooler weather and natural beauty.
"There is a definite presence from Southern Nevada here this time of year and throughout the summer, especially for our outdoor activities," said Maria Twitchell, marketing director for the Iron County Tourism and Convention Bureau in Cedar City, Utah.
The Dixie National Forest has estimated that between 65 and 75 percent of the cabins in the area are owned by Southern Nevadans, Twitchell said. The Utah Shakespearean Festival, which runs June 20 through Oct. 19, has said about 20 percent of its visitors are from Southern Nevada, she said.
Robinson will be renting a house near Cedar City and driving to nearby destinations.
"We are going to go sit in the woods and each day do whatever comes to mind," she said.
The Eriksen family plans to drive up the coast of California later this summer, another popular destination for Nevadans.
Eriksen said her kids wanted to get out of Las Vegas but didn't want to fly anywhere.
"We wanted to stay pretty close to home," she said. "But I want the kids to be able to write something for the fun essay on the first day of school, the 'What did you do this summer' essay. It's always sad when you don't have something to write."
Las Vegas publisher and producer A. Mark Long, who was picking up maps from AAA Thursday, said he is taking his 8-year-old daughter Daishjonique to San Diego.
"We're going to San Diego because we love the ocean," he said. "These trips are always fun for us as a family and educational for my daughter. And it is so important we do these things now because Daishjonique will grow up so quickly."
Despite an increased anxiety over flying since Sept. 11, Debbie Millett, spokeswoman for McCarran International Airport, hopes the airport will see the spurt of increased traffic it usually sees in June.
"When schools let out families tend to go places," Millett said.
Last June McCarran had 3,186,408 passengers in and out of the airport, about 50,000 more than the previous month.
Most families that are flying are taking short trips so far, like to Disneyland, said Dick Shimizu, spokesman of Las Vegas-based National Airlines.
"Because summer school starts shortly, some families have such a short window at this time of year," he said. "However, in July and August we see more families taking the longer trips."
Vehicular travel is expected to be a little down this summer from last because of the tough economy, "but people are still going places because gasoline prices are 30 cents lower (nationwide) than last year," AAA Nevada spokesman Atle Erlingsson said. "Families will just be taking shorter trips."
Motorists in California will pay 40 cents less per gallon for gasoline this month. Nevada stations are down 25 cents per gallon from last June, and Utah stations are selling gas 23 cents cheaper than a year ago, Erlingsson said.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority hopes to see other families traveling here for their summer vacations, though it no longer markets to that population. Still, 12 percent of visitors to Las Vegas are under 21, authority spokesman Rob Powers said.
"There is no question that families travel in the summer and a number of them come to Las Vegas," Powers said.
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