Tim Leffel: To research language schools, my highest recommendation goes to a magazine I write for regularly, Transitions Abroad. They have a terrific web site with what has to be the widest collection of language school advice and listings anywhere: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/study/language/index.shtml
There are some more links here under "learning": http://www.worldscheapestdestinations.com/id17.html
You can do an immersion Spanish study week with a homestay almost anywhere in Latin America. Guatemala is known as the best value, but if you want to avoid tourists you probably don't want to do one in Antigua. There are plenty of other options in Guatemala, however, as well as in cities in Mexico and Central America that are closer to the beach or in historic cities with sightseeing opportunities. The cost is rather insignificant no matter where you go--far less than the airfare to get there usually--so browse around and see what looks interesting to you. If it's not a well-known school or you haven't read about it in an article, you may want to ask for references.

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Sheldon, IL: Where can I take a family of five for a beach all-inclusive vacation including airfare the week after Christmas for around 1,000.00 per person?

Tim Leffel: The key phrase there is "the week after Christmas." That is THE peak time of the year for all-inclusive beach vacations. Because of that, I would get in touch with whatever travel agents in your area take out those big Sunday newspaper ads and get on their radar. My guess is that the best deals are going to be in Mexico or the Dominican Republic, but you never know who will be cranking up the sales.
Whatever you do, spend the extra to upgrade to a suite, a villa, or adjoining rooms. It will be money well spent. This is a time when I wouldn't try doing it all online. Get a human to work it out so everything will be right.

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Cincinnati, OH: My husband and I are planning a trip to New England in August. We are flying into (and out of)Boston and rent a car. We plan to cover Boston (2 nights), the coast of Maine to Bar Harbor, New Hampshire (White Mountains) and Vermont all in 9 nights total. Is this too aggressive? Do you have any suggestions for choosing less expensive accomodations in general and around Portland ME specifically? We would like to experience a few of the famous New England Bed and Breakfasts.

Tim Leffel: I would suggest picking two or three places you really want to visit and not try to see and do everything. Otherwise you'll be spending much of your vacation in a car and won't get to enjoy those nice inns where you stop. Fortunately, the distances aren't all that great between some of those locations and the drives are scenic, especially in Vermont.
There are a staggering number of B&Bs to choose from in New England. You can often find guides in your local library, plus there are plenty of web sites that will let you sort by location. Here are a few of them:  http://www.bnbfinder.com/
 http://www.bbexplorer.com/
 http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/  http://www.bbonline.com/nh/nhbba/ 
 http://www.ibbp.com/northamerica.html
Once you've narrowed down your choices, I would suggest perusing the hotel review sites and guidebooks to see comments. The visitors to the Fodor's forum (http://www.fodors.com/forums/?lid=Forums&lpos=top_nav ) often provide good advice as well. Just act like an Olympic judge when you read online comments: throw out the high and low scores, then use the rest to get an accurate picture.

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Philadelphia, PA: I am planning a trip to Bangkok next year and was wondering which of the night markets and floating markets are the best. I read a lot that Patpong is overly touristy. I want to avoid the over touristy markets and go somewhere more authentic. I was at Chichicastenango in Guatamala and that was awesome, a real look at the people and culture with some tourists but not a lot. Obviously the wats and the temples are touristy, that can't be avoided and that's fine. What are your suggestions on the places that are off the beaten path? Thanks!

Tim Leffel: It's been a few years since I've been in Bangkok, but here's a good web site with excellent current advice: http://www.travelfish.org/
It's not easy finding a floating market that's not touristy because really it's the tourists that keep them going. The weekend market in Bangkok has a lot of tourists, but they are outnumbered by the locals--much like Chichicastenango, so that's worth checking out regardless.

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Fort Collins, CO: I recently visited Costa Rica and was surprised that the locals were charged a different (lower) price than tourists for food, beverages, and gift items. Are there ways to avoid this?