Sharon Eberson, Post-Gazette A year-round troupe of circus performers teaches guests how to "fly through the air" on a trapeze set up outside the big top at Club Med Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

By Sharon Eberson
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Families considering a Florida vacation automatically think Orlando theme parks or beaches, perhaps Miami or the Kennedy Space Center. Here's another option to add to that list: Club Med.

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No, not the swingin' singles Club Med that you're used to hearing about. This is Club Med Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, about an hour from Palm Beach International Airport, on more than 1,000 lakeside acres of palm trees, concrete walking paths and sporting opportunities at every turn.

Sandpiper -- the only Club Med village in the United States -- is one of just a few villages that accept babies as young as 4 months.

The staff -- including everpresent G.O.'s ("gracious organizers") and a restaurant crew that serves hundreds -- is dedicated to delighting everyone from infants to grandparents.

They do try hard -- they're each as friendly as if they'd been trained by the Disney folks. Guests also are invited along nightly as the G.O.'s party hard at the Sandpiper bar, and it's amazing to watch the energy flow from morning until long into the night.

That's the beauty of Club Med Sandpiper. It's a buzz of activity if you want it, or you can pull up a rocking chair and relax in front of a pretty lake view, no questions asked.

My family and my sister's were there for a four-night stay (Wednesday to Sunday over the Thanksgiving holiday), booked through a travel agent, and we found no reason to leave the premises of the self-contained village.

		Club Med Sandpiper Address: 4500 S.E. Pine Valley St., Port St. Lucie, Fla. 34952 Accommodations: 338 air-conditioned units; lowest price rooms include small refrigerator, coffee maker and hair dryer. Price: Varies during seasons and by number of family members. The Club Med Web site currently lists seven-night stays with departure dates of Dec. 16 and 30 and Jan. 13 and 20 as starting from $2,600 per family of four. Meals: Included in packages are three huge buffets a day, plus snacks and drinks. There is a sit-down, on-site restaurant, but the cost is extra. Amenities include: Programs for children include Baby Club Med, Petit Club Med, Mini Club Med, and Junior's Club Med. There are five swimming pools (one for adults only and one for Mini Club Med), 19 hard-surface tennis courts (nine lit), 18-hole golf course, rock-climbing wall, circus attractions and lessons, weight room, tour desk, conference facilities, massage, photographer, Internet kiosk and new Wi-Fi Internet in common areas, arcade, boutique, car rentals and washers and dryers. Transportation: There is a shuttle for fee available to and from Palm Beach International Airport. Check for directions at www.clubmed.com. More information: 1-888-932-2582; 1-772-398-5100; or www.clubmed.com.

The party-or-peace vacation was all-inclusive -- meaning accommodations, services, activities, gratuities, meals and snacks, even drinks at the bar. Not included are off-site excursions, electric-powered boats and purchases at the small on-site boutique.

There were live shows three of the four nights, plus two puppet shows and movies (both long out on DVD), and the capper on Saturday night: a circus performance, reminiscent of a Cirque du Soleil show, with its elegance and acrobatics, contortionists and clowns.

This was the real deal, and it was fun to see the G.O.'s who regularly eat meals and interact with the guests show off their talents, including Heidi from Altoona, a lighting designer and singer at Sandpiper.

A trapeze is set up outside the big top, and one imbedded image from this vacation was the sight of daring guests attempting to fly through the air with the greatest of ease (all while strapped, wired and under strict supervision). Beginners also could try juggling and walking a tightrope at about the height of a balance beam.

There was late-night entertainment, too, courtesy of the G.O.'s and a DJ in the bar, plus a live band on Saturday. Groucho's Comedy Club near the golf course had national headliners (Lazlow and Al Romero, this particular weekend) on Friday and Saturday nights, but that's for patrons 21 and older, and certainly the material warranted the age restrictions.

During most hours of the day, sports enthusiasts of all ages could try their hands at a myriad of activities: archery, tennis, golf (a regular course and a pitch-and-putt), mini-soccer, basketball, inline skating, skateboarding, bocce, beach volleyball and sailing -- all included in the price of admission. There were some group and private lessons, plus jet skis and excursions for extra fees. An 80-something yoga instructor gave lessons at lakeside, and there were adults-only fitness classes and a health club, too.

Young and old were kept active and seemingly content, but the 'tweeners in our group hit a bored patch here and there. Luckily, our garden-view rooms (lowest price) were big enough so that heading inside to watch a little football now and then didn't cramp anyone's style. The tile-floored room, with two double beds and a twin, included a small refrigerator, a big walk-in closet area and most basic cable channels -- a plus when boredom did set in.

My family consists of my husband and almost-15 son, Josh, and my sister and brother-in-law have 14-year-old Harrison. We often looked wistfully at the younger children who seemed to dominate the village, wishing we had discovered Sandpiper when the boys were younger. It seemed to be made for ages 2 to 10, with constant activities for the younger set.

Everywhere we went, we saw G.O.'s alongside a line of kids, each holding on to a fringed rope, on their way to the next new thing.

When it was over, my son said he most enjoyed the freedom to move around safely, day and night, and try anything when the mood struck him, with no pressure.

And he enjoyed the food, as did we all.

The food -- oh, the food!

The Sandpiper experience was described to me as a land cruise, and the three-times-a-day buffet lived up to that hype and more. The buffet feeds hundreds at a sitting, and a behind-the-scenes kitchen tour showed it doesn't take as many hands as you'd think to do it. Great planning and proper equipment help, of course, and some mainstays. Breakfast is a vast assortment, from omelets to hot and cold cereal to waffles/pancakes and fresh fruit, but it, at least, doesn't vary much day to day. Lunch has its staples, too: hamburgers and veggie and turkey burgers, hot dogs, etc. But there was always a bit of a twist (sushi and such) at this meal.

Dinner, served from 6:30 to 10 p.m., inspired oohs and aahs. The motto here seemed to be: Grab a plate and pile on, because you don't want to miss a thing. Taking that literally was Kobe, a thin 6-foot-plus G.O. from Tampa by way of Israel who ate more food at one meal than I thought was humanly possible -- not that anyone in our party went hungry.

A Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings had bonuses such as crab legs. On international night, Beef Wellington and Quail with Grapes were two of many choices, along with the usual veggie dishes, marinated tofu, tomatoes and peppers stuffed in imaginative ways, plenty of salad and fresh fruit and, always, fresh bread.

The best-known treat here is White Chocolate Bread, which I indulged in much more than the inviting desserts. It's such a signature item that recipes are made readily available.

If I seem to be dwelling over the food, believe me, it's worth the extra words -- and calories -- and it's a good thing there are so many activities available to work them off.

Club Med Sandpiper is just the place to take a hearty appetite for good food and an appetite for fun and games, too. Or, with the kids kept busy all day, it's just as pleasant a setting to grab a poolside lounge and dig in to a good book.