Is it? I know that it was horrible this past summer (my son-in-law literally got his passport the day before the wedding), but I thought that times had gotten more normal by now.

And OP, you can definitely travel for much less money outside of the US, especially in Latin America. When my daughter was a teenager, I took her and my nieces all over the world.

Your boys are old enough to do more than just sit on a beach. Some places that I've been that I'd suggest for y'all:

- Guatemala: Split your time up with three days in Antigua and three in Panajachel or another town on Lake Atitlan. That will be an awesome trip in terms of nature, history, and culture -- just let other people do the driving.

- Costa Rica: Has the most developed tourist infrastructure in Central America. You can do cloud forest, rainforest, beach, etc. Costa Rica is "easy" for Americans.

- Mexico City: Mexico City is full of amazing things to see and do. Your boys will enjoy Xochimilco and Teotihuacan. I also love nearby Puebla, the perfect Spanish colonial city -- you could split time in both.

- Peru: The Sacred Valley is awesome. Machu Picchu absolutely lives up to the hype. And the rest of the country is amazing too -- I spent 17 great days there with my daughter and niece when my niece was 13, but a week is plenty to see Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

- Argentina: If you're going for Spring Break, then it's not too late to hike in Patagonia. The hiking at El Chalten is some of the best in the world, and Argentina is very cheap once you get there.

- Roatan: Stay in West End near Half Moon Bay, and you can find plenty of inexpensive places to stay and eat, and the snorkeling there is incredible. Your boys will love it.

You're close enough to DFW to drive there and leave your car there for a trip like this, so search for airfares from there as well as from Shreveport.