Affordable Vacations

- Save Money with Affordable Vacation Ideas

Save money -- and avoid all the hassles at airports-- by driving to your getaway. Families who live in the northeast US have a terrific range of driveable destinations. Below are suggestions, in three sets of driving times.

Yellowstone National Park is unique on the planet, with stupendous scenery, wildlife viewing, and "geothermal features" such as geysers, hot springs, and mudpots. Families can learn and see plenty on 4-night "Learning and Lodging" programs offered by the Yellowstone Association Institute, exploring the Park with an naturalist. Lodging and some meals included too. Similar to guided Family Adventures, but much lower price point.

Check out family-friendly destinations where lodgings can be found at a good price point, and where there's plenty of fun to be found.

Ohio has some very cool state park resorts that are driving distance from PA and MI as well as from Ohio towns. The 20,000-acre Salt Fork State Park, for example, is an easy drive from Pittsburgh, and has two marinas and the Salt Fork Lodge. The seven state park resorts offer lots of activities in the Great Outdoors, including fall foliage, and winter snowmobiling and ice-skating. Several are near theme parks or water parks. Look for packages that include fun such as geocaching or horseriding.

Save money by driving to a weekend getaway: point the car toward the nearest resort with its own indoor water park, and have fun with crazy slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, squirters and dunking buckets; play zones for little kiddies, too. Some resorts add an outdoor water park in summer. Rooms are usually suites; to budget-minded vacationers the price may seem high-ish, but rates include waterpark passes, and suites are roomy and may sleep up to six. Also, watch for bargain rates at off-peak times of year.

"Family camps" are like the summer camps so many kids enjoy -- but the whole family goes on the trip. Plenty of outdoor recreation, such as hiking or lakeside swimming; lots of schedule outdoor fun; kids programs; campfires at night; simple lodgings; all meals included. Some family camps get creative with activities for grown-ups (beer-tasting, anyone?); others have a special focus, such as music or the performing arts.

And of course there is also straight-up Family Camping: more effort and more roughing-it, but with wonderful pay-offs (and beautifully low budget.) Closeness to nature, a break from the wired world, family-time around the picnic table-- and the family can include Fido, too.

Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is a unique place to stay at Walt Disney World: save big-time on your budget by camping here, and still enjoy all the perks of staying at a Disney World Resort (-- use of the free Disney bus system, Extra Magic Hours in the theme parks, and more.) There's plenty of fun on-site at this giant resort, and a shuttle runs to the Magic Kingdom from its dock. If camping's not your thing, cabins are available.

Ok, so it's not really "camping". But it sure is an easy way to take a family vacation at a campground. Not only do you not have to set up the tent in the dark (-funny how often that happens), you also don't have to buy, find, pack, or unload a ton of gear. Simply step into your abode that's already set up and equipped with beds, lighting, maybe even a fridge or microwave. And kids will think it's fun to stay in a yurt or tipi or deluxe canvas tent.