Cheap vacation ideas

[NewLeaf]

We have always taken a week long vacation w/our tax money, and this year we want to pay down our cc instead. But we want to have a "get away" of sorts w/our kids.....We can't afford the beach (we live in VA) and really want to avoid the Dollywood scene.....

I would like to introduce the kids to horseback riding, hiking and canoeing.....

Any suggestions???

[MRAHoffman]

http://www.thefrugallife.com/vacations.html

and another

http://www.thefrugallife.com/frugalvacations.html

and another

http://beingfrugal.net/2008/06/03/fr...acation-ideas/

and another

http://frugalliving.about.com/b/2007...n-planning.htm

[elphie]

We are headed to Smoky Mountain National Park this summer. We'll be staying in a cabin which is about the same price as a hotel but has a kitchen so we can do our own cooking. Many of the activities you listed are available at the park. Gatlinburg and Dollywood are nearby but from all the research I've done these activities are easily avoidable because there's plenty to do in the park. I've asked for input here as well as another forum and also found some great information on the national park website.

[ame="http://www.thehomeschoollibrary.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28944"]The Homeschool Library[/ame]

Smoky Mountain National Park

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/

Some other things to consider:
- check into campgrounds at state parks, even if you don't want to do the tent/rv thing they often have cabins at state parks for very reasonable rates for residents of the state. http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/

- consider going with friends to offset some of the costs, a three bedroom cabin split among two families and shared cooking/grocery expenses can really save a lot and traveling together can be fun

- check your states tourism website and see what hidden treasures are close to home. http://www.virginia.org/

- choose a place to stay that has access to fun activities such as swimming or a club house so you don't have to pay extra for all of your entertainment

- once you decide on a destination look at the tourism page for the city/town there should be an event calendar, often local events are free/cheap, such as outdoor music festivals, art exhibits, etc.

[homemaker66]

When we had kids at home and did not have to much money in our pockets, we signed up to look at timeshares they always give you a nice place to stay and free tickets to boot. The resorts that we stayed at are really nice and safe. The only downside of that is you have to listen to their presentation for a 1.5 hour then just blow the rest off. We did it in the morning before the kids got moving around and when we were done they were ready to go. We got some really good deals on tickets for the parks or whatever we wanted from them. You have to meet some guide lines to stay there but it is a cheap way to go as far as I am concern.

[Momto2Boyz]

Dh and I are very "outdoorsy", so for us, camping is the way to go! It is usually pretty frugal (depending on what kind of campground you choose) and is alot of fun!

When we first started, we couldn't afford all the stuff that went with it, so we borrowed tents and camp stoves from friends and family. Over the years we got the stuff we needed and now have a nice camping collection, but we bought it little by little!

KOA campgrounds are almost always a good bet (check it out first though), but they are nice, and they aren't totally rustic! They have good bathrooms, and usually have a nice pool and game room and things, so you don't have to rough it the whole time!

The nice thing about camping too, is that you don't have to travel too far! DH and I have found a ton of campsites, that are within an hour from home, yet once your there in the woods, you feel like you are a world away from home!

Plus, you can find campgrounds that have the activities you were looking for, hiking, camping, horseback riding, etc. And it's so much fun to cook outside! Dh and I love cooking over an open campfire!

[jonesies]

I have been using (and loving) vrbo.com. It's a website that has vacation homes that are rented by the owners (no middle man). If you go in the off season, most prices are phenomenal! Last year (twice), I rented condos in Rehoboth Beach, DE for under $89 per night. It was in driving distance and we took all of our own food (at out one night). We spent the majority of our time on the beach, fishing or in the pool on the condo's premises.
If school is an issue, make it a long weekend and get homework beforehand so they can take it with them.
Another good thing about vrbo.com is because you are working with the owner, you can sometimes get a cheaper price, especially if it's last minute.
Hope this helps!

[Spirit Deer]

I think camping is a great idea, too. It's the least expensive way to get away, and a lot of camping activities are lost cost too, like making snacks around the fire, swimming, hiking, biking, etc.

Look into pop up campers if you think that might be of interest to you. It's great to sleep off the ground, and it's how a lot of people get into RVing. A good used pop up can often be found quite reasonably priced, and of course once you own it, you can use it for weekend getaways as well as vacations. It's even fun to stay in the camper in the back yard on some weekends, which of course is free. For more info from people who use pop ups, drop by Pop Up Explorer anytime.

[Debbie-cat]

I agree with Spirit Deer. Camping is the best vacation! There is nothing better than being outdoors. Pop-up campers can be found for less than $1000. This way you are off the ground, stay dry if it rains (and have a place to play a board game), easy to tow with a car, can haul all your belongings in the camper.

[idodna]

How about planning a stay at home vacation?

Let each family member choose an activity that is local (some of our favorites are ice skating, bowling, hiking - nothing too pricey - but your saving on accomodations - so set what ever limit you want) Each family member chooses a day's activity, the dinner menu and a movie to watch in the evening. If your family has hobbies incorporate them into the mix. (this Christmas we did "Puzzle Day" - 7 of us put together 5 - 500 piece puzzles in 7 hours - posed for pics with each completed puzzle and sent them to far off family members - so they would KNOW we were geeks ) you could also do a gaming competition (wii, or PS).

We started choosing these alternative entertainments because we felt that some of our charges were so used to being entertained at expensive attractions that they were barely participating once they were there - just looking for what they were going to do next.

The girls were tickled to have our total attention and participation.

[rainbowgc]

I agree Smoky Mountain National Park is a great place with plenty to do.
(we used to live in the area)

[Gunny_Frost]

I for one prefer the camping. One main reason for me was as a boy, we always had a truck camper. My sister and I would ride in the back with the folks up front as we traveld all over New England and Canada during the summer. When my wife and I decided to "camp" we bought a used popup and love it. To keep verything "economical" we joined Passport America for about $44.00 a year, this gives us access to over 1000 campgrounds for an average of $12.50 a night. This to me was a better deal than either KOA or Good Sam for our family.

Couple of suggestions.

We always talke a large 2 room tent as a back up (Just in case the lift mechanism breaks or murphy decides to show up, we can still vacation).

Buy a small cabana (privacy) tent and a porta potty. (You may find a bathroom you are not impressed with, and works great at home if the power goes out).

Most popups between 8-10.5 feet (box length) can easily be towed by a car, van, truck with a 6 cylinder engine.

KOA's website frequently has "specials" at various campgrounds around the country.

Google - "boondocking". This is no frills camping. No water, or electric. But an inexpensive way to get back to nature.

If an adult in the family is disabled, the National Park Service offers a free pass, that is good at all National Parks for up to (4) people in the vehicle. (Discounted rates at some pay parks and campgrounds).

There are books on the web, that show low cost, or even free places to camp.

Lastly, for an inexpensive theme park vacation, consider Holiday World. It is located in Santa Claus, Indiana. Holiday World is a theme park that is very family orientated. The price I paid last summer for a family of (4) for two day passes was about $240.00. But that was for two great days of fun. There is the best water park I had ever seen right there. All sodas at the park are free, as is sun screen. We stayed at Rudolphs Campground and they provide a free shuttle to and from the park all day long.

Some links below:

http://www.holidayworld.com/index.html

http://www.lakerudolph.com/

http://www.passportamerica.com/

http://koa.com/hotdeal/

Cheers,

[NewLeaf]

Thanks for all of the info. It is interesting that so many reccommended pop up campers because a friend gave us one!!! It needs a little TLC but it works fine. I told dh that we could duck tape the holes in the canvas and if we find that we use the camper enough maybe we could trade up next year.

I plan on researching ea. and every one of the ideas you all gave me. For me, the planning is part of the fun(lol).

[Spirit Deer]

If you need any help or advice, again I recommend stopping by Pop Up Explorer as I mentioned above. There are a lot of experienced people who can give advice on various how-to's when it comes to pop ups.

I love outfitting our RVs because it's a fun challenge for me to see how cheaply I can pick up the stuff we need. It's amazing! I once filled the entire back end of our Chevy Blazer from right behind the front seats to the tailgate and all the way to the ceiling for $7! (Gotta love a good church sale!)

[elphie]

For me, the planning is part of the fun(lol).

I agree! It's kind of like window shopping. I'm always a little disappointed when we settle on our final choice because I no longer have an excuse to keep looking at the other locations, lol.

[ravenmaniac]

Camping is the way to go. Check your state's parks. Maryland has great state parks with clean bathrooms, electric and water at sites, clean lakes to swim and fish in, snack shacks and camp stores, hiking paths and more! The rates are reasonable. We find state parks to be very relaxing.