- Road trips are great ways to see new cities, national parks and other American landmarks. They can also be inexpensive ways to vacation. The most expensive part of any road trip may be the cost of gas. Determine ahead of time how much you want to spend, and decide from there how far you will drive. Remember that this will be a round-trip drive. So if you're willing to drive 1,000 miles, you may not want to go past Charlotte, NC, if you're leaving from Philadelphia, PA. On the way, visit our nation's capitol and a Smithsonian museum. Landmarks and museums in Washington, DC, are free. Spend a day at Rehoboth Beach or one of Virginia's beautiful coastal towns. Take a different route back so you see new landmarks. Monongahela National Forest in Elkins, WV, northwest of Richmond, VA, may not be as popular as the Smoky Mountains, but at nearly 100,000 acres, it is the fourth largest national forest in the northeastern states.
- State fairs and town festivals can be really fun. And they're not just held in the summertime. Arizona's State Fair runs from October to November. Florida, where it's summer year-round, holds its fair in February. Georgia's state fair is in April and May and Alaska, not surprisingly, holds its fair in August and September. Even more fun than official state festivals can be the smaller theme fairs planned by individual towns and districts. The Annual Meatloaf Supper and Street Dance in St. Paul, MN, is a yearly event with a "main street dinner," most-beautiful-baby contests and local celebrities like A Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor in attendance. The Great American Beer Festival held each fall in Denver, CO, is a three-day beer-tasting extravaganza for beer brewers and drinking fans alike. Often, these events are free to attend, or ticket costs are minimal. Nearby hotels could book quickly at bigger venues. Consider staying at least 30 minutes away from the event to keep lodging costs down as well.
- Resort vacations can be a good deal for money-conscious travelers. You can easily find locations in the Caribbean or Central America that offer room, beach access, pools and all meals and snacks for less than $1,000 per person, including airfare. Depending on when you travel, your choices, however, may be limited to resorts that are overcrowded with tourists. If you can travel during off-peak times, you can get much more for your money. Peak travel dates in the Caribbean are during Christmas and spring vacation. Less expensive times to travel include the fall when kids are going back to school and early summer when people are no longer escaping winter at home.
