Depending on how close you are to a coast, beach trips make for an affordable family vacation. Day trips require little more than gas money, towels and sunblock if you pack a cooler full of sandwiches, fruit cups, bottled water and soda. Pack a separate cooler for ice cream to avoid expensive single-serve ice cream trucks that hang out at beach entrances. Beach tags may be another small expense depending on where you go. Bring beach games such as equipment for beach volleyball as well as boogie boards and surf boards.
Those with tents or RVs can enjoy camping at assorted state and national parks all over the United States, though tents are the less expensive option. Both options beat hotel prices and allow you and your family to explore natural wonders and participate in activities such as hiking, fishing, skiing and horseback riding. Parks include Yosemite National Park in California, which is also near the cultural and tourist attraction of San Francisco; Redwood National and State Parks in California; Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (though the park also covers ground in Idaho and Montana); the Grand Canyon in Arizona; and state parks such as Erie Bluffs State Park in Pennsylvania.
Take the family on a trip to a water park for refreshment away from the summer heat or a taste of warm weather during winter months in an indoor establishment. Book a budget-friendly hotel and explore the surrounding areas. Some water parks are resorts themselves, such as the Wilderness Territory Waterpark Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Other indoor water parks include Splash Lagoon in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark in Boyne Falls, Michigan.
Take a "stay-cation," which can be as elaborate or modest as you wish, depending on your resources. Set up a tropical island paradise in your backyard with kiddie pools, lots of sand, a beach umbrella and chairs and beach toys that include plastic tools for sand castle building and beach balls. Keep a cooler of frozen drinks for you and your spouse and another cooler of sodas and ice cream for the kids. Book a budget hotel within your state for visiting your area's state parks or other attractions of note.
