| With the end of the school year only a few months | | | | Another sensible idea is to hop in the family car and |
| around the corner, parents and teachers alike are | | | | visit other nearby attractions en route to friends and |
| beginning to plan out their summer vacations while | | | | family member's homes in different parts of the |
| the kids are looking forward to a few months | | | | country. You'll be amazed how young you feel after |
| without homework. With our current economy in | | | | visiting a former high school classmate or |
| shambles it may not seem like the perfect time to | | | | acquaintance from college, and much of the |
| think about a family getaway, but fortunately for | | | | "entertainment" for the visit is reliving old memories |
| consumers the tourism industry is hurting just as | | | | and sharing stories of days past. The children are |
| badly and some fantastic deals can be found for the | | | | happy because there are new areas to explore and |
| inquisitive shopper. From staying close to home with | | | | new friends to meet, while the parents relax on a |
| quick weekend getaways to ten day cruises | | | | very inexpensive vacation. |
| throughout the Caribbean, businesses are competing | | | | Yet another getaway plan would to be to hop on |
| harder than ever to grab your business. This article | | | | the internet and check out some of the vacation |
| will focus on vacations for budget minded families | | | | websites for last minute savings. For example, many |
| that would not otherwise get to go anywhere this | | | | of the hotels in Orlando around Disney World offer |
| summer. | | | | free or drastically reduced passes to area theme |
| The first sensible idea for families on a strict budget | | | | parks, which can convert a normally expensive family |
| is to rediscover your own region of the country and | | | | trip into a manageable one on the tightest of |
| all of the great attractions it has to offer. A great | | | | budgets. Before actually purchasing tickets for area |
| place to start is to Google your state's name plus the | | | | attractions, check out what combo deals you can |
| word "tourism," and you may be surprised on how | | | | find and it is sometimes possible to save a small |
| much fun has been going on right under your nose. | | | | fortune. Likewise, if you know of an event or park |
| Overnight or one day getaways for outdoor activities | | | | that your family is definitely visiting, Google the name |
| like camping, white water rafting, horseback riding, | | | | of the city before doing anything to see what local |
| canoeing, professional and semi pro sporting events, | | | | businesses and consumers have posted about |
| enjoying state parks, and simply embracing the | | | | savings while in the area...the results may surprise |
| outdoor weather that made you move to that region | | | | you. |
| in the first place will create fond memories for | | | | There are nearly limitless getaways available on a |
| everyone involved. There are also probably plenty of | | | | strict family budget and the key is to jump on the |
| free concerts, street carnivals, museums, and other | | | | internet to find the deals before they expire or end |
| fun activities that the children would enjoy while | | | | up completely booked for the summer. For more |
| getting away from home without dipping very far | | | | great ideas on money saving vacations, check your |
| into your monthly budget, and in order to find them | | | | local newspapers or call your local tourism office |
| you simply have to look. | | | | directly. |