Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We often went to a place near Wilmington, NC but I've since learned it has been massively developed, whereas 30 years ago it was pretty pristine.

Wrightsville is hyper fancy and expensive now, but quite nice despite development. if you can deal with traffic/parking situation, you can stay on the cheap in wilmington and drive to the beach. topsail beach is much cheaper, and not as popular, but has suffered more from the development (e.g. - they can't afford to do much about the beach erosion there). Carolina Beach is overdeveloped and a bit ruined. though maybe fun for little kids.

This is disappointing. Growing up, our family vacationed at Carolina Beach in the 80s and 90s. That was our "poors" vacation and we didn't go every single year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last minute air and hotel packages can be cheap. So can cruises.

Can you tell me what sites to look for these deals?

Yes, I'm interested in knowing too. Never did figure that out. Thanx.

I am convinced these are myths. If you know otherwise, do please tell.

Camping or cheap cabin on mountain stream. We're no longer poors. We still prefer the mountain stream family vacation to any other.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last minute air and hotel packages can be cheap. So can cruises.

Can you tell me what sites to look for these deals?

Yes, I'm interested in knowing too. Never did figure that out. Thanx.

Anonymous wrote:Last minute air and hotel packages can be cheap. So can cruises.

Can you tell me what sites to look for these deals?

Virginia safari park at natural bridge va is a great trip! Also I have gotten great deals on groupon for that fancy hotel in downtown Roanoke. You could stay there, enjoy the Saturday farmers market, walkable restaurants and drive to the safari park. We enjoyed walking around the Washington and lee campus in Lexington and visiting V M I. There is also a drive in movie theater in lexington

The patc cabins, the Virginia state cabins, really, anything on reserveamerica.com.

Also, hunting cabins, particularly if you drive there. I am familiar with the ones in Maine but I am sure there are ones near to here. I also love places like Cincinnati, Travers city Mi, and other cities off the beaten path. Eg, I loved Omaha Nebraska (but you have to get there).

We are not poor but reading some of the threads on the travel forum certainly can make one feel that way.

Anonymous wrote:My ex and I used to like to take road trips to poor, small industrial towns and stay at the hotels that were all that 100 years ago, like the definitely haunted Lowe Hotel in Point Pleasant, WV - home of the Mothman. Also home to the TNT site, where the army built TNT manufacturing bunkers on Native American burial ground. That area gave me the creeps, but ex fit right in with the locals and had a great time.

Big recommendation: The "Weird US" Series: Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. http://www.weirdus.com/index.php

Thanks to the awesome "Weird Virginia," ex and I visited Foamhedge, a life-size replica of Stonehedge near the Natural Bridge. That book also told about a place where you and kids can go looking for fairy crosses (minerals that form into crosses. Find one and keep it for good luck.)

Can we be friends?

Kids like beaches, swimming pools and amusement parks. When I was a kid (poor) my grandparents surprised me with a trip to Dogpatch USA in Branson Missouri. I had a blast and it was special because I didn't expect it and I didn't feel entitled to a vacation. Now, that I can afford a "fancy" vacation for my son, I realize that it's actually for me--because I notice nicer hotels and good food, I can't imagine my DS having any more fun on a fancy vacation than I did at Dogpatch.

My sister asked me if she could put up a Glamping tent in my backyard for her grandkids. It sleeps 10. She put several beds in it along with a table and chairs. She fixed it up nice with colorful bedspreads, nice tablecloth, silk centerpiece etc. The kids had fun. We only live a half an hour from her. Lol!

Right now we're focusing on drivable destinations so we can do day or weekend trips if time and money are limited, no flights, and low cost lodging options. I also work in national parks so I have a pretty good sense of how many cheap historic and natural attractions we have within a few hours drive - but Dutch Wonderland is new to me and sounds AMAZING. Just wish I had more time off to explore it all!

If I didn't have to spend all the leave I can take this summer on wedding and family stuff again (every year for the past 3 years, argh!), we'd do a week visiting friends and checking out nearby Virginia places (Shenandoah, Williamsburg, Richmond), Annapolis and the Eastern Shore, or northern md to central PA. I am absolutely in love with Harpers Ferry and interested in also visiting more of the old industrial sites and steam railroads up there. As, is I'm hoping to drag the family along on some day and weekend trips to those places, despite blowing most of our travel budget on said family stuff.

Anonymous wrote:Low budget for these boards:

I cut my vacations down to 5 days instead of 7.
Philadelphia while staying in a $100 a night Holiday Inn in New Jersey.

Pittsburgh.

Gettysburg.

Flights to Toronto were really cheap last time I looked. And the exchange rate is very good. Everything there will feel very cheap. If the hotel there is $125 Can a night, it's really $93 USD. And so on.

We are doing the NY finger lakes this summer. Staying near Cornell. Want to see some of the water falls. Will just get a regular hotel. Driving, of course.

Could be doing airbnb for much less than hotel rooms, or the same price plus much more space.

Anonymous wrote:If you want to take a nice vacation, then research one, make a budget, and save for it.

Cut corners wherever you can and sock away money for travel. That's what we do.

Friends and family regularly comment that "it must be nice to travel" since my family takes trips regularly. We aren't rich, so we proactively save so we can travel. That means we will skip going on date night or minimize restaurant meals...and instead throw whatever we might have spent on that into the vacation jar.

We know lots of people who pay a small fortune to go to OC or Bethany for a week. You could go to Florida, Mexico or a cruise for the same amount.

I know two families that essentially stopped doing Christmas gifts once their kids hit 7th grade and instead travel to Europe or the Caribbean for Christmas and New Years.

I know lots of couples who stopped exchanging gifts with each other for birthdays and holidays and instead put that money towards the vacation fund.

If you want to travel, there are ways to save up to do it.

This. From our first anniversary on, we decided all xmas, bday, and anniversary gifts were trips/nothing in anticipation of a trip.

If you want to take a nice vacation, then research one, make a budget, and save for it.

Cut corners wherever you can and sock away money for travel. That's what we do.

Friends and family regularly comment that "it must be nice to travel" since my family takes trips regularly. We aren't rich, so we proactively save so we can travel. That means we will skip going on date night or minimize restaurant meals...and instead throw whatever we might have spent on that into the vacation jar.

We know lots of people who pay a small fortune to go to OC or Bethany for a week. You could go to Florida, Mexico or a cruise for the same amount.

I know two families that essentially stopped doing Christmas gifts once their kids hit 7th grade and instead travel to Europe or the Caribbean for Christmas and New Years.

I know lots of couples who stopped exchanging gifts with each other for birthdays and holidays and instead put that money towards the vacation fund.

If you want to travel, there are ways to save up to do it.