Seeking Much Needed "Cheap" Vacation

I don't know where you live, but one of the cheapest vacations we took was to Washington DC. Almost everything is FREE! We had a car since we drove there, but used the subway system to almost everywhere we went. We stayed at a Day's Inn in Arlington, VA that was less expensive and a block from the subway. When we travel now, I generally don't book a hotel unless they have a continental breakfast - one meal saves a tremendous amount. My favorites are Hampton Inns, now, but I use Tripadvisor.com to help find a decent hotel.

Hope this helps - good luck!

Have you guys considered getting Kings Island passes and going to Boomerang Bay all summer instead of going to the beach once? If you really want to go to the beach, I would recommend the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We stayed at a Days Inn right on the beach a couple of years ago and it was quite reasonable. You might want to plan on making a lot of your own meals because the food was pretty expensive and not that great(from our experience). Days Inn had a great breakfast included in the price of the room though. Have fun!

R....I would suggest camping. You could rent a tent if you don't have one. I have taken my children (when I was a single mother) to Lake Erie and to Ocean City, Md. camping. There are lots of fun things to do there. You can get info at AAA or the Chamber of Commerce in those cities. Have a good vacation! M. B

Dear R.,

Check out the great lakes or a State Park on a lake. If you do choose the ocean, try staying a block or so inland. Hotels away from the shore are less expensive. Prepare your own food. Not as fun as eating out but way less costly.

That's my two cents worth. Best wishes for a good summer.
L.