Everyone is getting hit with this economic crisis it seems. So how do you plan a family vacation while still maintaining your budget? Well - since gas prices have dropped a little why not try checking out things in your own neck of the woods? You don’t even need your Samsonite luggage! Here are a few tips for finding and planning your one tank family vacation.
For my fellow Virginians you can check out this link - One Tank Trips - it has a ton of places you can visit for little to no money! Here are some places here in Virginia that are my faves:
Colonial Williamsburg - At about a 45 minute drive, colonial Williamsburg (and nearby Jamestown and Yorktown) is a great place to visit with little to no money. The day our family checked out Jamestowne it was a "free" day for all military card holders. Our friend hit up Williamsburg on the same type of day and got into the walkthrough "museum" for free. If you have a little more money to spend - check out Great Wolf Lodge. It’s more money but it’s all you need for your family vacation in one place (including an indoor water park!)
Norfolk Botanical Garden - The garden is a huge hit with my son, especially in the summer time since they not only have loads of beautiful flowers, but also an entire garden dedicated to kids. It’s only $7 to get in and is in the center of Norfolk (right by the airport). A season pass is very inexpensive for military card holders.
Other cool kid-friendly places in the Beach/Norfolk area are the Norfolk Zoo, the Hands On Children’s Museum in Portsmouth and the Aquarium!
If you are looking for more "adult" (i.e. not necessarily kid friendly) places in Virginia be sure to check out this list of local museums!
Internet search engines are a great resource to find local attractions you can visit. If you are interested in history - search out local museums and ruins to visit. If you have kids why not check out a local zoo, park or aquarium? Bring a bagged lunch and save even more money! As long as it’s a full day of fun and relaxation with your family - it’s a vacation! Let yourself "go" - but don’t spend a years paycheck to do it!
