the high cost of vacationing with your family? Us, too. So we had our travel experts give up all their secret bargain vacation spots.
Our picks, like the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel in California below, are not only easy on the wallet, they pass the FAMILYFUN test, too, by offering memorable settings, lots of activities and a welcoming spirit to parents and children. If nothing else, these picks will put to rest the idea that you have to spend a fortune on a family vacation--or that you can trust a travel writer with a secret.
PIGEON POINT LIGHTHOUSE HOSTEL
CALIFORNIAPigeon Point Lighthouse, located 50 miles south of San Francisco on California's rocky coast, is a photographer's dream--and bargain hunters love it, too. Families can stay at the Lighthouse Hostel, adjacent to the 115-foot-tall landmark, for about $45 a night (based on two adults and two children ages 17 and under), plus $1 extra per person for linens.
The facility--including a string of four three-bedroom houses--features dorm-style lodging, plus four private rooms that are perfect for families. As is typical of hostels, Pigeon Point closes from 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., when families can play on the beach and tour the lighthouse (weekends only). Call 650-879-0633 or visit their Web site for more information.
For other bargain vacation spots, check out the following links:
UNDER $30 A NIGHT
• Arkansas' "Diamond" in the Rough• Explore Colorado's Sand Dunes
• Strike Gold in California
• New York's Adirondack Adventure
UNDER $75 A NIGHT
• Sleep Over at Montana's Roosevelt Cabins• Camp in Style the Ohio Way
• Camping on the Carolina Cape
UNDER $100 A NIGHT
• All Rivers Lead to Nebraska• A Bargain Visit to Williamsburg, Virginia
• Illinois' Log Cabin Lodge
• Camp Pueblo-Style in Texas
UNDER $125 A NIGHT
• A "Hot" Time in Montana• Lake Powell Luxury in Arizona
• An Old-Fashioned Florida Family Vacation
• A Grand Inn at the Grand Coulee Dam
UNDER $170 A NIGHT
• Cozy Up in a Maine Inn• Oregon's Mountain Retreat
• Dive for Pearls at this Tennessee Resort
• Wisconsin's Budget B & B
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.
