Our picks, like the Wakulla Springs Lodge in Florida 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.
WAKULLA SPRINGS LODGE
FLORIDAWakulla Springs Lodge may be just 15 miles south of Tallahassee, but visiting there takes you back to a Florida of years gone by. For $79 to $99 a night, a family of four can stay in this elegant 1937 lodge, which overlooks a cool, wooded spring by a crystal-clear river. Shaded by massive oaks, the 27-room facility has marble floors and an impressive dining room that dishes out big southern breakfasts. Guests can swim year-round in 72-degree Wakulla Springs or, for a fee, take a glass-bottomed boat tour to see deep caves. For more information, call 850-224-5950 or visit their Web site.
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• Camping on the Carolina Cape
• Camp in Style the Ohio Way
• A California Lighthouse Getaway
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
• 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 July 2005.
