Put off by 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 Indian Lodge in Texas 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.

INDIAN LODGE

TEXAS
Starry-eyed about the Old West? In Texas, you can rope in an affordable adventure at Indian Lodge, a historic white adobe inn at Davis Mountains State Park, about 200 miles southeast of El Paso.

For $75 and up per night, a family of four can stay at this remote pueblo-style lodge, which features handcrafted furnishings, exposed-beam ceilings, a restaurant and a pool. The rustic inn is the ideal base camp for day-trips in and around the park. Families can hike, explore Fort Davis (a historic town with a frontier fort) and attend a stargazing party at the renowned McDonald Observatory. Call 915-426-3254 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
• Camping on the Carolina Cape
• A California Lighthouse Getaway

UNDER $100 A NIGHT

• All Rivers Lead to Nebraska
• A Bargain Visit to Williamsburg, Virginia
• Illinois' Log Cabin Lodge

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.