Our picks, like the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Colorado, 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.
GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL MONUMENT
COLORADOSome families have so much fun playing on the 750-foot dunes at Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Monument that they don't want to go home. And they don't have to. For $12 a night (plus a $3 per person park entrance fee for campers ages 17 and up), a family of four can sleep under the stars at the on-site campground in Pinyon Flats at the base of the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Besides enjoying the magical setting, families can build sand castles along the banks of Medano Creek and take a nature walk. Kids ages three to 12 can join a Junior Ranger program. The facility has flush toilets and drinking water, and there's a nearby coin laundry. Call 719-378-2312 or visit their Web site.
For other bargain vacation spots, check out the following links:
UNDER $30 A NIGHT
• Arkansas' "Diamond" in the Rough• Strike Gold in California
• Camp in Style the Ohio Way
• 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
• 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 June 2005.
