our travel experts give up all their secret bargain vacation spots.
Our picks, like the Lake Powell Days Inn And Suites in Arizona 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.
LAKE POWELL DAYS INN AND SUITES
ARIZONAAll hotels are not created equal. At the recently new Lake Powell Days Inn and Suites in Page, Arizona (the gateway to Lake Powell), families can take in views of red rock buttes, spires and canyons, and try out the area's many outdoor activities. Visiting families might rent a houseboat or take a cruise on the beautiful lake, visit Glen Canyon Dam or explore Rainbow Bridge National Monument (the largest natural rock span in the world).
In high season--June 1 to October 31--suites are $87.20 nightly (to get this rate, you need to ask for the 10 percent family discount). Included in the rate is a continental breakfast and use of the outdoor pool. For updated rates and more information, call 800-329-7466 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
• 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• 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. Originally published in September 1999. Updated May, 2003.
