America, is a big country. And we also happen to be a country that is having quite a stressful time financially. The cost of just about everything from homes to a gallon of milk has been putting stress on American families for years now, and there seems to be no end in sight to the ongoing inflation. Now, with summer break around the corner, a lot of families are having to scale back their family vacation plans or even skip traveling altogether.
A recent survey of 5,000 Americans conducted by Talker Research shows that 37% will not be traveling this summer, with 52% reporting the reason being that they can’t afford it. Additionally, a fifth of those polled said the rising cost of travel is a concern.
As a mom who loves to travel with her kids, these statistics make me sad.
My husband and I have been traveling with our kids since we barely had two pennies to rub together. Traveling is a personal passion of mine, so we’ve always prioritized it and found ways to go on family vacations and expose our children to new things. Back when they were babies, we started with 2- or 3-hour road trips and a decade-plus later, they’ve now traveled to Europe, Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean multiple times each, as well as road tripped to dozens of states.
The thing is, family travel should never just be about far-off destinations and spending loads of money.
Family travel should really be about bonding and sharing new experiences. And guess what? In this big, wide country of ours, there are endless opportunities to do just that without going all that far or breaking the bank.
Small-town America is literally full of so many interesting, odd, and just plain fun things to do as a family. Recently for example, we traveled to Western Massachusetts. We’ve been to Massachusetts on various trips in the past, but always on the coastal side — Boston, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Salem. Well, it turns out the other side of the state is an even closer drive from our home state of New Jersey and it’s full of both quirky, cultured, and even outdoorsy things for families to enjoy.
If you live anywhere in the Northeast, it’s the perfect place for a low-key summer vacation.
Springfield, the central city in the region, happens to be both the birthplace of the sport of basketball and of famed children’s author, Dr. Seuss. Of course, that means you can visit the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame while there, and there’s an entire museum dedicated to Dr. Seuss called The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss. And get this, when you buy tickets to the Dr. Seuss museum, you also gain access to a science museum, two art museums, a history museum, and a sculpture garden, all for $25 per adult and $13 per child over the age of 5. Plus, there are cool and affordable restaurants with local flare like, Red Rose Pizzeria, and for the grown-ups, there’s an MGM casino.
And if all of that isn’t enough to keep your crew busy for an entire week, there are also a bunch of smaller towns within 20 minutes of downtown Springfield, offering up their own attractions and activities like the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and trails along the Connecticut River where you can see and touch actual dinosaur tracks made by some of the earliest-known dinos.
Oh, and there are lots of antiquing spots, as well as the the incredible Yankee Candle Village, where you will feel like you’ve stepped into a whole other world and could literally spend half a day and not get bored (even the little ones!). We were surprised at nearly every stop we made by just how much fun we had and how many cool and unique discoveries there were to make.
That’s the thing, when you live in a country with 50 states and at least 10 different regions …
No matter where your home base is, there’s something interesting to explore nearby and undoubtedly, an excellent summer vacation destination for families a mere drive away. There are so many wonderful, hidden gems in our country, that can give families amazing opportunities to bond and make unforgettable memories, no overplanning, massive budget, or strenuous travel days required.
My tips? As a mom who has traveled with her kids on the lowest of low budgets many, many times throughout their lives, here’s my best advice for planning an affordable summer vacation with kids:
- Start with a map. When I’m thinking about heading out on a road trip, the first thing I do is pull up a map and look at the states around me. I zoom in and out and find cities or larger towns that are within five or six hours of home (sometimes, I’ll even go as far as 10, depending on how any days we have). If you use Google Maps, you can click on a specific town and quickly view some of it’s stats and main attractions.
- Make it manageable. Not every day has to be filled with long outings. Find a vacation rental that includes a game room and/or at least some board games or a family-friendly hotel with a pool or other kid-friendly amenities. These things help cut costs because everyone can still have a good time in between bigger excursion days.
- Set a daily budget. At least a loose one, and make sure it’s reasonable. Before you make a final decision about your destination, check the menus at a few of the restaurants in the area to help you get an idea of what you can expect to spend. If they’re too pricey, consider another locale. Food will likely be the most expensive recurring cost of your trip.
- Choose just a few big activities. By big activities, I mean ones that you have to pay extra for. Depending on the length of your trip, pick just two to five attractions with a fee and then fill in the rest of your trip with downtime, free outdoor activities like hikes, swimming holes, and parks. Even public libraries can be entertaining. This way, you’ll be able to stick to your budget and avoid everyone feeling totally worn down by the end of the trip.
- Think outside the box. I’m gonna be honest, I had no idea my family would absolutely love the Yankee Candle Village, but every one of us absolutely did. It was on the itinerary because it’s something the area is known for since the company was founded there, but we were so pleasantly surprised to find a number of cool and affordable experiences inside, that even my almost 14-year-old son left there and mentioned it multiple times afterwards. Don’t write anything off. Keep an open mind and do lots of research to help you find unique and off-the-beaten path sights that are also affordable.
So this summer, if you find yourself, yearning to get out and see something new with your kids, remember, it’s okay to set a budget and scale back rather than forgoing your yearly family vacation altogether. Vacation doesn’t have to be over-the-top, especially if you keep the focus on quality time spent together.
