10 Cheap Vacations
Short on cash? Try one of the ten cheap vacations listed below.
Unlike with televisions and shoes, vacations are not better according
to price. You can have even more fun, and still spend
less.
Visit A Friend
The key to this one is to have friends with spare beds in
interesting places. If you've ever had friends tell you to come
and stay a while, why not take them up on it? Personally, I encourage
my friends to move away to nice locales.
Cheap Caretaking Vacations
Somebody in Hawaii, Costa Rica or Colorado is just waiting
for you to come and stay in their house while they are away.
You may have to water the plants, and even get the mail for them,
but you get to stay in a beautiful home in a sunny place. Sometimes
you even get paid for these vacations. To learn more about caretaking
opportunities, visit the Caretaker Gazette at http://www.caretaker.org.
Hot Spring Vacations
There are hot springs in many parts of the United States,
and they are often free or very inexpensive to use. You'll have
to camp in an R.V. or tent to keep it really cheap, of course,
but there's nothing more relaxing than nights around the campfire
and days soaking in hot water. Our personal favorite is a beautiful
place in Arizona with hot springs, hiking trails and $3-per-night
accommodations (We stayed there for eight days in our conversion
van one winter).
Treasure Hunting
Plan a trip to the nearest ghost towns, beaches and old mines
with a metal detector. The page Arrowhead
Hunting In Arizona tells how an old Mayan Indian showed us
where to look for arrowheads, semi-precious stones, and ancient
pottery. The desert is a great place to escape to in the winter,
and treasure hunting is cheap vacation as well.
Beach Combing Vacations
Think of those Corona ads on TV. There is nothing more relaxing
than sitting on the beach with a drink. When you get restless,
start collecting seashells and driftwood up and down the shoreline.
Bring a metal detector and who knows what you'll find. There
are beaches in Florida and many other places where you can camp
in your RV. In Michigan and other Great Lake states, you can
even find cheap motels on or near the beach.
Home - Based Vacations
List all the sights you would like to see, and all the things
you've always wanted to do that are within an hour or so of home.
Then spend a weekend or a week relaxing and checking off your
list. No expensive hotels or long-distance gasoline bills.
Shopping
Shopping does not usually make for cheap vacations, but it
can. Just drive around some corner of the country going to all
the flea markets and rummage sales. Have a shopping adventure
for less than half the cost of a day at the mall.
Cheap Camping Vacations
If you're willing to live in a tent for a few days, or have
an RV, camping can be the cheapest of cheap vacations. We stayed
at Williams Landing in Florida for eight days one winter. We
stalked alligators, watched armadillos walk through camp, saw
a dozen other forms of wildlife, and sat around the fire with
new friends from England and Texas every night. The cost, including
the hot showers: zero. For more information on this opportunity,
go to the page "Cheap
Florida Vacations."
Greyhound Bus Adventures
Wherever you go on Greyhound, the trip itself is sure to be
an adventure. It can also be an alternative to expensive gasoline,
especially if you are traveling alone. Leave the driving to them.
Just pick a nice place within a days ride, pack a bag and go.
For more on the good and bad of Greyhound bus travel, visit the
page; Cheap Bus Travel.
Outdoor Vacations Near Home
Outdoor adventure doesn't have to be expensive. Stay close
to home to keep the cost down, and use your imagination. We used
to park the car at the nearest large river, hike upstream a couple
hours, then build a raft from dead trees to float on back to
the car. It was more fun, and much cheaper, than any guided river
trip could be. Where can you take your bicycle or go hiking for
free?
More Cheap Vacation Resources
To keep all your vacations cheaper be sure to visit the pages:
Cheap Travel Tips
Cheap Family Vacations
Cheap International Travel
Really Cheap Plane Tickets
|
