On the cheap vacations?

[CRoswell]

Annmarie's post about stress got me thinking, and I honestly haven't been on a real vacation since before I got out of college.

However, I am saving everything I can just to get an emergency fund together. What's your favorite 'quick n cheap' getaway ideas? Do you just take a 3 day weekend and go nowhere? Special place to go for a hike or camping somewhere? I'm tempted to just blow off work on Monday and go for a ride. Do the things I love to do and rarely make the time to do.

[lmtoth2]

Our favorites:

- Driving to beach - rent a house (save by bringing your own food). We also like to go just before the season starts to get offseason rates

- Visit Friends/relatives in cool places for a long weekend - my brother lives in Newport RI - makes for a very nice (cheap) trip. Next weekend we will be visiting Annmarie up in NY and then taking one overnight in Niagara Falls.

- Day Trips to Atlantic City

- We went to Las Vegas last December (early December) - we got great rates because it's offseason for Vegas

We are due for a long non-cheap vacation - possibly a cruise in the next year

[annabelles mom]

depends on your budget

visiting family/friends is usually the most inexpensive way to get away

going camping for a few days - if you dont have camping equip, see if you can borrow from someone

if your budget is really small; take some time off work and do day trips, go to a local lake or park and relax for the day

[gene]

I usually do day trips with my cousin. We have some great parks all within 20 miles of here....most with in 10. Nice long walks with the dogs, nice lunch somewhere.....followed by ice cream and some board games or cards at the house.

[MaxandMe]

fly to Mexico , rent car drive one hour south of cancun to Akumal
lie on beach, drive 15 min to TULUM Mayan Ruins on sea, take swim,
go to stop light eat lunch at small restaurant that looks like a dive but very nice inside, has best fish around...then go down that road 1hour
TOPAS means speed bumps hahaha so slow down as you pass through
real mexican villages, stop at Grand Cenote snorkel, then continue down road another 35min or so
arrive at COBA ruins in Jungle...totally awesome

on way home back make R go down road and shop in real mexican grocery store at cheap prices and fresh food, friendly people
go back to hotel

either Casa de Rosa run by nancy and on beach
or to El dorado a few miles up an All inclusives spa and resort
also on beach with 3 restaurants , buffets, daily massages, no kids allowed, tons of hammocks, paddleboats, quite a few bars
pools if you don't want the ocean

there are 4 day trips to mexico

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fly to california go to Malibu beach and hang out for the weekend
can check out LA for food and entertainment
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fly to New Bern NC head out to OUTERBANKS NC
stay on harkers island take ferry to cape or
stay on Ocracoke or Ranoke island....away from it all

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do i dare continue?

or pick a spot on the map where you've always wanted to go and
buy a cheap flight, pack on bag and leave

[madcity_mike]

Door County is nice this time of year. Food, wine, lots to do and see. Camping in Peninsula state park is under $15 per night. Whitefish Bay Dunes has awesome dog friendly beaches for swimming and relaxing and costs $7 for the day. If you don't want to camp I stay at an awesome rental house on 2 acres on a private cul de sac in Egg Harbor called the Trails end house. Its only a year old and $130 per night. You can find it on the Door Co website.
www.doorcounty.com

Good luck!!

[CRoswell]

Thanks for all the input! I'd prefer not to spend 1.5 days travelling with the little vacation I have left this year, so the flight is out of the picture at the moment. I will definitely keep those Mexico trips in mind though.

Cost is my main factor right now. With the water damage in my basement I'm sure my furnace will kick out on me either this year or next and that is not something I'd like to put on a credit card! The furnace I have is about 30 years old, and it's bound to happen whether I'm ready or not!

I put in a vacation request for the 7th. I'm pretty sure I'll get it. May as well make the 4th a 4-day weekend. I might take a jaunt down to Devil's Lake (those of you in WI, it is a really great place to hike and dog friendly btw.) Even if I don't make it down there I think the day off work will be good for me, even if it is just hanging out around the house and getting caught up and playing with Dudley.

Mike, oddly enough I'm already heading to DC over the 4th of July weekend. My Marine buddy is home for leave and that's where he is from. So I get a beachfront room for free! Can't beat that.