Because the kids are out of school, summer is often when most families take their vacations. Unfortunately, parents still have to work through the summer, which means sometimes summer gets hectic, and you wake up to realize there are only a few weeks left of summer and you haven’t done anything. Or maybe you did take a vacation but you want to squeeze a little more fun out of the season before you prepare for the cooling temps of autumn.
Whatever your reason, if you’re looking for an affordable last-minute vacation, we’ve got a few ideas for you. Whether you’re on the West Coast, East Coast or somewhere in between, these locales serve as great inspiration. Best of all? Many of them have free activities, so you can keep the kids occupied without draining your back-to-school budget.
Time to take the vacation you deserve, no matter how long you procrastinated.
Find Your Own Dinosaur Bones
Go glamping in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada, and sign up for a Fossil Safari where you and the kids can get hands-on experience digging for fossils for less than $20 per adult and $10 per child.
Road Trip Through the West
Wyoming’s Park to Park trail lets you discover old wagon ruts along the Oregon Trail, take a dip in natural (and free!) hot springs in Thermopolis and end up in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park, where you might see animals like bears and moose before they start to slow down for the winter. A $50 pass gets you into both parks for an entire week.
Head to the Beach
San Diego’s beaches are second to none, and kids can spend hours splashing in the waves while parents relax under a sun umbrella in the sand totally for free. Sick of the beach? Take kids to Balboa Park (also free!), where they can run around under the trees, continue their water fun in a giant fountain or get hands-on with science experiments at the Fleet Science Center ($21.95 each for adults and $18.95 each for kids).
Go Floating
Launch your floating party from Strawtown Koteewi Park in Hamilton County, Indiana, down the White River to soak up the last days of sun, or visit a living history museum at Conner Prairie, where kids and grown-ups can learn about life in Prairietown in 1836. Adult tickets run $18 per person and kids are $13.
Break Out Your Camping Gear
A great standby vacation option is to get into the great outdoors and go camping. Deception Pass State Park has it all — comfortable campsites, beachfront hikes, forested walks and calm lakes for swimming or boating. Plus, both adults and kids will marvel at the stunning bridge that connects Whidbey Island to the mainland and provides views of everything from Deception Island to far-off Mount Baker. Campsites should be reserved in advance and run about $35 a night for a tent site.
Explore Historic Downtowns
Charleston, South Carolina, regularly makes it on lists for best places to visit, and for good reason. The cobblestone streets of the historic district are charming, the Southern food is delicious and families can spend an afternoon meeting rescued sea turtles at the South Carolina Aquarium ($29.95 for adults, $22.95 for kids).
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