Inexpensive Summer Getaway

My DH has vacation the last week in August. We have two small sons (2 and 7 months). Please recommend a get-a-way that is not going to make us broke, but is enjoyable. Road trips are welcome :)

He mentioned Montauk, but I can't see that being a "fun" place for the children.

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

My wife and I are planning a stay-cation extended weekend. We began talking about it last night. We are in "save-mode" but need to get away from life for while.

We started talking about things to do - without leaving. We figured we can do more on the island because the expenses can decrease (gas, hotel, food)

Here is our plan:
Bring the air mattress to the living room. Yeah that sounds silly, but it'll change things up a bit.

Some ideas we brainstormed about:
-Old Bethpage Village
-Picnic at Sailors Haven
-Picnic at Caumsette
-Aquarium
-Lunch/Dinner at Flo's, All-American Burger
-Gardner Manor House
-North Fork
-Bayard-Cutting Arboretum

Along with a million other things we can do on the Island. They key, from our POV... No phones. No Internet. No interaction with family/friends. No WORK!! No cooking (other then breakfast). No chores.

other thoughts are actual get-aways:
Mystic Seaport (CT)
Lake George (NY)

Message edited 7/26/2011 10:43:19 AM.

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

what about dc or boston? you can get great deals on hotels through hotwire, and it doesn't take long to drive to..if you do dc i found that the majority of everything we did was free, which was a great bonus..i loved it there!!

i have reviews of each here. here

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

Ocean City MD is a great place. There is lots to do with a family. It is on the beach. We always stay at the Carousel Resort in the Condos so that way you can cook your self if you want to cut down on costs. There is mini golf, water parks etc there.

My friends are there this week with the family and 3 other families with kids between 6 months and 10.

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My friend just took her family (a 2 year old and a 3 month old) to the Briney Breezes in Montauk and she said it was perfect for them. She said it was very family oriented with lots of kids her kids' ages. She said it was like small condos with a kitchen. They cooked some nights and went out others. She said it is outdated but very clean and they loved it.

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What about Long Beach Island. It is more family than some of the other parts of the Jersey Shore....Mini golf, water park, arcades and shopping.

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We went to Wildwood recently and it was fabulous!! I had heard mixed opinions on it, but they closed down all the clubs there a while ago, and it was loaded with friendly families, and a TON to do. It's not inexpensive though. Actually I don't think any type of shore vacation is inexpensive to be honest.

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We did Mystic Seaport last year (took the ferry from Orient) and my DD LOOOOVED it! The aquarium was especially great! She was almost 2 last year when we went.

Edit - Tomorrow we're leaving for Hershey and Dutch Wonderland and at the end of September we're going to Boston for a few days. There is SO much to do in Boston!!!

Message edited 7/26/2011 12:55:06 PM.

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

a bit far roadtrip wise but Myrtle Beach, SC

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

We just got back from a few days at the Jersey Shore. It was cheap for us because my sister's boyfriend's family owns a bungalow down there, so we didn't need to pay for hotel (although with the bed bug thing I would probably not want to stay at one there of all places).

We took DS to Seaside to go on rides yesterday night and it was pretty cheap.

I know a lot of people with kids who do camping too. I'd consider this if DS was a little older. I always had a blast when I did this with friends as a kid.

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We just got back from a weekend in mystic ct. It was nice and relaxing. We stayed at the spring hill suites in waterford ct. Theres a mall near by and a bunch of resturants. We did the mystic aquarium, seaport, Shopping village(next to the aquriuam) we also went to the submarine museum. Its free and you get to go onto a real submarine so that was neat its small and took us maybe a half hour to walk threw.
We had a great time and it was a inexpensive getaway.

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Last weekend we went to Amish Country in PA. We stayed at a nice B&B and did the backroads of Bird-in-hand and Intercourse PA. It was affordable - we only went for 1 night, but 2 nights wouldn't be too bad. And it is a quick drive.

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

Lancaster!

Dutch Wonderland
Crayola Factory
Sesame Place

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

Rent a house on Copake Lake (near Albany) for a week or so. We have a house there but I heard of some neighbors renting out their homes on vrbo.com

Most houses have a dock. You can rent a boat or jet skis etc from the marina. You can go peach picking, theres farm tours, museums, Bash Bish waterfalls etc. Its about a 3 hour drive from Shoreham.

http://www.vrbo.com/242817

Message edited 7/26/2011 6:33:21 PM.

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Cape May, NJ

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

What about going to someplace like DC. You could stay outside DC in VA (something like Arlington - which is an easy metro ride into DC).

You could walk around (and let the kids run) around on the mall (they have a carousel I think outside of the museums and the grass is a great place to let the kids run if they need to let off steam), places like the monuments are free, the smithsonian museums are free too - places like the air and space museum, the natural history museum and the american history museum (just to name some that the kids would enjoy). There are fun things for the kids to see and it doesn't cost anything to go into them. The National Zoo is also free (you do have to pay to park but you can take the metro there I'm pretty sure).

Re: Inexpensive Summer Getaway

Niagara Falls, so much fun! It is a long ride to get there though.