Cheaper Vacations Continued

As we were struggling and first starting out we had to be very creative when it came to vacations. My husband would get his kids for a couple of weeks in the summer so it was important that we showed them a good time. One year we went to Lancaster County Pennsylvania. We had checked it out the year before on a three day weekend. This was our cheapest getaway. A neighbor told us about a program sponsored by the Mennonite Church. For a nominal fee a family would host visitors. I think we paid $25 a night for a nice bedroom with a shared bath. Of course I brought food and we also bought stuff from roadside sellers. We didn't get to eat out that trip. But we went to church on Sunday which was nice and then they fed us lunch. A good thing too since the Sabbath is very serious for the Amish. Everything was closed and I had run out of food. On that first trip we figured out that there were better places to stay so the next year we booked a room with a refridgerator and an eating area. It was on a farm and just perfect for the four of us. The children were fascinated by the animals and we all had a good time. By then we could afford to eat out a few times.
On another trip my husband took his children to a cabin by Sebago Lake in New York. He rented the cabin from the State of New York. Another year he took them to a church retreat in Cape May which was fun because there were lots of other kids there too. These vacations cost about $200 per week and were lots of fun. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. We've also done weekends in Philadelphia on the cheap by taking our own food. Look for a centrally located hotel that offers free breakfast or a free refridgerator. For a good free breakfast, I like the Fairfield Inn by Marriott. Holiday Inn sometimes offers a refridgerator for a small fee. I like visiting places which have free or low cost attractions. We have also done the whole amusement park thing, but it is never as much fun and usually costs much more.