5 Great Vacation Spots that Won't Break the Bank

If you are like me, money is very tight right now, however, you want to spend some nice quality time for a vacation this year. Listed below are some great vacation spots near the East Coast.

The State of Pennsylvania has so many great places to visit. Yes, there are a lot of places that cost money, however, there are so many museums that you can visit that are free. For instance, Martins potato chips. These are the best barbecue potato chips around. They are made in Pennsylvania. You can get a free tour of the factory. Stop by and get a tour of the Hershey factory after visiting the clock museum. Museums are often free and they are very educational. If you have a large family (of you just want to invite the grandparents), consider renting an old farmhouse. Pennsylvania has so much to offer.

Perhaps Pennsylvania is a little too far North for you. Consider visiting Natural Bridge, Virginia. You can stay in the Natural Bridge Hotel. There are so many attractions to see while you are there: The Wax Museum, Toy Museum, Native American Village, Cedar Creek Trail, Drama of Creation, Natural Bridge Caverns, Safari Park, and of course Natural Bridge. I have personally stayed at the Natural Bridge Hotel (they have an awesome brunch), the Safari Park, and Natural Bridge. The Safari Park is like nothing you have ever been to. The animals walk right up to the wagon and you can feed them. Natural Bridge is gorgeous at night time to. One small town and so many things to do. Be sure to take a look at the website for more information http://www.naturalbridgeva.com/.

Lets go even farther south to North Carolina. Maybe your family are race fans. If so consider staying in Concord, NC. Visit http://www.raceshops.com and get information on visiting race shops. Get the addresses of each shop and see when they do tours. Perhaps you can set up and meet and greet with some of the not as popular drivers. There are so many shops right there within 30-45 minutes of Charlotte. It is really neat seeing inside the shops. I have been inside of DEI (Dale Earnhardt Incorporated). It is amazing to see what all goes on.

Let's take a few steps to the West and visit Gatlinburg, TN. Rent a chalet in the beautiful mountains of TN. There are several places to go and see, but the best thing to do to relax is to sit outside on the porch and watch the sun come up and go down. I guarantee all of your worries will be gone after that.

Last but not least, but favorite. I did not go on my first family vacation until I was 10 or 11 years old, therefore I am not used to having a vacation every year. Yes, it is great, but it is so much money for one week. Why not just take a week off from work and spend time with your family at home. Take your children to a movie, or for a hike, or on a long bike ride, or for a picnic lunch. Then as a family have a make your own pizza night. You can even eat out every day if you like. Do fun things like that every day and night for a week. Then donate all of the money you would have spent on a vacation to a charity like the Make A Wish foundation. You will still have fun without all of the planning, packing, and unpacking. And the $2000+ that you were going to spend on your vacation will now make someones last dream come true.