Where are some affordable vacation spots?

Cruises in general are very affordable right now, all things considered.
It’s just one of those things that’s fun to do once. I mean, you don’t get any cultural experiences but it can still be exciting.

My family has vacationed in both Belize and Puerto Rico. I would say Belize was the better of the two, and it’s really nice because not many people think to travel there so prices for accommodations are pretty reasonable. And I found Belize to have a lot more “soul” than other Carribean/South American destinations have.

Plus: the beaches there are beautiful, untouched, and practically empty.

@squidcake – thank you! A friend of mine went to Belize a year or so ago and really enjoyed it as well. I will definitely have to look into it. Did you use a travel agent or were you able to book everything yourself without knowing much about it?

@88_Jenn
Wouldn’t know, I was young at the time so my parents took care of it all.
I’m pretty sure they just did a lot of internet research and booked things themselves.
Most of the trip we stayed at a place called Robert’s Grove which I highly recommend.
From there the owners could probably give you suggestions for tours and day trips. One thing I loved was going down to a local village and going “cave swimming.” You should look into that.
There’s also really tiny, secluded islands off the coast that you can make day trips to. One we went to had one little shack and the entire island was only about the size of a football field. We just sunbathed and snorkled for an entire day.

Try St. John. In the U.S. Virgin Islands. They have hotels but you can’t also camp there. That will keep it affordable.

The tent in the back yard.

Really depends who you are, what you like, and what you mean by “vacation”.

It’s great that, in this economy, you can plan a real vacation. Good for you. Though, I might suggest considering a trip to an eco-village…where you can learn how to live off the grid…so you and your family are able to eat in the near future.

I would second camping on St. John in the Vrigin Islands too – very lovely and very affordable.

Also, in Mexico the town of Sayulita above Puerto Valalrta is small, unspoiled, reasonable and a lovely place to hang out.

And if you’re not really a camping family they have degrees of camping on St. John. It’s not just about tents.

Even coming from the West Coast, Florida is affordable and has great beaches.

@lillycoyote – Thanks, yeah… I’m not sure I’d be comfortable in a tent. I’ll have to look into the other options. Sounds like it could be fun though.

@MissA – Thanks, I hadn’t really considered that route. We go on mission trips to some remote areas and do maintain a large garden, but it would be interesting to make an actual vacation out of it. Any particular spots I should look at? I wouldn’t know where to start on planning that sort of vacation.