Vacationing with Grandkids

Every year or two when I return to Nebraska, my home state, my country cousins call a family reunion, and they treat me to a big steak or prime-rib dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. I appreciate their generosity. But I'm also well aware my meal isn't going to bust their budget, no matter how poorly the season's corn crop did. A land of spectacular wide-open spaces and a strong pioneer heritage, much of Nebraska is - to use a common phrase here - "dirt cheap," especially in terms of vacation costs such as lodging and meals. You can have a terrific time on next to nothing. I'll show you how, on a fun-filled, six-day, 800-mile tour into America's pioneer past - with time out for a dip in a lake or a budget-priced round of golf. Well, perhaps I exaggerate about the costs, but only a little. I'll give you a good example: This year the cousins took me to the Stockmen's Bar & Grill, a friendly saloon in Amherst, a tiny farm town near the center of the state. It's about 15 miles from the small city of Kearney in the Platte River Valley, where we all grew up together. My slab of prime rib, one-and-a-half-inches thick, all but filled my plate. Perfectly cooked, juicy and tender, it definitely was a hefty portion; the tab was anything but. With an all-you-can-eat salad, a baked potato, and a huge slice of cheese toast, my meal came to just $10.95 - and it was one of the priciest items on the menu. In Washington, D.C., where I live now, prime rib as good as this lists at $25 to $30 - and you have to pay extra for the salad. How cheap is Nebraska? In the little city of Beatrice in southeastern Nebraska, barely big enough to boast parking meters on Court Street, I stepped from my car and reached into my pocket for the quarter I expected to deposit. Wrong coin. In Beatrice, you get 30 minutes at the curb for just a nickel. Up the street, I took a peek at admission prices at the Holly Theater, which was featuring a first-run movie that went on to win an Academy Award. Most nights the adult fee is $5.50, about three bucks cheaper than what D.C. theaters are charging. On Sunday nights, though, everybody gets in for $3.50. Nearby at Tonka Lanes, a spiffy 16-lane bowling alley, a set of ten frames is $2.25 max per person; $1.85 for seniors. At the lanes near my home, it's $3.75. "So what?" you ask. "Why would I want to go to Beatrice?" I'll get to this in detail later. But for the moment think of a visit as a chance to hike through an expanse of tallgrass prairie - as high as an elephant's eye. In this part of the state, the first covered wagon trains heading west more than 150 years ago navigated a vast sea of towering grass - some of it reaching eight or nine feet. It once covered millions of acres. Nowadays, most of it is gone-plowed under for crops. But just outside Beatrice, the National Park Service has nurtured about 100 acres of tallgrass - one of the few places anywhere you can see this prairie marvel as the pioneers did. When I was there earlier this year, a strong wind whipped the grass into frothy, oceanlike waves. No state tells the story of America's pioneers as evocatively as Nebraska, and the Beatrice tallgrass prairie is only one example. Here and there, sod houses - the legendary "prairie palaces" - still stand. But back to cheap In the town of Fairbury, about 25 miles west of Beatrice, Kathy of Kathy's Cut-Ups, a family hair salon on sleepy Fourth Street, quoted me a price of $5 for a basic haircut; $7 if I wanted special styling. I won't tell you what I pay to have my hair cut at home, but Kathy would have to work nearly half a day to get what my stylist earns in 30 minutes. By the way, Wild Bill Hickok, the legendary gunfighter and lawman, launched his career in Fairbury by shooting a man to death in 1861. You can learn all about it at Rock Creek Station, a state historical park that preserves an authentic Pony Express stop. Here, too, you can still see the deep ruts cut by the wheels of countless prairie schooners passing through. Up in the beautiful Sandhills of north central Nebraska, massive 5,000-acre Calamus Reservoir at Burwell is where many Nebraskans - my cousins among them - go on vacation to swim, fish, boat, and to play golf on the nine-hole course at lakeside. This isn't Pebble Beach, where an 18-hole round costs more than $300 per person. But with the same sun beaming down, water views, and good companions, you might have just as much fun at a fraction of the expense. At Calamus, 18 holes sets you back an easy $18 weekends, $14 weekdays. "Visitors are flabbergasted," says Steve Senn, one of the course founders and owner of the Rodeo Inn (308/346-4408) in nearby Burwell. So far, I haven't mentioned lodging rates. They're cheap, too. At Senn's tidy 15-room motel, a night for two in summer is $32. Up the road at 16-room Bosselman's Pump & Pantry Motel (308/346-4607) it's just $39.95. Why is Nebraska so inexpensive? It's a big state, but the population numbers only 1.7 million, so there aren't a lot of folks competing to fill up motel rooms. And much of the economy is based on farming, which has good seasons and bad. Instead of spending in the good years, farmers tend to save for the bad. And incomes overall are generally low - for example, the state ranks 42nd nationally in teachers' pay - which keeps prices down. Recently Business Week cited a report showing Nebraska was one of the least expensive states in which to do business, based on the cost of labor, taxes, and energy. To keep your costs down, my central Nebraska itinerary steers clear of the big eastern cities of Lincoln (the capital) and Omaha (my birthplace). Book your flight to either - they're only 60 miles apart - but get out into the western countryside quickly. Omaha is served by Southwest Airlines (800/435-9792), and car rentals there tend to be cheapish. At the first state park you visit, purchase a $14 annual pass (per car) for all state parks and recreation areas. Wide-open spaces Before we get on the road, I want to clear up a myth about my home state. "Nobody ever takes a vacation in Nebraska," my friends tell me. "There's nothing out there but flatlands, cornfields, and cows." What do they know? They've never been there. Yes, there are cows - after all, this is prime beef country-and cornfields aplenty. And yet the green of the fields and pastures - every shade of green - is a constantly pleasing prospect. Far from flat, Nebraska is a land of rolling hills stretching off into the distance. Countless streams wander the countryside, which is splashed liberally with lakes and ponds, many open to the public for recreation. Their shady banks are a respite from the sun in summertime. But what really draws me back is the incredible immensity of the open spaces. To some, such emptiness might be stupefying - farmhouses are widely scattered and in many places trees are so few you can almost count them. But I find the solitude a release from the everyday clamor and clutter of urban life. It makes the spirit soar. Out here, I actually enjoy driving a car. Get on any of the back roads, and you can travel for miles without seeing another vehicle. When you do, it's customary to offer a friendly little wave as you pass. I like the down-to-earth quality of my fellow Nebraskans, and the homespun welcome visitors get here in America's heartland. A chance detour because of roadwork took me into the little central Nebraska farm town of Hershey at about noon on Sunday on my latest visit. A small sign in the town center pointed to the Volunteer Fire Department's annual fund-raising spaghetti feed, and so I stopped. Admission was a voluntary contribution; I dropped $5 in the pot for a home-cooked "all-you-can-eat" spread. Everybody knew everybody but me, but I was greeted eagerly by one person after another curious as to where I was from and how I'd turned up in their midst. For more visitor information, call 800/228-4307 or log onto visitnebraska.org. Pioneer paths Day 1: After landing in Omaha (or Lincoln), head immediately southwest for Beatrice, about 100 miles away. The attraction here is the Homestead National Monument of America (402/223-3514), site of the tallgrass prairie. No entrance fee. This verdant parkland marks one of the first 160-acre plots granted free to settlers under the famous Homestead Act of 1862, which opened the prairie to farming. More than 100,000 homesteaders made claims in Nebraska. Their successes and failures combating drought, grass fires, locusts, harsh winters, and the sometimes unendurable loneliness of the prairie is the story told in the visitor center's excellent museum. Stay at the 39-room Econo Lodge (402/223-3536), $40; the 44-room Victorian Inn (402/228-5955), $40; or the 64-room Beatrice Inn, which has a pool (800/232-8742), $41. On weekends, farm folk fill Sirloins and More, a cafeteria, where a half-pound rib-eye steak comes to just $8.29 with an all-you-can-eat salad bar. At the Beatrice Inn, the heaping roast beef plate at lunch is $5.25. Days 2 and 3: Head west via Fairbury (25 miles) and Red Cloud (another 75 miles) to Ogallala, an additional 150 miles. In Fairbury, you join up briefly with the famed Oregon Trail at Rock Creek Station State Historical Park (402/729-5777). Once the site of a Pony Express station, the 390-acre park preserves the deep ruts of the wagon trains as they crossed a small stream snaking among several small hills. An easy three-mile trail into the prairie is a welcome chance to stretch your legs. Exhibits at the visitor center's first-rate museum argue strongly that Wild Bill Hickok, glorified in legend, began his career with a cowardly attack on an unarmed man. If you stay in Fairbury, an inviting town of shady red-brick streets and Victorian mansions, try the 44-room Capri Motel (800/932-0589), $32 to $40. At the Stable Restaurant, an eight-ounce sirloin steak is $8.49; the porkchop dinner $6.59. On to Red Cloud, the sleepiest of farm towns but renowned as the childhood home in the 1880s of novelist Willa Cather. She often borrowed from her Red Cloud years for evocative books such as My Antonia, about the state's pioneer past. Her parents' tiny, two-story gabled home is still standing and open to escorted tours (adults $5) offered by the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial (402/746-2653). As the oldest of seven children, she was awarded a private room in the attic - a surprisingly cramped space by our standards. If you want more time in Red Cloud, stay at the 17-room Green Acres Motel (402/746-2201), $34. Dine at the Palace Lounge; the chicken dinner is $7.75. You'll have more lodging choices in Ogallala, where you might want to tack on another day or two to spend more time at 35,700-acre Lake C. W. McConaughy (308/284-8800), a state recreation area. Sand-covered swimming beaches ring the lake, which has a sandy bottom thanks to its Sandhills location. Many Nebraskans come to fish-either by boat (rentals available) or from the shore (cheaper). Don't miss nearby Ash Hollow State Historical Park (308/778-5651), where you can see more Oregon Trail wheel-ruts carved as the pioneers guided their wagons down steep Windlass Hill. Stay lakeside at the 11-cabin Kingsley Lodge (800/883-2775), $55; in town at the very friendly 26-room Lakeway Lodge with pool (888/284-4431), $47; or the 45-room Plaza Inn (308/284-8416), $47. Join the townsfolk for dinner at Hoke's Cafe; chicken-fried steak is $6.95. Day 4: Drive northeast via North Platte (55 miles) to Burwell, another 115 miles. State Rte. 91 east from Dunning to Burwell, which winds on empty back roads through Sandhills country, is very scenic. Grass-topped hills stretch for miles, their slopes providing rich grazing for the beef that is on every Nebraska menu. In North Platte, take a look inside Scout's Rest Ranch, the home of Buffalo Bill Cody, at Buffalo Bill Ranch State Park (308/535-8035). The most noted Nebraskan of his day, Cody relaxed at his ranch here between his wild West shows. Horseback trail rides explore the adjacent countryside. If you decide to linger, stay at the 31-room Cedar Lodge, named for its stately trees (308/532-0970), $40. In Burwell, take advantage of the cheap rates at the Calamus Golf Course (308/346-4331) and spend time swimming, boating, waterskiing, or fishing at Calamus Reservoir (Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 402/471-0641), a state recreation area. Nearby, Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park (308/346-4715), a well-preserved infantry outpost on the plains, recounts the often tragic clashes between settlers and Native Americans. You might want to linger at Calamus for another day. In Burwell, stay at the Rodeo Inn or Bosselman's (mentioned earlier). Dine at the Maverick Cafe; two porkchops cost $7.95. In Ord, 15 miles south, stay at the quite spiffy 51-room Airport Motel (308/728-3649), $47. Dine at the Veteran's Club; the rib-eye steak's $10.50. Day 5: Head for Kearney, 85 miles south. In summer, Fort Kearny Historical Park (308/865-5305)-the difference in spelling has tormented editors for generations - is the big attraction. Built to protect the Oregon Trail, it features a diverting introduction to the art of building a sod house. How did families keep the dirt from tumbling down from the ceiling into their food? They hung sheets overhead. Stay at the new 59-room Motel 6 (308/338-0705), $52; 70-room Budget Motel South (308/237-5991), $48; or the 34-room Midtown Western Inn (800/333-1401), $52. Dine at big, bustling USA Steak Buffet; the adult buffet is $8.70; over age 60, $7.79; children 12 and under, 55: times their age. Day 6: Return to Omaha (190 miles) to catch your plane home.

Walking into Domaine le Clos des Cazaux, in the village of Vacqueyras, we found an elderly French farmer standing at the counter, waiting to fill his jugs of bulk table wine. We were gleeful. I've long enjoyed Cazaux's wines. Well regarded and an excellent buy, they can be luscious and sunny or deep and spicy. We had come to sample their better vintages. So why the excitement about a place that doles out table wine to old-timers? As visitors soon discover, France's Rhône Valley thrives on such contradictions. It wins acclaim from critics and drinkers, but it isn't on a pedestal like Bordeaux. Its best bottles can be tucked away for decades, yet Rhône wines immediately warm to New World palates--and remain astoundingly affordable. (Just don't compare local prices to those back home; you may start crying.) In fact, the Rhône is not one wine region but two. The vineyards of the southern Rhône spread across large swaths southeastern France, while the narrow band that makes up the northern Rhône vineyards is concentrated near the banks of the Rhône River, some 50 miles long but never more than a few miles across. The two areas are separated by about 45 miles of farmland where few grapes are grown. Wine has been made here since at least Roman times, and if modern drinkers are coming to appreciate the Rhône again, we are hardly the first. As vintner Yves Cuilleron puts it, "The vineyards of the northern Rhône Valley were very famous a century ago. It was more expensive than Bordeaux and Champagne. Thus a trip through the Rhône is a chance to see a land that lives and breathes wine both exalted and humble. That said, it is an embarrassment of riches. Plan in advance, or be swamped by decisions. A week is barely enough time to scratch the surface, but that's all we had to travel up the Rhône River's spine, driving north from Aix-en-Provence through some of the best-known Rhône villages before finishing in the northern town of Ampuis. We soon hit Tain l'Hermitage, which produces some of the region's most valued wines. It also houses one of the area's few walk-in tasting rooms. Across the river in the town of Mauves, Pierre Coursodon's winery lets you sample the ascendant St. Joseph appellation. To the north, in Condrieu, the Francois Gerard winery offers hilltop views and a taste of the area's famous viognier-based whites. In nearby Chavanay, Yves Cuilleron's tasting room displays his highly respected bottlings. The farther north you go, the steeper the hills and more crowded the vineyards, until it seems as though the steep slopes couldn't possibly hold another vine. Lodging in wineries can be found near Tain at the Domaine du Colombier and up north in Ampuis at Domaine Barge, located in the town's center. Also near Tain is La Farella, a restored farm and traditional gite. (The owner may excuse himself to go milk the cows.) Just to the north lies Lyon, France's second-largest city and a perfect place to finish a trip in style. Rail and air routes are plentiful. Rhône winemakers, increasingly accustomed to tourists driving up their dusty driveways, have devised some aids for the wary traveler. The best is their comprehensive Web site (http://www.vins-Rhône.com/) with nine "wine roads: well-planned routes through the Rhône's sub-regions, complete with winery listings, contact details and driving directions. Local tourist offices also stock a paper version. The best bet is to head for smaller villages. A place like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, an epicenter of Rhône tradition, is hardly a sleepy town anymore--and most wineries there insist on advance notice. Some do have downtown tasting rooms, such as Domaine du Pegau, which may prove the best option for quick tasting. Reasonable lodging is plentiful. Many farmhouses have been converted into self-catering "gites or "chambers d'hotes--essentially, bed and breakfasts--and offer a pleasant and generally authentic country stay, and which are usually booked by the week. Some wineries also offer B&Bs, allowing you to spend time in a winemaker's home. And they frequently offer evening meals, usually for less than 30 euros, should you want to match food to their wine. The Dentelles No visit is complete without a stop along these jagged limestone ridges rising east of the city of Orange. Towns such as Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise have lent their names to popular Rhône appellations. The first two are known for their reds, the last for its sweet, slightly floral white dessert wines. With just 650 residents, the tiny mountainside village of Gigondas is all but a required stop. Some of the best tasting experiences can be found at caveaus (tasting rooms) operated by multiple winemakers, which provide an easy way to taste more wines with less driving. It nearly took a crowbar (actually, a lunch reservation) to pry us out of the expertly-run Caveau du Gigondas with 50 vintners. With over 50 vintners participating, we were overwhelmed by dizzyingly good vintages--the Chateau Raspail 2000, for instance or the Chateau St. Cosme 2002. Though tastings there are free, they're for serious buyers. Visitors should also be sure to stop at individual wineries; the villages generally provide good direction signs to find their local stars. Domaine de Durban produces a delightful Beaumes de Venise, plus a charming house white for about 4 euros per bottle. Up the road, Vacqueyras wineries like Clos des Cazaux show you that, above all, most French winemakers are still humble farmers. Down the street from the Gigondas caveau, we enjoyed a memorable lunch at L'Oustalet. Several bed and breakfasts are nearby. And just south, in the Orange suburbs, is Le Moulin des Souchieres, a quiet, friendly B&B fashioned out of an 1812 mill. En route and in the North Few places can offer a more authentic taste of Rhône life than Domaine Saint Luc, outside La Baume de Transit on the northern edge of the southern Rhône. Owners Ludovic and Eliance Cornillon offer rooms in their 18th century stone farmhouse, plus simple but exquisitely flavorful Provencal meals, served with their own sumptuous syrah-based wines. Their vineyards are literally three long strides beind their 18th century stone farmhouse. You can sit out back, open a bottle of red and watch the sun dip behind the rows of vines. Crossing north of Valence, vineyards begin climbing the hillsides on either bank of the Rhône. A wine lover's path follows the water north up the N7 road on the right bank or the N86 on the left. The Cotes du Rhône appellation familiar to many drinkers includes vineyards in both the northern and southern Rhône. Smaller appellations can be found all along. While some of the best-known, such as Cote-Rotie (north) and Chateauneuf-du-Pape (south) now command premium prices, values can be found almost everywhere. Here are the main wines you'll find along the way: Red syrah: Found in both areas, but is the premier grape of the north Grenache: Dominant red in the south Viognier: Northern white grape Marsanne and roussanne: Southern favorites But with several dozen grapes native to the Rhône region, blends are a way of life: Cote-Rotie: Famous appellation even blends 90 percent or more syrah with just a touch of white viognier. (Field workers mix grapes together right in the picking bins.) Note: At least in the southern Rhône, unscheduled appearances may be OK, but an advance e-mail or phone call is a wise bet. As you move into the northern Rhône, appointments often become essential. Lodging Some properties have their own Web sites; others can be found and reserved through comprehensive listings on the Gites de France site. Those in the Vaucluse(southern) and Drome(northern) regions will probably be of most interest, though you can search a B&B by location. The gites are often rates by numbers of epis, or heads of corn, not unlike star ratings. Before you book anything, check a map.

Traveling with children can be stressful, but with enough preparation you can ensure a relatively tears-free trip, for both you and your child. From the plane ride to passports and Pampers, we've asked several seasoned veterans how they have managed to take their children abroad without leaving their sanity at home. While they are in their formative years, providing your children with the opportunity to see other countries and cultures can be an invaluable gift. However, it is a vacation and you want to be sure that your children have fun. Bill Nichols, co-author of Exotic Travel Destinations for Families (Santa Monica Press, 2004), suggests that when planning your trip, be sure that the destination is 'age appropriate' and engaging. "I always recommend any trip where there is something active to do," he said, adding that children would usually rather see animals than museums. "If you're going to Paris, take a boat ride down the Seine or go to the Eiffel Tower. If you want to do the Louvre, go straight to the Mona Lisa." Nichols and his wife Jennifer traveled with their two children, Alison, 18, and Will, 15, from the time that Alison was six months old. Among their most memorable vacations are trips to the jungles of Belize, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, the markets of Morocco and Thailand. "Once you've decided on a destination, get out a globe and show them where they're going. Have them learn some words in the country's language. You want them to be excited and ready for the trip." Don't leave home without it Traveling beyond US borders almost always requires that both you and your child have a passport. A recent change in the passport application process mandates that minors under the age of 14 appear in person in front of a passport agent, according to Stuwart Patt, spokesman for the Consular Bureau of Affairs. When submitting the application, you will also need the child's birth certificate, a valid form of ID from both parents, two passport photos and the $70 application fee. Patt recommends that parents always carry their child's passport while traveling abroad, to ensure that it is not easily lost or stolen. Before traveling with her 18-month-old daughter to Brazil, Los Angeles resident Lael Lowenstein called ahead to her local passport office. "I didn't know that all children no matter how small must have a passport." She also learned that since her husband could not appear with her when applying for her daughter's passport, she needed a signed letter of consent from him. In the case of single parents that cannot obtain the signature of the other parent, they must show proof of sole custody or a court order permitting travel with the child. For more information: travel.state.gov/passport_services.html Brazil is also one of a few countries that ask US visitors to obtain a Visa before departure, which can be a daunting process. "It was a nightmare," said Lowenstein, "My advice is to get as much information before hand. Then just smile and expect things to go wrong." In most cases you must apply at the country's consulate located in the nearest major city. Since there is no standard Visa application procedure, be sure to either contact the country's consulate or visit their website for the list of required documents and fees. Go to: travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html In addition to either a passport or birth certificate and government issued ID, Mexico and Canada require that single parents, grandparents or guardians traveling with minors carry a notarized letter of consent from the other parent authorizing travel. Maria Fox is originally from Mexico but now lives in New York with her husband and two children, and travels to Mexico twice a year. "Whenever I travel with my children by myself, I have to have my husband write a notarized letter. The letter includes my name, both child's whole name and the dates of travel." For the latest information on traveling to Canada and Mexico: travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html Passports take approximately three to six weeks to be processed, while the period for visa approvals varies. If you need your child's passport processed immediately, you can make an appointment with a passport agent at additional cost and it will be ready within a week. Currently, representatives from the State Department are not anticipating further changes in passport regulations, but calling ahead to either the passport office or consulate ensures that you are informed of the latest developments in international travel guidelines. Better safe than sorry Before traveling to more exotic locales, in particular with children, be sure to visit the Center for Disease Control's website: cdc.gov. "Always check to see which shots are required and if there are any medical warnings," offers Nichols, "Most inoculations take a week or two to take effect, so schedule your appointment for three to six weeks before leaving. Most shots last several years, so use it as an excuse to continue traveling." Avoid traveling with a sick child, as symptoms may worsen with the stress of travel. Although most countries can supply all the necessary modern amenities, there are still items that parents of young children should considering packing. Budget Travel staffer Suzy Walrath travels to India with her husband and two children at least once a year. "At first it was hard to anticipate all the gear I would have to bring. In addition to my carry-on, I had diapers, a stroller and a baby. None of it is designed to make your life easier." Nichols recommends a first-aid kit of sorts, "I always take a basic kit of things for diarrhea and upset stomach." Use the Internet to research whether or not a country will have necessary items readily available and for reasonable prices. No rest for the weary Once the trip is planned, passports are ready and bags are packed, the next step to look forward to is the plane ride. While most adults can sleep through long-distance flights, young children tend to be more problematic. "As a parent, you have a job on the flight. It can be a nice time to spend with your children, but it's a challenge to change diapers in those little teeny tiny bathrooms," said Walrath. Bringing along a few items to help keep your child entertained for the long flight can make a difference. Consider buying a few new books or a new toy before you go, or take a favorite toy that will provide hours of distraction. Snacks can also break up a long flight. If children are old enough, have them pack and be responsible for a book bag full of their favorite diversions. Suggest that they keep a journal or a sketch diary during the trip. But even the best-laid plans fail in the wake of fidgety children: "Remember you're never going to see the people on the plane again," said Fox, "After a certain point, it is out of your hands." With increased security since 9/11, airports can be stressful places for both parents and children. Walrath advocates keeping your children close to you and providing constant assurance. "Security clearance is probably the hardest place for children. The security guards represent unfamiliar authority figures, and customer service is not a priority. It can be pretty scary." She suggests that if possible, one parent be responsible for the children while the other manages the luggage. Arriving early and allowing extra time at the airport can ease a child's anxiety. When arriving at your destination, your children will likely be tired and more prone to the effects of jet lag. Check into your hotel, and check out mentally for a few hours of rest for the whole family. Take some time to develop an itinerary, but be flexible to the needs of your child. If they are not happy, you probably will not be either. Experienced parents agree that despite its difficulties, traveling with children abroad is more than worthwhile. "The children love it. They learn so much about the world," concludes Walrath. "Traveling with kids is actually alot easier than you think it will be," promises Nichols, "It is tremendously enriching. It has been fun for the kids and wonderful for us as parents."

It is summer in the year 2000. Times are good and travel is booming. But things don't always seem so peachy for a family of four or more. Multiply the costs of travel by a figure higher than one or two, and what seems a slight burden to a single person or couple becomes one big nut to crack for parents with children. That's why I've scoured the vacation field to find super-inexpensive trips and activities that can fit the financial needs of a small group. How little can a cost-conscious, budget-heeding family of four spend for an active, enjoyable four-to-seven-night vacation? I say $1,000. And that's a total of $1,000 for all four persons, including everything other than the transportation needed to reach the vacation site. While that rock-bottom expenditure may sometimes purchase only four nights--though often it covers a full seven--it buys a vital and rewarding vacation full of memories and learning for mom, pop, and the kids. Here are twelve travel ideas for the middle-class family: Summer on the Winter Slopes Comes the warm weather, and the priciest ski resorts in America convert into rangy sites for family-friendly hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and practicing your golf swing or tennis serve, at a mere fraction of the prices they charge in winter. Many also have first-rate kids' camps that enable parents to enjoy some couples' time. Six-night Family Getaway packages at Steamboat Resort in western Colorado for a family of four include lodging, rodeo admission, two days of kids' Adventure Club, and a gondola ride, all for under $1,000 (800/922-2722 or access steamboat-ski.com). Keystone Resort's Mountain Passport package is even less. For under $650, a family of four can stay and play for a week just 90 minutes from Denver (800/404-3535 or keystoneresort.com). Northstar-at-Tahoe in California touts a stay-and-golf-or-mountain-bike deal that starts at roughly $100 a night for a family, including some free daycamp time (800/GO-NORTH or skinorthstar.com). Families on Farms Young children especially will enjoy a stay on an old-fashioned farm, where they can gather eggs, learn to fish, and feed the goats. Parents will savor the hearty meals they don't have to cook and the relaxed pace far from the city. Many of the farm families at the following locations have been welcoming guests for decades. Green Acres Farm Bed and Breakfast in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the Amish countryside, is surrounded by streams, great biking roads, and even has a trampoline and playhouse for the kids. The charge: $85 a night for a family of four, including a big breakfast (717/653-4028 or thegreenacresfarm.com). The Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy, New Hampshire, is as much resort as farm, supplying three meals a day, square dances, magic shows, baby animals galore, an outdoor pool and pond, an indoor pool for rainy days, and a children's program complete with crafts and story time. Rates for a family of four with two preschoolers average just over $200 a day, including meals and activities ( 800/242-6495 or east-hill-farm.com). Bluffdale Vacation Farm, outside of Eldred, Illinois, in the Illinois River Valley, boasts 320 acres for horseback riding and boating. Rates average under $250 a day for a family of four, including activities and meals (217/983-2854 or bluffdale@irtc.net). History Made Fun Colonial Williamsburg, America's largest outdoor living history museums, is a serious place full of colorful drama that the kids won't be in a hurry to leave. They can help make bricks barefoot, bid at an auction, be a guest at a ball, play a game of lawn bowling, meet eighteenth-century colonials at the market, argue politics with Tom Jefferson, and make small talk with George Washington. Nearby are two other first-rate living history museums--Jamestown Settlement, where children learn the truth about the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas, and Yorktown Victory Center, where they can visit a Continental Army encampment. A Revolutionary Fun Package covers four nights' lodging and unlimited five-day admission to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and Water Country U.S.A. Prices average $815 for a family of four (800/211-7169). A Condo for Your Clan Whether you want to go to the Ozarks, Orlando, or the Lake Erie Islands of Ohio, you can save big bucks renting a spacious, multi-room condo where you can cook some meals for the gang and throw in a load of laundry on the way to the pool or the tennis court. ResortQuest International and Condominium Travel Associates both have plenty of summer deals in the hottest vacation spots for under $100 a night. How about a two-bedroom condo on Sanibel Island overlooking the ocean, and complete with pool and tennis courts, for $700 a week? Call ResortQuest (877-588-5800 or resortquest.com). Or in Orlando, Condominium Travel Associates can set you up for $99 a night at a first-class one-bedroom condo right near Disney Village (800/492-6636 or condotravel.com). Reunion Central YMCA of the Rockies runs resorts at Snow Mountain Ranch and Estes Park Center in Colorado, and so many families use them for reunions that there's an entire staff to help organize activities, which include horseback riding, mini-golf, crafts, and hiking. There are children's day camps at both locations. At YMCA of the Rockies, a family of four can stay for a week, waking up to mountain vistas, for under $500. And all-you-can-eat bargain meals - $9 for dinner, $5.50 for kids - are available daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Call Snow Mountain Ranch (970/887-2152, Estes Park Center at 970/586-3341, or access ymcarockies.org). If you're too far from the Rockies, check with your alumni association or local YMCA to see if they're offering family camps of this sort. Wilderness Adventures, Family-style Far from the world of video games, computers, cell phones, and TV, Gunflint Northwoods Outfitters in Grand Marais, Minnesota, can set you up on a five-day, four-night canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (over 1,000 clear water lakes) with everything you need from maps to first aid kit, food, and cooking gear, for just over $1,000 for a family of four. Their Canoer Cabin packages are even cheaper, allowing you to sleep in a bunk house and canoe around the wilderness area during the day (800/328-3325 or gunflintoutfitters.com). The Appalachian Mountain Club's Pinkham Notch Lodge in New Hampshire offers family backpacking, rock climbing, and canoeing workshops as well as the chance to head out on your own in the White Mountains after a hearty breakfast, returning in time for supper. Rates start at under $150 per night for a family of four, including meals (603/466-2727 or outdoors.org). For a splurge priced beyond our usual limits, Bill Dvorak Rafting and Kayak Expeditions offers several kinds of family deals on raft trips in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah. A family of four can raft for four days in Little Gore Canyon on the Colorado River for $1,680 (800/824-3795 or dvorakexpeditions.com; kids go free on some trips). RV'ing with the Kids For trips to every kind of attraction in the United States, a rented motor home is both your lodging and means of transportation. You'll save big on meals and the kids will find new friends at night in the campground. Figure on paying $700 and up to rent the motor home for the week, plus $20 a night for campground fees. Pop-up tent campers can be as low as $200 a week. Find coast-to-coast rental outlets and advice on what to rent at the Recreation Vehicle Rental Association website (rvra.org). The largest national rental chain is Cruise America (800/327-7799 or cruiseamerica.com). Down memory lane: A multitude of old-fashioned resorts from New England to California have been catering to the same families for generations. They're not fancy (no cable TV or video games), but they provide plenty of opportunities for fun-jumping off floats, playing softball, and relaxing with a game of checkers under the stars. Loch Lyme Lodge has been welcoming guests on its waterfront in Lyme, New Hampshire, since 1918. A family of four can stay, play, and eat at Loch Lyme for a week for about $1,200. Or you can rent a cabin without meals for $500-$750 (800/423-2141 or email: lochlymelodge@valley.net). Hill's Resort in Priest Lake, Idaho, has been run by the same family since 1946. Hike, swim or bike all day, cuddle up at a beach bonfire at night. Cabins (there are several large ones ideal for two families to share) start at $700 a week. Call 208-443-2551 or access hillsresort.com. Camp Richardson Resort opened in the 1920s and has 38 cabins spread along 150 acres on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Here's where you'll hone either your water skiing or mountain biking skills. And there's a full service marina for everything from kayaks to powerboats. Many cabins rent for $650 a week (800/544-1801 or camprichardson.com). Jekyll Island Club Hotel resort is six miles off the coast of Georgia, and a national historic landmark, with a private beach club, golf, and miles of shoreline made for shelling, sunning, and swimming, as well as horse-drawn carriage rides. Five-night family packages include rooms in the beautiful old hotel, kids' activities, and full use of the resort for $665 (Call 800/535-9547 or jekyllclub.com). If You Don't Mind the Heat Head to Florida, Las Vegas, or Arizona for great summer deals at resorts that may be too pricey in other seasons. The kids will love the nine-acre water park at The Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix, Arizona, complete with miniature golf, a lazy river channel for tubing, 130-foot slippery slide, and sports pools; parents will love the all-suite accommodations, the fine golf course at a nearby sister resort, and guided hikes into the adjacent mountains. (There's also a Coyote Day Camp.) Nightly summer rates start at $89 per family. Camp is extra. And ask about the Family Fun Package (800/747-7111 or pointhilton.com). Hawk's Cay Resort in the Florida Keys has resident dolphins and a learn-to-sail program. A four-day Family Island Explorer Package starts at $615, including breakfast and all kids' meals, welcome gift, and some activities. That would be $975 for a family of four for five nights (800/432-2242 or hawkscay.com). Stay at Circus Circus in Las Vegas for $49 a night per family room midweek and the kids will keep cool in The Adventuredome, the country's biggest indoor theme park. One of Sin City's newest hotels, Mandalay Bay Resort, features an 11-acre water playground with a wave pool, and rooms for up to four people start in summer at $99 a night. (For Circus Circus, which also has an RV park, call 800/634-3450 or circuscircus-lasvegas.com; Mandalay Bay, 877-632-7000 or mandalaybay.com.) Cruising Cheap Besides all you can eat and non-stop activities for everyone, cruises are fine vacation bets for families because you don't have to play social director or arbitrate arguments over what to eat or where to go. Premier Cruise Line, which is refurbishing its ships and reconfiguring cabins to make them roomier for families, likely has the best family deal going this summer - a seven-day cruise and land package that includes three days at Universal Studios, visits to the Kennedy Space Center and Wet 'n Wild Orlando, and a four-day cruise, all for $499 per adult and $99 per child (800/990-7770, or premiercruises.com). Call World Wide Cruises, one of the industry's largest cruise discount brokers, for family packages on other lines, like Carnival (800/882-9000 or cruises.com). Theme Park Fun Though Orlando, with its $50 per adult theme-park admissions (once tax is included), doesn't fit into our budget formula for a full week's stay, you can find excellent bargain arrangements in other theme park locations. Families can stay in the Wisconsin Dells, famed for its water parks, starting at $149 per night at the Treasure Island Waterpark Resort and also get free use of Family Land's 35-acre water park and the 55,000-square-foot Bay of Dreams water park. The nearby Flamingo Motel & Suites, where rooms average $100 a night, throws in a free ticket per room for Noah's Ark, billed as the country's largest water park. (For these and other Dells deals, call 800/223-3557 or wisdells.com.) At Cedar Point, Ohio, home of 14 heart-stopping roller coasters--more than any other park--and adjacent Soak City water park, get a two-night stay-and-play deal for the family for about $250 (419-627-2350 or cedarpoint.com). Branson, Missouri resorts also tout packages that enable a family to get two days for the price of one at Silver Dollar City theme park. Hotels start at $50 a night. Call the Branson Area Chamber of Commerce (800/214-3661 or bransonchamber.com). Luxury Camping Let's assume you crave getting back to nature but don't want to do all the work of putting up the tent and cooking the meals. Find some cheap summer flights to St. Thomas (the U.S. Virgin Islands), and you can check into Maho Bay Camps eco-resort on the beach-ringed island of St. John (a short ferry ride away), where you stay in roomy tent cottages built on platforms overlooking the sea and beaches, with spotless bathhouses nearby. The weather is terrific in summer and kids stay free. Fully equipped family tents with everything from bed linens, towels, and ice cooler to propane stove cost $70 a night. And the outdoor restaurant may be the best bargain on the island (800/392-9004 or maho.org). Or, camp along the California coast 55 miles south of San Francisco at Costanoa Coastal Lodge and Camp Pescadero, California, surrounded by thousands of acres of wilderness. The bathhouses have saunas and you can get maid service at some tents. There's plenty of hiking, naturalist-led tide pool tours, organized daily kids' activities such as fireside storytellers, and nearby mountain biking, water sports, and a monarch butterfly preserve. Rates (if you bring your own sleeping bags) start at $60 a night, with four beds in the tent and complimentary breakfast (800/738-7477, 650/879-1100, or costanoa.com). State park lodges and cabins are also affordable family bets when you don't want to pitch your own tent. Try Custer State Park in South Dakota, where you're 20 minutes from Mount Rushmore and you can take a Jeep ride through a huge buffalo herd, go horseback riding, experience a chuck wagon cookout, fish, or kayak. Cabins start at $75 a night (800/658-3530 or custerresorts.com). Lake Cumberland State Resort Park in Jamestown, Kentucky, is another good bet if your gang likes to boat, fish, or horseback ride. There's golf nearby and even a big indoor pool complex. Cottages start at under $90 a night, lodge rooms that sleep four even less (800/325-1709). Rules for a Smart Family Travel Bargain Whether it's a beach cottage, megaresort, or cruise ship, ask if there are any special family discounts. A second room for half price? Free breakfast? Grab those freebies Many vacation spots now offer coupon books on area attractions. Check with the local convention and visitors bureau before you leave home, or visit its web site. Don't leave home without a cooler You'll save big bucks on meals if you can have picnic lunches or breakfast in your room. Use souvenir smarts At the start of the trip, give the kids a souvenir budget and stick to it! Let them supplement with their own money. Suggest they start a collection of post cards, pins, or patches rather than buy a souvenir at every stop. Join forces Vacation with another family and you'll save big on renting a condo or beach house. Another plus: you can split food costs and childcare chores. Even better, you've got built-in playmates for the kids! Be flexible By shifting your dates slightly, you might be able to save hundreds of dollars on accommodations and airfare. It is always cheaper to fly mid-week, to stay in city hotels on weekends, and to book resorts during the week. Avoid room service And hotel laundries. Stock up on pop and snacks at the nearest market. If you don't want to do laundry yourself, drop the dirty duds at the nearest laundry that offers wash-and-fold service. It's usually a bargain. Ask the locals They'll steer you to favorite amusements and attractions that don't require admission fees-like the town's coolest playground or beach, a tour of the local cookie factory or hotel kitchen. The kids might even learn something.