Affordable Summer Travel for Families

People in Birkenstocks shouldn't throw stones "'I think that's Selarón,' said my brother-in-law about a man we saw at the Selarón Staircase in Rio de Janeiro. I scoffed because he hadn't previously even heard of the Chilean artist. We said hello to the man—it was Selarón! We talked for an hour and bought paintings, which he signed. 'I'm so embarrassed,' said our friend Jane as we left. 'I framed the first photo I took so the scruffy guy wouldn't be in it!'" Mary Sienko, Minneapolis, Minn. D'oh! "My husband and I were strolling along Las Ramblas in Barcelona when we spotted a metal sculpture of Bart Simpson on his skateboard, flanked by two metallic cyclists. My husband snapped a picture of me beside a cyclist. As I stepped away, I noticed a copper coin next to an empty can on the pavement. Having never seen a euro, I picked it up. Suddenly, onlookers were shouting in Spanish and the "metal" cyclists erupted from their bikes. It was our first experience with living sculptures." Lois Newlove, Bellevue, Wash. Look what happened to the last trespassers "My sister and I were at the sculpture museum in Middelheim Park, in Antwerp, Belgium, when I commented that all the sculptures had the same title and artist—after all, the text was identical from statue to statue. My sister kindly translated it for me: Do not walk on the grass." Phyllis Walker, Pinecrest, Fla. First they suck your dignity "Traversing the Irish countryside, my friends and I came across many great photo ops, including a large mosquito sculpture on the front lawn of a quaint cottage. I was posing with the menacing insect when I looked over to find several people peering out the window, photographing what they must've thought was a very strange American." Casey O'Connell, Pensacola, Fla. We can hear it now: "Draw at ten paces" "I was standing by the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, trying to stay warm, when I noticed a man with a sketch pad staring in my direction. He was drawing me, so I took out my sketchbook and started to draw him. People gathered around him, and it soon became apparent that he was the true artist. We shared a few laughs and our drawings, and I left and went on my way." Adam Tennen, Scottsdale, Ariz. Prince Eric is in for a shock "We went to visit Copenhagen's Little Mermaid sculpture, but she wasn't anywhere to be found—she had been blown up the night before we arrived. I bought a souvenir sculpture from a kiosk and shot a picture of it on the rock. The replica was terribly unsatisfying, so I scrambled onto the rock and posed for a photo—everyone, including people on tour boats passing by, laughed and applauded." Scott Ashkenaz, Palo Alto, Calif. His left hand, however... "My girlfriend and I got lost while hiking on Mexico's Baja California peninsula. 'Christ!' I said to myself. 'Where's the car?' Reaching the top of the hill, we were amazed to behold a sight that made my earlier exclamation eerily prophetic—a giant statue of Jesus. And his right hand was pointing directly to our car." Gene Pembroke, Lester, Pa. Caught between a rock and a hard place "At a B&B in Killinick, Ireland, my father decided to take a short walk around the gardens. I followed and could see him standing in front of a statue. As I approached, he bent over to have a look, and, without laughing, I grabbed my camera just as he reached out for further inspection. The caption in my photo album now reads, 'Touch that again, old man, and you'll find out why I'm frowning.'" Linda Coates, Colorado Springs, Colo.

There were cupcake pilgrimages and shopping excursions (the painted palm frond was Michelle's favorite buy), but the best part of the trip was the opportunity to bond. "Gabby burst into tears when Tracy left!" Michelle says. Take a Load Off Tracy, Michelle, and Gabby did so much walking during their trip that when Michelle asked Gabby what she liked about the carriage ride, Gabby said, "I liked resting!" She also enjoyed seeing all the South Carolina and U.S. flags hanging from the historic mansions. Paris Je T'aime "I could easily have spent all day in the Paris Market & Brocante," says Tracy. "They have every kind of treasure you can imagine." She bought a canvas bag and a few gifts for friends back in Washington. Animal Magnetism A big animal lover, Gabby stopped to admire every dog and cat she came upon during the trip—and that even included a lion statue in Savannah's Oglethorpe Square. Pick Me Up Walking all day long was tiring, Michelle says, but treats from Cupcake, in Charleston, gave the gals a much-needed energy boost. Gator Aid The three spent hours exploring Middleton Place plantation. At one point, Tracy walked up to what she thought was a bronze statue of an alligator, but Michelle warned her that it was real. "We joked for the rest of the trip that I saved her life," says Michelle. "Or at least her leg!" Brunch Bunch Both Michelle and Tracy had sweet-potato pancakes at Hominy Grill, in Charleston. "I'd never had them before," says Tracy, "but I loved how moist they were." Gabby played it safe and ordered the buttermilk pancakes.

Interested in getting coached? E-mail us your questions—seriously, the more the better—to Letters@BudgetTravel.com. Want advice? Log on for our weekly Online Trip Coach chats, Tuesdays at noon (ET), and let our experts answer your questions. Click here to submit questions and browse our archived chat transcripts. DEAR TRIP COACH... I'm heading to Charleston and Savannah for a girls' getaway with my friend Michelle and her 4-year-old daughter, Gabby. We're looking for activities and restaurants that are family-friendly without being exclusively kid-oriented. Tracy Dallas, Seattle, Wash. FIRE AWAY! "We only have four days, but we don't want to feel rushed. What areas should we focus on in each city?" Stick to the historic neighborhoods. In Charleston, start at Waterfront Park, in the heart of downtown. There's a swimsuit-worthy fountain for Gabby to splash in, a covered boardwalk where you can kick back on porch swings, and paths along the Cooper River that are lined with palms and live oaks. Wander southwest through the park toward The Battery, an area with columned mansions and pastel dollhouse-like homes, plus a park with cannons from the Civil War. From White Point Gardens, within The Battery, take Church Street toward Broad Street and peek into some of the city's most charming private courtyards and gardens. In Savannah, begin where Broughton and Bull streets meet and head south down Bull to pass through the town squares, peppered with sculptures, benches, and plantings, and flanked by town houses, shops, and cafés. After Monterey Square, at Bull and Gordon streets, relax in Forsyth Park. The 30-acre expanse of oak-canopied paths and green spaces still has its original two-tiered cast-iron fountain from the 1850s. "Gabby loves horses, so a carriage ride would be fun." From its barn at 14 Anson Street, Old South Carriage Company gives Charleston tours every 20 to 30 minutes (843/723-9712, oldsouthcarriage.com, $21, $13 kids). Historic Savannah Carriage Tours leave from the Hyatt Regency, at West Bay and Bull streets, on the hour on weekdays and twice an hour on weekends (912/443-9333, savannahcarriage.com, $20, $9 kids). "We're willing to drive a little out of the way to see plantations. Which ones do you recommend?" Of the two cities, Charleston has more picturesque plantations, and Middleton Place is the crown jewel. Most of the main house was destroyed during the Civil War and never rebuilt, but the 65 acres—with the oldest landscaped gardens in the country—are impeccably kept. General admission gets you access to the grounds, including the riverfront terraces, Butterfly Lakes (so named because they look like butterfly wings), marble sculptures, reflection pool, slavery exhibit, and the one still-standing wing of the old manor. Gabby will love the 45-minute carriage tour (4300 Ashley River Rd./ Hwy. 61, 800/782-3608, middletonplace.org, $25, $5 kids, carriage tour $15). A fully intact plantation mansion, Drayton Hall, is down the road. Built in 1738, the Georgian-Palladian home is in near-original condition, though there are no furnishings (3380 Ashley River Rd./ Hwy. 61, 843/769-2600, draytonhall.org, $14, $8 kids 12 to 18, $6 kids 6 to 11). "Michelle collects antiques. Where should she shop?" The best antiques shopping in Charleston is on King Street. The stretch between Market and Broad streets is lined with shops that are great for inspiration—if not for bargains. You'll find less-expensive shops between John and Morris streets. Fifteen minutes away, in Mount Pleasant, is Page's Thieves Market, a scavenger's paradise in a red barn (1460 Ben Sawyer Blvd., 843/884-9672, pagesthievesmarket.net). In Savannah, The Paris Market & Brocante carries goods with a romantic European flair (36 W. Broughton St., 912/232-1500, theparismarket.com). 37th @ Abercorn Antiques and Design has 6,000 square feet of clocks, crystal, and silver (201 E. 37th St., 912/233-0064). "We're interested in visiting old graveyards, but we're worried Gabby will have nightmares as a result." Graveyards in both cities are more like precious gardens—and about as scary as Casper the Friendly Ghost. Skip the tours (the guides try to spook you) and walk through on your own. You'll notice that Charleston has graveyards throughout its historic district. Some of the more well-known ones are at St. Michael's Church (71 Broad St.), The Unitarian Church in Charleston (4 Archdale St.), and St. Philip's Church (142 Church St.). Savannah's 160-acre Bonaventure Cemetery—the one in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil—is on the river and has landscaped trails (330 Bonaventure Rd.). It's a few miles east of downtown, so you'll want to drive. "I'm a vegetarian, Michelle wants to eat Southern dishes, and Gabby will need kid food. Where can we all dine?" Hominy Grill serves the best Southern breakfast in Charleston (207 Rutledge Ave., 843/937-0930, hominygrill.com, from $4.50). Fleet Landing has seafood, fried green tomatoes, a kids' menu, and loaner toys (186 Concord St., 843/722-8100, fleetlanding.net, lunch from $6). In Savannah, Clary's Café makes a classic diner breakfast (4330 Habersham St., 912/351-0302, claryscafesavannah.com, breakfast from $5). At Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room, four generations have cooked family-style meals for lunch guests—on weekdays only—since 1943. Try the fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, banana pudding, and whatever other dishes are passed your way. The line can get rather long, so get there early (107 W. Jones St., 912/232-5997, mrswilkes.com, $16, $8 kids under 8). "How can we get a table at The Lady & Sons?" Food Network star Paula Deen's iconic Savannah restaurant only accepts reservations far in advance for parties of 10 or more, but you can make a same-day lunch or dinner reservation starting at 9:30 a.m. It's wise to line up by 9 a.m. Show up later without reservations and you could face a wait of two hours (102 W. Congress St., 912/233-2600, theladyandsons.com, dinner entrées from $19). "We've been known to travel far (and dare I say wide?) in search of the perfect cupcake..." At Cupcake, in Charleston, the praline and red-velvet flavors rule (433 King St., 843/853-8181, freshcupcakes.com). And locals and national gourmands say Savannah's Back in the Day Bakery has some of the country's best cupcakes (2403 Bull St., 912/495-9292, backinthedaybakery.com). For a more sophisticated sweets fix, sit down for afternoon tea at the Savannah College of Art and Design's Gryphon Tea Room, which was an old pharmacy before the school's students converted it. They added a few mod touches in 2006 but left the 14 stained-glass windows, mahogany woodwork, and tile floors. Afternoon tea is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and includes tea sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, preserves, fruit, sweets, and your choice of tea (337 Bull St., 912/525-5880, scad.edu, $15 per person). Unasked-for advice Break up the drive between the two cities by visiting either Beaufort or Bluffton, S.C. Both are historic coastal towns loaded with character.

Faced with the double whammy of a slowing economy and skyrocketing fuel prices, the airline industry is in turmoil. Five U.S. airlines (Aloha, ATA, Eos, MAXjet, and Skybus) have gone belly-up. Delta and Northwest are merging, and United is desperately trying to find a suitable partner. How will all this affect you? Airlines have been instituting one fare hike after another, and the mergers will make it easier to continue doing so. Mergers not only allow airlines to cut costs, but also to increase their "pricing power"—less competition means they can demand higher fares. They're also looking for new revenue sources by applying fuel charges, bringing back the Saturday-night-stay requirement, and tacking on fees (for checking two bags, changing an itinerary, getting a window seat, and more). On some American Airlines flights, flight attendants are even hawking books and electronics. But while the airline industry can streamline relatively quickly—both through mergers and by cutting routes and grounding planes—the hotel industry can't. What's built is built (turning a hotel into a condo isn't a solution when mortgages are in short supply). To fill rooms that would otherwise go empty—and they will if air capacity continues to shrink—hotel companies are usually willing to discount. Companies are likely to promote fire sales to people who are members of their loyalty programs, so sign up now—and subscribe to their e-mail newsletters, too. Moreover, it's a good time to get familiar with blind-search sites such as Hotwire and Priceline.Because when the going gets tough, the tough need to shop aggressively if they want a deal.