Family friendly trips on a budget. Please help me!

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Forum -> Household Management -> Budgeting & Bargains

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esther36

Sun, Jun 24 2018, 10:58 am

Hi we're looking to go away with our kids for a few days at the end of August. Looking for a Destination max 6 hours from Lakewood that has attractions for kids ages 2-15 and accommodations that are affordable. Anyone? Please give suggestions with your ideas and where you've stayed or what you've done with how much it cost... Thanks so much for your help!I really appreciate it!

doctorima

Sun, Jun 24 2018, 11:33 am

New Hampshire's probably your best bet, but it's a bit farther than 6 hours away. If you want something closer, Norfolk has some fun activities that could keep you busy for a few days. Also look into Lancaster and Boston.

shirachadasha

Sun, Jun 24 2018, 11:43 am

I saw the Philadelphia Pass online. Maybe that would be good for you. I'm not speaking from experience.

esther36

Sun, Jun 24 2018, 7:58 pm

Bump
Anyone else?

SuperWify

Sun, Jun 24 2018, 8:48 pm

Lancaster
Vermont
Rhode Island
New Hampshire

ssspectacular

Sun, Jun 24 2018, 8:50 pm

Washington D.C.

Pickle1

Sun, Jun 24 2018, 9:31 pm

the last few yrs - we found on airbnnb.com and vrbo.com beautiful houses with huge backyards, decks with patio sets, swingsets, gamerooms etc (I didn't want a pool but you can find...) we chose the poconos because that's were they have the biggest selection of clean big houses at really affordable prices ( I paid $180-200/nt plus a one time cleaning fee of 150/200, I stayed 2 nights/3 days) there are many areas in the poconos that won't cost you a dime if you enjoy hiking/ and going into waterfalls. the weather isn't too hot.. and reallly cools off at night. if it rains there are options too. (we did an indoor skating rink, bowling ) I only chose houses that had great reviews about being clean, air conditioned etc. being that we had our own house and porch - it was chilled getting up late, playing family frisbee in pjs...after lunch we'd go on a hike, and come home to bbq for supper. and watch a classic movie..play games and go to bed. the only hassle was bringing along all the food and games for the little ones (coloring books, magnatiles) my kids and I have wonderful memories and look fwd doing it again this yr

esther36

Mon, Jun 25 2018, 12:02 am

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

seeker

Mon, Jun 25 2018, 12:29 am

So I didn't actually end up taking the trip, but with the help of imamother I had a whole Washington D.C. itinerary planned that would cost next to nothing. I didn't worry about lodgings though because I have a number of friends and relatives in the area and a small enough family that I figured I could ask someone to let us sleep over.

That Poconos getaway sounds amazing!

greengrapes

Mon, Jun 25 2018, 12:55 am

Jimney peak. I go every yr. Place is full of lakewood ppl. They even have minyanim and seperate swimming

doctorima

Mon, Jun 25 2018, 10:21 am

greengrapes wrote:

Jimney peak. I go every yr. Place is full of lakewood ppl. They even have minyanim and seperate swimming

Where do they have separate swimming, and who can I contact to get more information about the dates and hours?

esther36

Mon, Jun 25 2018, 11:57 am

Greengrapes- I just looked up Jiminy peak. It looks very expensive. Where do u stay and what have you done there? And for what age kids?

sky

Mon, Jun 25 2018, 12:50 pm

Anything with lots of nature, hiking outdoors will automatically be cheaper.
We have been very happy finding reasonable VRBO where we can make bonfires, BBQ. Finding firewood takes time.
Lots of very interesting hiking - boating (costs money) - exploring local areas and attractions. Finding interesting areas to explore while traveling each way. We own a baby carrier that we use for hiking.
We have had a lot of luck in Pennsylvania. Western, north eastern.

Knoebels is a more affordable amusement park for all ages. Still costs money but we found we spent at least half there we would have spent at a comparable park so we typically build our trips around there even if it means driving a bit.

For even cheaper lodging you can see if you can get a cabin in a state park. Many parks have cabins with kitchens and bathrooms. And they are very cheap - even if have to rent a week and only use part of the time. But they are hard to find and get taken quickly. You also have to bring linen which is a pain. NJ and PA are most affordable. NY I think charges more if you are from out of state

Pickle1

Mon, Jun 25 2018, 7:42 pm

I once went to jimney peak, I stayed in a suite for 129/nt (the room itself was clean but the hallways had awful moldy smell - this was abt 5 yrs ago) they have a bunch of different buildings u can stay in on premises. so if u decide to go pls read the reviews! the attractions (alpine sliding/trampoline/cable car etc)all are on premises and expensive and buying a pass will also cost a lot. especially if u have a bunch of kids. we couldn't find anything to do nearby!!!

enneamom

Mon, Jun 25 2018, 9:11 pm

I second Lancaster. You don't have to go to theme parks, there is plenty to do there.

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