With Budgets Squeezed: The Summer Road Trip Might Be the Best Bet

With everyone looking to economize, the annual summer vacation is one area almost certainly to be scaled back. Already summer camps, hotel resorts and other traditional summer destinations are reporting cancellations and slower bookings. Perhaps this is the year to bring back the summer road trip? Road trips can be an outstanding way to see and do a lot of things on a budget. Even at last year's record gas prices, my personal cross-country road trip was a fraction of what a more traditional summer vacation might have cost. But road trips are more than just jumping on an interstate and driving. In fact the key is to get off the interstate.

On of our regular readers recommends the "Road Trip" books by Jamie Jensen (linked below). From Amazon:

Jamie Jensen's guide takes the pain out of the road trip, be it across the continent or a Sunday jaunt. With directions to pit stops, scenic routes, bizarre museums, and the best apple pie stands, all you have to do is drive.

LifeTwo Editor Note: This year I will once again be doing on my own road trip having followed the Lewis & Clark Trail, the Oregon Trail, and Route 66 in previous years. Looking at the Appalachian Trail and reader suggestions are certainly welcome!

Amazon link: Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways.