Surviving the family roadtrip

This year, all of us are going to have to come up with some creative ideas for summer travel. The economy is still in a slump, but the kids are out of school, they've worked hard all year and, hopefully have gotten passing grades! They really deserve a break. One of the most painless ways for folks to take the kids along on vacation is to take a car trip. You can stop along the way, they sleep in the back seat, play video games, and listen to music with ear-phones on. They can eat snacks and drink beverages in the car and even take fido along. Most dogs love to travel with the family.

There are many cities in the US that make good central locations for a week-end or week-long getaway. And the choices in accommodations are better than ever. Nearby state parks offer both cabins and lodges in beautiful woodland settings, farmstays s or ranches are great places for kids, and if you want to include some city life, a bed and breakfast is ideal.

Our national parks are astounding. Most people don’t realize that many state parks have lodges and cabins that you can rent. In South Dakota, you can rent a rustic cabin — there’s A/C but no bathroom — that sleeps four for $35 a night, or a lodge that sleeps eight for $150. In West Virginia, you can rent a modern cabin that sleeps four for under $100 a night. In Kentucky, Cumberland Falls offers beautiful affordable accommodations. Besides relatively cheap lodging, you get inexpensive activities like hiking, fishing, kayaking, biking, etc. Some even have golf courses! Plus, the rangers usually lead programs and activities designed for children. To find accommodation, go to google and type in "national parks".

Farmstays are B&Bs or working farms, where you can help out as much as you like, or explore the area. This trend first took off in Italy, where they’re called agriturismi. A room that sleeps four usually goes for around $100 — and that includes farm-related activities and breakfast. You can help gather eggs or feed sheep at Leaping Lamb Farm Stay in Alsea, Ore. Generally, the daily cost for a family of four starts at $125 and usually includes one free night. Prices may range up to $300.00 per week.

Some states have farm associations — including Pennsylvania and Vermont which makes it easy to locate farmstays. Other states, such as California maintain, agritourism sites where you can find farms that rent rooms or day visitors. And you can always just Google your state’s name and the phrase “farm stay.” Most of Kentucky's farmstays are B&Bs and are associated with the Bed and Breakfast Association of Kentucky. Again these places can be found on-line.

Bed and Breakfasts are ideal for combining what a city has to offer with the surrounding area. You can situate yourself in a beautiful Inn for a week and take day trips to small villages, farms, lake, beaches or where ever. A city like Louisville, Kentucky is perfect. It has all of the above, plus outstanding restaurants, museums, theater and many attractions. There are a whole host of events going on all summer, from the Shakespeare Festival in Old Louisville's Central Park to the Kentucky State Fair.

An advantage to staying in Louisville is that it is very accessible from other states; such as Illinois Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Iowa and Arkansas, etc. The innerstate highway system is amazing and easily leads right into downtown Louisville. Another advantage is that Louisville has approximately 18-20 awesome bed and breakfasts most centrally located.