15 Budget Friendly Locations

Summertime is near and I would love to take a vacation to an exotic locale with my family. The only problem is our tight budget. I found this article about the top 15 most budget friendly cities to travel.

Traveling doesn’t have to cost big bucks, if you explore the right locations.

These countries/continents are known for relatively good travel deals, especially if you don’t want somewhere with a lot of creature comforts.

India — You’ll spend less every day here than you will nearly anywhere else in the world, with a beer costing about $1.25, tea just pennies, and a budget hotel room less than $10.

Laos — You can find the best deals in Laos. Daily travel costs are about $35, including 85 cent beers and $8 hotel rooms

Photo by grjenkin

Winter At The Smoky Mountains

Famous for Dolly Parton and a multitude of family oriented activities, a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains is a perfect winter getaway. Check out all of the activities in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee including hiking, photography courses, and animal presentations. Bundle up and head to Tennessee this winter for a old-fashioned southern Christmas.

Travel info here.

Family Holiday Getaways

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and the family is coming and you are looking for things to do after and before the turkey has been eaten and before you go back for seconds.

Try going to these featured events in your area, such as a Thanksgiving Day Parade or festival

Get out of the house here

Take a Graveyard Tour

Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, walking through a graveyard can be a little spooky — especially in autumn as the trees lose their leaves, flowers wither away and light fades in the late afternoon. But cemeteries can make fascinating destinations. Sometimes a few words on a tombstone can suggest a whole life story; sometimes you can find a famous name, a beautiful work of art, or landscaping worthy of a botanical garden.

Find out more about cemetery tours, and which cemeteries you should visit here.

Try a Quick Getaway to Gatlinburg

Would you like to get away but don’t think you have the time? How does horseback riding, canoeing, shopping or perhaps a dip in a hot tub sound to you?

You can do all of this in one weekend trip by driving to Gatlinburg, Tenn., which is closer than you may think.

Amid the splendor of the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg embodies the simple goodness of small town life. Gatlinburg is where people gather together and stand in awe of nature’s glory.

The adjacent Great Smoky Mountains National Park, boasts more than nine million visitors annually, and has transformed Gatlinburg into a mountain resort destination, packed with accommodations of every sort, dozens of local-to-national restaurants, and attractions galore.

Surrounded on three sides by the natural beauty of the park, Gatlinburg prides itself in its mountain heritage, and the arts, crafts and retail shops of the area reflect that heritage to a large extent.

Enjoy the walking community along the Downtown Parkway, which runs from one end of town to the other with hundreds of things to see and do in between. The river walk along River Road echoes the wistful sounds of the Little Pigeon River, with gazebos and benches along the walkway. And the streets are dotted with shops and restaurants for about three miles.

Once the sun sets, there are plenty of fine dining and entertainment options. From family-fare to filet mignon and everything in between, the area’s restaurants have something special to please you. Log on to www.gatlinburg.com for more info.

If you have been to Gatlinburg and would like to share your favorite restaurant, attraction or photos, please let us know.