Affordable Family Vacations Skis Wintergreen, VA

Wintergreen, in the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia, is a great place to take an affordable family ski vacation. The first time we visited the resort area with kids in tow was a long Thanksgiving weekend. The slopes were not open yet for the season, but they had just received snow fall and everything was beautiful. I have to admit, I was shocked on how far removed the mountain top was from any town, a grocery store or society in general.  Wintergreen is a top down resort meaning the lodge and base are at the top of all the slopes instead of the bottom.  This provides fantastic views. The resort is small with several hundred homes, condos and townhouses surrounding it. There is a general store/gas station, a couple of restaurants and shops affiliated with the resort and nothing else commercial. It's the perfect location to get away from it all without having to hike into the woods a few miles and camp. If you love the beauty of the outdoors in the mountains, but prefer to sleep in a nice comfortable bed, Wintergreen is the place to go.

The Blue Ridge Express, one of the main lifts at Wintergreen 

Affordable Skiing and Snowboarding Tips for Families Going to Wintergreen
Skiing, with kids, is expensive. I Googled for deals, I checked-out local ski-shops, I even heard you could buy lift tickets at a discount from those big box membership stores, but I wasn't coming up with much and I struggled to justify the cost. Then I went back to Wintergreen's website and found some great  money saving deals, figured out what days were the least expensive to go and made a plan.

1) Plan your vacation around a weekday that your kids have off,  that is not a national holiday! Check your kids' school calendar and see if they have any days off such as a teacher workday, and plan your trip around that date. Weekday rates for lift tickets and equipment rentals are much lower than weekend rates and actually pretty inexpensive in comparison to holiday rates.

 2) If you have a fifth or sixth grader and you live in VA, MD, DC, NC and WV, they will receive 3 FREE 8-hour session lift tickets and some additional discounts for your group. The passes aren't good on Saturdays or holidays, but that's when it is expensive and crowded anyway. This is a fantastic discount, but you have to contact the resort ahead of time and make sure to take the required paperwork with you. It's a minor hassle to set up this account with the resort and it's a huge savings.

3) If you have any in your group who are new to skiing or snowboarding, sign up for the Guaranteed Learn to Ski program. It includes a discounted rate for a lift ticket, ski rental and a lesson.  I have used this a few times and been very happy with the results.  One weekday visit we ended up with a semi-private lesson for our boys with a wonderfully patient instructor.

4) Unless your kids do endurance training, go ahead and buy the 4 hour lift ticket instead of the full day pass.  Going on a weekday, the lift lines will be short and after four hours your kids will be wiped out.  Don't worry that you won't have enough time. They build in an extra half hour from purchase to get your gear and get on the slope.

Affordable Vacation Rental Tips for Families Visiting Wintergreen
The Wintergreen lodge offers standard hotel rooms, efficiency type rooms and some condo vacation rentals.  They offer specials occasionally, but even then they are pricey.  Rent directly through a Wintergreen vacation home owner and save a considerable amount of money.  Some owners are special members of the resort which allows them to offer additional amenities such as discount lift tickets, access to the indoor pool etc.  Look around and see who has the best offer and is in the best location on the mountain for the activities that you want to do.

Getting around the mountain in the winter can be tricky.  If you are staying in a condo, the parking lot will be cleared of snow and ice on a regular schedule.  Beware if you are staying in a home and do not have 4WD.  Make sure to inquire with the owner if their drive will be cleared if snowfall occurs.

My favorite place to stay in the winter are the Three Ridges condos one row back from the resort.  They are an easy walk to the slopes and lodge and they are older so they usually rent for less than the newer condos higher up on the ridge.  Even in the summer, there are hiking trails that start off right from the Three Ridges parking lot.  Some units are well maintained and have been updated nicely, others not so much.

Other Affordable Wintergreen Winter Activities

The Tube Run "The Plunge" at Wintergreen

So you skied and now you are wondering what else to do?  Wintergreen has an ice rink right at the lodge, adjacent to the main ski area.  There is also a great tubing area.  Tubing sells out fast, so if you want to go, buy your session online ahead of your visit.  For the adventurous types, there is a winter zip line.  And, they  have indoor tennis.  I have jumped in on a couple of clinics in the past and really enjoyed them.  I also found their rates very reasonable.   More importantly, I was able to slip away for "mom time".  Speaking of "mom time", Wintergreen has a spa.  By the time we have paid for a vacation rental, lift tickets, equipment rental and my tennis clinic or two, I haven't been able to work in the spa.   I have heard it is nice, so it's on my list.

Affordable Family Dining at Wintergreen
We bring a cooler and a few bags of groceries and prepare most of our meals in our vacation rental.   Bring what you need as there is no grocery store, just the small general store/gas station.   There is a cafe that is inexpensive and serves basics such as hotdogs, hamburgers and pizza.  I have lucked out on a visit or two and purchased their special meal for the evening.  The kitchen for the cafe is shared with one of their nicer restaurants and the special was cafe priced but was a great restaurant meal.

Have you been to Wintergreen for skiing or snowboarding?  What money saving tips do you have?

Affordable Family Vacations does Duck, Outer Banks, NC

My husband and his family have been vacationing in Duck, NC so long that he remembers when the paved road, Route 12, used to end in Duck.  This was some time ago in the 70s.  My first visit wasn't until the early 90s and the paved road ended at it's current location in the Ocean Hill section of Corolla, the town north of Duck.  Since then, I have witnessed growth and changes in the Outer Banks, but not much has changed in Duck.  We have vacationed in Duck with our kids twice, both times staying for two week periods.  From these experiences and having stayed in the towns north and south of Duck, I have some great ideas to share to save money and have fun on your Duck family vacation.

Duck is quaint, but crowded in the summer.  The speed limit going to and leaving Duck is 35 mph and it drops to 25 in the heart of town. Most times traffic doesn't even reach that.  If you are staying in the heart of Duck, you wont mind the traffic as you can walk or ride a bike most places.  This is hands down my favorite part about staying in this section of the Outer Banks.  There is a paved path throughout Duck, alongside route 12, for bikes, walkers, joggers, etc. The path stays busy from sun up to sun down throughout summer.

Where to Stay in Duck
If you are planning a visit to Duck, you will need to rent a home.  There are no hotels or campgrounds in Duck. There are condos, older beach homes and beautiful, newer mansions.  With the great inventory of older, smaller beach homes it's easy to find something nice, clean and affordable and if not directly on the beach, easily nearby.  Duck is rather narrow making it easy to walk from the beach to the Currituck Sound.  Some homes even have great views of both bodies of water.  Most vacation homes include beach chairs and some beach toys, so don't buy or rent any until you arrive and can determine your needs.

What to Do in Duck
Once you settle in Duck, there are many affordable family activities.  The number one way to have fun is to play on the beach!  Take a swim, ride a boogie board, go for a walk and examine sea creatures, shells and the Duck Field Research Facility Pier.  Usually tours can be scheduled for the pier, but they are not having tours for summer 2013.  After a day on the beach, head to the sound to catch an amazing sunset.  There is a beautiful elevated boardwalk that runs the length of the sound from Christopher Drive, north to the Waterfront Shops.  Along the boardwalk are spots to drop in a kayak, go crabbing and take great photos.  There are also plenty of sound front shops and restaurants to keep you busy.  Just off the boardwalk, the Duck Town Park is the place where activities from outdoor yoga to live music keep you entertained.

From Duck you can head north or south for a variety of great Outer Banks activities.  Travel north to Corolla to check out the Currituck Heritage Club.  Read more about the activities and sights there in my Affordable Family Vacations does Corolla post.  Drive south to Kill Devil Hills and you can visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial, only $4 per person for admission.  Even further south, in Nags Head, you can hike up the Bodie Island Lighthouse, which until just recently was only open to view, but is now restored and open to climbing, $8 for adults, $4 for children and seniors.


What and Where to Eat in Duck
Come to Duck prepared!  There are no big box grocery stores in town.  There are a few smaller specialty stores and usually a farm stand is open, but it's a good 15 -20 minute drive north to Corolla or south to Kitty Hawk for the grocery stores.  Packing a cooler to take along basics and prepared meals for your trip to Duck is a great way to save time and money.  For affordable family friendly meals out in Duck, I recommend dining in or take out from Duck Deli, Waves Pizza, Coastal Cantina and Duck Donuts.  For yummy adult treats, go to a wine tasting at Tommy's Market and shop some of their fresh seafood and specialty foods.  If you just can't pass up on some of the fine dining options, make reservations for lunch and spend a lot less money and still enjoy a fantastic meal.  Research Duck restaurants before you go!

Now you are ready for a great trip to Duck.  Share your tips if you have any that I missed.

Affordable Family Vacations does Corolla, Outer Banks, NC

Have you been to the Outer Banks?  Not sure where to start?  The Outer Banks of NC has distinct areas that appeal to a wide variety of beach goers.  Do you like a lot of action, places to eat, and tourist attractions?  Then you will want to be right in the middle in the towns of Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head.  I will discuss these areas in another post.  If you want something a bit more relaxed, less traffic, and a more natural beach setting, then you will want to head to the north or the south ends of the Outer Banks.

Road signs directing traffic off the Wright Memorial Bridge, along with the plug for our website across the bottom.

The Lay of the Land - Corolla

Corolla, (Ku Rah Lah - not pronounced like car) NC is on the northern end of the Outer Banks, across the Currituck Sound from the mainland.  Corolla includes several neighborhoods each a little different from the next.  From fancy pants, secluded Pine Island mansions to  a variety of house sizes and options in Whalehead and Ocean Sands to amenity rich Corolla Light and Currituck Club, there is something for everyone.  Summer home rentals are usually a week.  Off season rentals offer more flexible time constraints.  Since Corolla is on the northern end, over 100 miles north of Ocracoke, which anchors the southern end of the banks, the water tends to be cooler, if not down right cold most months of the year. For this reason, I highly recommend visiting in July, August and September when the water temperatures are in the more mild range.  If you are from the North, you probably won't notice, but I grew up swimming in the Gulf in FL, so I struggle to appreciate cold water.

Ocean Hill is the last neighborhood you will pass heading north on the paved road. If you travel any further into Carova, you must have 4WD.   Even if you have 4WD, if you haven't driven on soft sand, TURN AROUND.  This is not Daytona Beach, you will get stuck if you don't know what you are doing and don't have the right vehicle.  If you have four wheel drive, hop out, air down your tires to 20 PSI and you can drive up the coast and check out Carova and Swan beach and travel to the state line dividing North Carolina from Virginia. The 4WD area is the section of the Outer Banks where the wild horses roam free.  If you don't have 4WD, book a tour.  They aren't cheap, but if you really want to see the wild horses, it's your best option.

Where to Stay
Rent a vacation home in Corolla.  There are hotels in Corolla (two) but for family travel, you will save enough money on meals to cover the difference, if any, of staying in a hotel.  My family has stayed in homes in the Corolla neighborhoods of Ocean Sands (3 times), Whalehead (2 times), Corolla Light (3 times) and Ocean Hill (1 time).  We always stay on the ocean side of the main road, route 12.  If you want to save even more money and you enjoy the sound, many beautiful homes can be found on this side too.  Some sound side neighborhoods offer transportation to the beach . If you came for the beach, verify your neighborhood does this before you reserve a home.

Beach and rental homes in Corolla

There are several reputable property management companies and individuals that rent homes to visitors.  See these by owner and by property manager homes for an idea of what's available.  Check out their ratings and reviews before investing in renting a vacation home.  It's a shame, but some homes and their managers aren't what they appear to be so research it like you would any large purchase.  Many houses in Corolla are large, as in really, really big.  If you have close relatives or another family you can tolerate for a week, go in together to rent a home.  

Dining Out and Grocery Shopping

I highly recommend taking a cooler, even if it's just a small one and a few bags of groceries on your trip to Corolla.  There are two large chain grocery stores, but they do tend to run a little higher on costs than my area grocery stores and they are swamped with shoppers on most days.  There is also a small farmers market, seafood shops and specialty food stores.  Taking a cooler lets you chill out at the house and relax when you first arrive, something you will want to do after driving through summer traffic.  It also lets you have a meal ready to go for your first night insuring you aren't in a 2 hour wait for pizza delivery.  A small cooler also comes in handy taking lunch down to the beach and lots of cold drinks.  If you have the room to take a bigger cooler, make a few meals in advance, freeze them and use the frozen casseroles as your ice in the cooler.  Nothing is better than spending a whole day on the beach and not having to worry about making dinner knowing you can pop one of those in the oven.

There are restaurants in Corolla.  Some are great and some are OK.  I haven't found anyone offering early bird dining specials or anything else, but honestly, they don't have to in the summer as they are shooting fish in a barrel.  Check out restaurant reviews from locals and vacationers at Corolla Restaurant Guide on the OBX Connection website before making the investment to eat out.  As usual, I highly recommend making your meal out lunch and not dinner.  Lunch avoids the crowds, cost less and is a lot more enjoyable for both reasons.  My favorites for affordable family dining in Corolla are Route 12 for lunch (I think their dinner menu is over priced for the setting and location), Corolla Village BBQ (it used to be better under different owners, but it's still pretty decent) and Lighthouse Bagels.  My absolute favorite meal though is when we buy the 5 pound shrimp special that you will see advertised on road side signs and take it home for what we call a "Low Country Boil" and what others call "Frogmore Stew".  It is a simple meal that pleases the masses.

Activities
We spend almost every day possible on the beach.  We look for shells, examine beds of crushed shells for sea glass, play frisbee or paddle ball, read books and ride boogie boards on countless waves.  Most rental homes provide some chairs and beach toys.  I would wait until you arrive before renting or buying any equipment.  Some have the bare minimum and some homes are stocked to the brim with great beach items from boogie bards to a beach cart and bikes.  We usually bring a chair or two, a beach umbrella and that's it.

The next favorite activity is visiting the grounds of the Currituck Heritage Park on the sound in Corolla.  There are many things to do and see here, most activities are free or fairly inexpensive.  Turning the kids free to roam is the best part.  The Outer Banks Wildlife Center is here and it is free.  The Whalehead Club is also here.  You can tour the outside and check out the gift shop for no charge, tours of the inside are free for kids under 8, $10 for adults and $8 for 8-18.  Next door to the Currituck Heritage Park is historic Corolla Village.  It's free to check out  the older buildings, mostly shops and the grounds of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.  To climb the lighthouse is $7 and it is free for kids under 7.  The photos you can take from the top are priceless.

Aeriel shot of Whalehead Club, Nature Center and Currituck Beach Lighthouse along the Currituck Sound

Usually we take one day trip down to the middle of the Outer Banks for another activity.  Depending on what we are up for, we either climb Jockey's Ridge in Nags Head or we visit the NC Aquarium in Manteo on Roanoke Island.  There is no charge to enter Jockey's Ridge State Park or to climb the dunes.  I do recommend you go early in the day as it gets very hot on the sand in the summer sun.  This is also another excellent location to take photos.  The NC Aquarium is high on my kids list to visit.  It's the perfect rainy day activity, but be forewarned that if it's raining, the Aquarium will be packed.  The NC Aquarium is $6 for children, $8 for adults and $7 for seniors.

Have Fun
Now you are ready to roll and enjoy a fantastic, affordable family vacation in Corolla.  When you get back, leave me a note and let me know what you thought.  If you've been before with your family, let me know if you have any other tips and tricks for a great affordable vacation.

Your beach umbrella is waiting for you in Corolla!

Affordable Family Vacations does Hilton Head Island

I absolutely love the low country of South Carolina.  It's not something I can easily put my finger on or put into words.  I knew the first time I crossed that bridge onto Hilton Head Island over 20 years ago, I was hooked.  I could try to describe this coastal area jewel, but, Pat Conroy's books do a far superior job as I cannot touch his prose.

Hilton Head, in spite of the tremendous growth leading to the island, is an amazing destination to get away from it all and unwind.  Visit knowing there are good times to go and great times to go and places you should just avoid at times.  I am no rookie to the island having lived there for a year and visited several times since.   So, I have a few affordable and mind-saving Hilton Head tips and tricks to share!

1) Be smart about driving to Hilton Head and when you are on the island.  Traffic on 288, the road leading from 1-95 onto the island, can just suck the life out of you if you are trying to get on the island on a Saturday in the summer anywhere near 4:00 p.m.  The same stands for the weeks surrounding Easter too.  Yes, that is the check in time for most weekly rental homes on the island, but guess what?  Don't come at that time.  Come really early, arrive late, just don't think you are going to drive onto the island at 4:00, stroll on in to pick up your keys and not want to plow every single mini-van driver from OH and PA and trust me, there are thousands of them and it is woefully apparent that almost none of them are able to traverse a traffic circle correctly.  JUST DON'T DO IT!

Traffic circles?  Yes, there are traffic circles.  Before you leave for your wonderful and affordable trip to Hilton Head, pull up a map of the island and learn where the circles are.  If you have never driven on one, do us all a favor and watch a video on it or let someone else drive.  Just don't stop in the circle.  No one cares if you missed your turn, because, guess what???  It's a circle and you can catch it the second or even the third time around.  It's better to have someone laugh and point at you as you circle around then having them use another finger in your direction  because you didn't know where you were going and you stopped.

Speaking of not knowing where you are going, pull up that trusty map again, especially before you go anywhere on the island at night.  Why?  You say, "Surely, I will see the sign, right?"  Umm, no you probably won't see the sign or any sign.  Hilton Head has amazingly wonderful signage laws that don't allow any tall signs that light up, stand out or could possibly look tacky.  This makes the island beautiful and very confusing for first time visitors.

OK, now that you know how to get around the island, it's time to learn how to do the island with a family without spending a fortune.

2) Rent a home.  Pick a condo, villa or a house.  There are tons of great options through vacation property managers and Vacation Rental Owner web sites.  I have used both and really enjoyed our last trip getting to know the owner of the villa and appreciated all the little extras that were provided by renting  through the owner.  I highly recommend you speak directly with the owner if you go that route, asking lots of questions and gauging their response to insure you are not being scammed.  IF anything seems fishy, price, details, etc. move on as there are thousands of well managed homes on this island.  Staying in a home gives you a great place to unwind, entertain if the weather is bad and gives you privacy.  Renting a home will allow you to save more than enough money on meals to make up for any cost difference of staying in a hotel.

3) Bring some groceries with you.  Again,  I am going to assume you are driving, since this is an "Affordable Family Vacations Blog", so take some groceries with you, enough to get through meals for a day or so.  Bringing that first day of meals and snacks helps knock out two birds with one stone.  You won't be in the grocery store on Saturday afternoon/evening with everyone else on the entire island and two, you can skip eating out that first day and head straight to the beach, golf course, tennis courts, whatever it is you couldn't wait to do on the island.  The island has some really nice grocery stores so don't over pack.  I am partial to Publix, having grown up in FL. Harris Teeter is always clean and neat and you might have to stop at Piggly Wiggly just to buy their t-shirts - "I 'm Big on the Pig".  There is also a Fresh Market, Bi-Lo and Sam's Club.

4) Go out to eat on the cheap.  The island has amazing restaurants.  I mean amazing!!!  And, they are on the expensive side.  BUT,  there are a few ways to enjoy the great dining options while saving your sanity (the good ones are always packed) and your wallet.  Instead of going out for dinner, go out for lunch.  Lunch is less costly, while still offering some fantastic meals AND rarely will you deal with the crowds that are involved with going out to dinner.  Or, go early for dinner.  Many restaurants offer an early bird menu with discounts from their regular evening prices.  Going early will also be easier on kids who will not be particularly well behaved if after running around on the beach all day they have to wait an hour or more to be served.  There are free restaurant guides available at just about every shopping plaza or you can look online.  Lastly, order take out.  With take out, you can still enjoy a wonderful meal without waiting in a crowded restaurant and you will save money on drinks and tip.

5) Seriously consider visiting in May or September.  I know most kids are in school during these times, but the weather, aside from the occasional September hurricane, is usually fantastic, the vacation rental rates are lower and there will be far less traffic, people, etc.  Discounts can also be found the last weeks in August.  It is crazy hot these weeks, so if you go this route, go prepared to find indoor entertainment options in the heat of the day.

The five tips above are an overview of affordable Hilton Head Island vacationing.  I will get into more details in future blog posts getting to the nitty gritty of  which areas of which plantations offer less crowded and more affordable accommodations, which restaurants are family favorites and what activities, aside from playing on the beach, are fun and affordable.  I would love to hear from you if you have visited Hilton Head and what your favorite tips are from your trip!

The beach at Palmetto Dunes Plantation on Hilton Head Island

Harbour Town marina in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head

Google Affordable Family Travel Lately?

We like to travel and I am always looking for a fun place to visit from state and national parks to theme parks, cities, beaches and mountains - it's all good.  But, have you done a search on family travel?  Did you come to realize you needed to scale back the results so extravagant trips costing $10,000+ were not included.  I quickly learned that most travel marketers have a completely different idea than I do or that I would venture most have of what is family travel.  Even when I caveated my family travel searches with the foreword of "Affordable"  I still got back an interesting list of options requiring flights, purchasing passports, etc.  Umm...., this isn't what I was looking for, but thanks for making me feel like we are poor.  We are a family of five, so a trip involving a flight would eat most our travel budget for the year.

 Heading out of the country to an amazing resort hotel that happens to have a kids drop-off program, where those who prefer can ditch their kids (for an exorbitant sum), is not what I consider fun family travel and I am pretty sure most cannot afford.  These places and their marketing campaigns are comical. Yet, publication after publication tout what a great time can be had.  Sure, the writer had a great time, they were comped for the entire trip!

The Family travel I am going to share is geared to families with accommodations providing space and privacy for everyone, especially a place to cook meals. It will be affordable, and will usually contain a bit of adventure.  Getting out of our comfort zone is an amazing experience for our kids and it's even better when they witness their parents doing it too.

I am looking forward to sharing the trips we've taken over the years, what we've learned and hoping to find new places to go.  From Disney to DC we've got tips and tricks.

So what are you doing this summer for an affordable family trip?  Are you taking a day trip here and there, spending a week at the beach, lake or in the mountains?  Let me know!