For years, we have driven through Jacksonville without stopping to visit. So, when I finally went last month, I looked for budget stretchers to add fun to our vacation without having to spend much at all. Jacksonville is a budget-travel goldmine! HA! Funny — budget travel… goldmine. Am I the only one who found that […]
Jacksonville Getaway: A fun family weekend!
Jacksonville, Florida is home to more than just the Jaguars and bridges. This city and its nearby Atlantic coast beaches has everything a family could want for a great weekend getaway. Jacksonville Attractions The Beaches The big draw inspiring a Jacksonville getaway might be its 4.1 miles of beaches. With free parking, plentiful oceanfront restaurants […]
Spring Shines at Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
We took our first trip to Walt Disney World in the spring of 2000, during the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. At the time, my boys were 5 and 2. That trip, especially our day at Epcot, was perfect, just what you’d expect from the TV commercials. We loved the vibrant gardens, topiaries and […]
Mission San Luis
I was provided free admission to Mission San Luis for purposes of this article. All opinions are my own. To learn more, read my disclosure policy. Wherever I travel, learning the history of the region means a lot to me — enough that I even toured the sewers in Paris a couple years ago (great […]
Escape to Orlando, FL: Universal Orlando
Have an Adventure at Universal Orlando, Islands of Adventure My mom and I are huge fans of Harry Potter and we have been dying to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Islands of Adventure for years. We finally got the chance to go this year during our trip to Florida and we […]
Escape to Orlando, FL: Buena Vista Palace Hotel and Spa
Hello, wonderful readers of Family Travels on a Budget! My name is Molly and I’m Karen’s new intern! I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time talking about myself, but I thought I would at least introduce myself. I am 19 years old and I’m going to be a sophomore at Stark State […]
5 Walt Disney World Travel Tips everyone needs to know before going to Disney
Our family has been to Walt Disney World more than our fair share of times over the past 20 years. Every three years or so, we buy annual passes and make several long weekend trips to play at the parks enjoying the different themed events along the way. It helps that we live within an […]
Review: Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
My husband had a conference at Walt Disney World last week which just so happened to coincide with my kids’ spring break. Poor guy! He had to work while we got to play…. Well “work” is relative. Save $53on a Disney World 4-Day Park Hopper! Hop through all 4 parks. Anyway, I digress. Since he had […]
Test Track at Epcot
“Mommy, tell your readers they have to ride the New Test Track at Epcot! It’s soooooo much fun!” — Ellie, age 9 There you have it, folks! My daughter — who two days before riding Test Track at Epcot was terrified of all rides big, fast and loud — loves it! As for the rest […]
Sea World’s All-Day Dining Deal
Do you know what it’s like feeding TWO teenage sons at a theme park? Expensive! These guys are bottomless pits! Thankfully, Sea World’s All-Day Dining Deal actually is a deal because so many SeaWorld restaurants are included — and helps our budget! I just wish I had done the math our first trip! Save $53 […]