Connecticut Makes for a Reasonable Vacation

See State Attractions While Keeping Within Trip Budget

Aug 24, 2009

Despite the economy, families on a budget can have a reasonably priced vacation in Connecticut and enjoy themselves if they know where to go in the state.

Visiting Connecticut offers something for everyone without breaking the budget. A family of five can spend a little more than $1,000 for a week in the state and still have plenty to do. That price includes food, lodging and prices of sights.

Before arriving at the destination, families should pick a hotel with refrigerators. They should bring food to save on buying meals at restaurants every day. For example, if families are budgeting, they can bring foods for breakfast, lunch and snacks. This way, they can eat out for dinner. That way they are spending money on five meals instead of 15. Another way to save is to eat leftover food from dinner for the next day’s meal. In addition, families can find hotels that offer free breakfasts or meals where children eat free if they eat in the hotel restaurant. On long drives, having plenty of drinks on hand also can save a family-on-a-budget money. Supermarkets often have drink deals, which will reduce the cost of drinks.

Go Through Connecticut Brochures

Upon arriving in the Connecticut hotel, get all the brochures from the lobby. Separate the brochures into two categories. Those with an admission, and those without. Some places will cost more than others. Disregard any attractions that will be more than the budget. On the trip to Connecticut, one family of five allowed everyone to choose one activity each day. Here are activities that are either free or under $30 for all five members of one family.

Besides these attractions, children will enjoy the Dinosaur Place in Montville, Conn., where they can dig for gems, find fossils and pan for gold. The Dinosaur Place also has an outdoor area with a dinosaur trail and a splash park. However, each activity is a separate price, ranging from $7.99 to $18.99 per person.

Norwich, Conn., offers a self-guided tour of historic places. The brochure in the hotel’s lobby gives a brief description of the place’s history. The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center shows off Connecticut’s natural habitats for a small admission fee.

Play on Connecticut’s Beaches

During the trip, families should take in Connecticut’s beaches. While many are privately owned, the state parks offer beaches for a small parking fee. In Niantic, Conn., the town provides free parking if visitors walk on the Niantic boardwalk, which isn’t a boardwalk, but a walking path along the beach. However, to go to the beach, called “Hole in Wall Beach,” the town sells a pass. From this beach, visitors can see the nuclear power plant, jetties and sand with stones. This beach had a lot of seaweed and was small, but tourists and locals crowded the beach.

At Rocky Neck State Park, the beach’s sand was a cream color and smooth. The water had a few high waves. Ocean Beach Park offered the beach, a boardwalk that is a boardwalk, rides, an arcade and a water slide. The children’s rides were not expensive, but the water slide and arcade were separate prices. The beach, a white-soft sandy beach, was the largest beach of the three. However, the waves were low.

With careful precaution, a family can have a nice vacation without spending a lot of money.

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