How to find family vacation travel bargains anywhere in the US

May 17, 4:28 PMEarly Childhood Parenting ExaminerAngele Sionna

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School's almost out and summer is almost here. It's time to plan your family's summer getaway. And there are plenty of great places to go and cool things to see on the cheap.

The May issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray features family travel bargains, so I asked  Gina Hamadey, Every Day with Rachael Ray Travel Editor for some extra info on that story to help you find even more great travel deals for your family.

Examiner: How did you select the places in this story?
Gina: I hired six writers in six regions around the country who researched the free festivals going on throughout the summer. I chose these ten because I wanted to appeal to people in different regions, and with different tastes. We settled on a mix of food, art and family-friendly festivals that we built affordable trips around.

Examiner: The costs look pretty good per person. What's the most bargain trip you featured and how'd you find it?
Gina: This story showcases some of the best bargain trips we’ve ever run. You can spend the weekend at the Tupelo Film Festival, watching indie movies, touring Elvis’s childhood home and eating pulled pork for just $82.50 a person! That includes food and lodging. It’s a cool weekend trip for the price of a sweater. Look out for our big cruise package in the June/July issue: Two cruises we feature are just $299 a person. There are tons of travel deals right now, if you know where to look. Hint: Look in our magazine!

Examiner: What's the most family-friendly festival you featured? Tell me about it.
Gina: Three festivals were specifically chosen with families in mind—the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition in San Diego, the Boston Harborfest and the Chicago Air and Water Show. As for which is the most family friendly, I suppose that depends on your family. Would they rather build sandcastles, march in a parade of costumed revolutionaries or watch planes loop-de-loop?

Examiner: Which one is your favorite and why?
Gina: I would love to go to the Yarmouth Clam Festival because I’m dying to see Maine. Also, unlimited fried clams sound like heaven on earth to me.

Examiner: Any tips on finding decent hotels around the country, like the independent ones featured in this story?
Gina: I like to ask locals where they send their friends and relatives. My writers find sources in each city, and those people help them suss out the best deals.

(Examiner: A great place to find locals across the country to get insider tips, if you don't know anyone in the areas you want to visit: Twitter! That's one of my fav parts of Twitter. You can reach out to anyone anywhere and get honest advice about places to stay, see and eat!)

Examiner: Other than the festivals featured, is there a spot you recommend readers go and find more free or low cost festivals to plan a trip around that may be closer to them?
Gina: The site whatsonwhen.com is a great resource for events happening around the world.