Your whole family is looking forward to a vacation, but life has grown expensive with the cost rising on gas, groceries, and just about everything. But just because this might not be the year to take the whole extended clan on an all-expenses-paid cruise or book Dolly Parton’s tour bus-turned-hotel room for $10,000 a night, that doesn’t mean you have to stay home. You just have to get creative and find more economical expeditions.
To help, here’s a list of budget-friendly, fun-filled family trips throughout the South that you might not have thought of previously. It’s not too late to book a trip for a fall foliage tour, winter escape, springtime vacation, or summer at the beach. Scroll on for inspiration, then take your pick from these fun and affordable family vacations in the South.
Brevard, North Carolina
Peter Frank Edwards
Who wouldn’t want to visit the Land of Waterfalls? This western North Carolina town is filled with them, hence the moniker, plus other unforgettable outdoor sights and activities. Take a refreshing plunge off Sliding Rock, explore Pisgah National Forest, or admire the scenery of the Blue Ridge Parkway from your car window.
For cool locally-owned businesses and restaurants, head to downtown Brevard. Newfound Artisan is a great spot to pick up a souvenir or two made by a local craftsperson. The area is also home to several family-friendly breweries with food trucks, when hunger hits.
Destin, Florida
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Imagine building sandcastles on a glittering white beach gently lapped by emerald waters—without traveling to the Caribbean. There’s a lot to love about Destin, a city on the section of Florida Panhandle referred to as the Emerald Coast. You’ll get no shortage of beach time while you stay in the “world’s luckiest fishing village,” and of course, you’ll want to drop a line from the pier or surf cast from the sand.
This barrier island also offers beachy bars, seafood shacks, cruises, and watersports. Check out Harborwalk Village or the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park for fun and entertainment. Vacation rentals abound here, with deals often to be found during the shoulder seasons.
Lexington, Kentucky
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The Bluegrass State is known the world over for bourbon and horses. Louisville’s Churchill Downs hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. Lexington, though, is an all-day, every-day horseplay kind of town starting with the iconic Keeneland track. Watch morning workouts for free, take a guided tour of the grounds, snap photos in the winner’s circle, and stay for the races where BETologists can school you on how betting works and picking winners. Go behind the scenes of the thoroughbred business to see how they are bred, raised, trained, and taken care of when their racing days are behind them through Horse Country, a collective of farms, equine medical clinics, adoption centers, and retirement homes offering tours and experiences.
Lexington isn’t just about horses, though. Non-profit LexArts hosts a gallery and studio hop on the third Friday of every other month, breweries and distilleries can be found across the city, and there are plenty of places to eat, from high-end to casual.
Greenville, South Carolina
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It’s easy being green in Greenville as there are a ton of parks including the stunning Falls Park on the Reedy (head to Liberty Bridge to photograph the waterfalls at the center of town.), the Linky Park children’s garden with interactive displays, a mountain bike skills park, waterparks that host dog-only sessions, and the memorial park where Shoeless Joe Jackson is buried. (There’s also a museum in the baseball player’s former home.)
Ditch the car and take the free trolley around a bustling downtown and to the brand new 60-acre Unity Park with its 4,100 square-foot splash pad, art gallery, and outdoor classroom. The 22-mile car-free Swamp Rabbit Trail, which converted and beautified an abandoned rail line, connects Greenville to the neighboring hamlets of Fountain Inn, Travelers Rest, and Furman as well as Conestee Nature Preserve and the zoo.
Spring through fall, Noma Square hosts free live music, yoga classes, and a Saturday market outside. It also costs nothing to wander around looking at the more than 100 pieces of public art sprinkled throughout the city.
Tupelo, Mississippi
Jennie Curlee
With director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic introducing a new generation to The King’s music, it’s the perfect time to shake, rattle, and roll into his hometown. Tupelo is quite proud of its chart-topping native son; to wit, there are lots of preserved sites including the tiny house he was born in and his church, where a multi-media system recreates services where Elvis gained a life-long appreciation for gospel tunes), murals and sculptures, and a Tupelo Elvis Festival.
Hotel Tupelo, which has a Presley-themed package, provides guests bicycles that can be used to site hop. Slide into the marked booth for his favorite meal, a cheeseburger and RC Cola, at Johnnie’s Drive-In. Hear a salesperson at the still functioning Tupelo Hardware Company recount the tale of how he came in for a rifle but left with his first guitar. Recreate the iconic “Hands” photo from his 1956 homecoming concert with his statue at the former fairgrounds. When it’s time to hit the road, enjoy the scenery along the Natchez Trace Parkway (more on that below).
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Chris Rogers
If isle-hopping around Greece is beyond the budget this year, but you’re craving souvlaki something fierce, the Sunshine State offers an affordable substitute in Tarpon Springs, 45 minutes north of St. Petersburg. No passport is required to explore the Sponge Capital of the World, which saw a massive influx of Greek immigrants recruited for their diving skills to harvest the sea sponges that thrived in the Anclote River in the 1880s.
Today, with one in 10 residents tracing their heritage across the pond, the town still feels heavily Hellenic, especially down by the docks where strains of bouzouki music spill into the streets, the smell of freshly baked baklava fills the air, and blue and white is the color palette of choice for buildings and boats alike. Vintage vessels take tourists on expeditions and guides in the traditional suits demonstrate how the sponges are collected and prepared for market. Back on land, use your sea legs to complete a free walking audio tour of Greektown and scour shops for what once outstripped citrus as the state’s main export before feasting at mom-and-pop tavernas and bakeries like Mama’s or Hellas. If you happen to be there in January, swing by Spring Bayou to witness the largest Epiphany celebration in the U.S.
Bristol, Virginia & Bristol, Tennessee
Courtesy Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Nashville tends to get all the glory as the epicenter of the country music industry—but since 1998, these homey hamlets at the feet of the Appalachians have been recognized as “The Birthplace of Country Music” and have a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, shown here, to prove it. Back in 1927, producer Ralph Peer recorded 76 songs including the first tracks by Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family in the Bristol Sessions, cementing these twin cities as the main stop on The Crooked Road, Virginia’s music trail of fame.
These hills are still alive with the sound of music, especially in September when the annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival is held, or whenever a band is booked at the art deco Paramount or the rooftop bar atop The Bristol Hotel. (Hotel guests get free tickets to the museum as well.) Even a meal here can celebrate genre history as Burger Bar is the last place Hank Williams Sr. was seen alive and its dishes are named after his songs. Bonus: Kids will get a kick out of standing in two states simultaneously under the neon sign that spans downtown’s main drag, also known as the state line.
New Braunfels, Texas
Robbie Caponetto
Camp Fimfo is not your grandpa’s campground. The sprawling New Braunfels spread between San Antonio and Austin is probably even next level compared to places you pitched a tent as a kid. There are so many accommodation types (tent sites, RV spots, A-frames with mini-fridges, cabins that sleep up to 12) and amenities. We’re talking water slides for both younger moppets and their older, braver siblings, a pool with private cabanas, limo carts to get around, a coffee station, mini-golf, swim-up bar, playground, food trucks, a jumping pillow, hot tubs, restaurants with craft brews, gem mining, workshops, yard games, and courts for pickle ball, volleyball, tennis, and basketball—you can hardly call this roughing it.
To top it all off, Camp Fimfo is located next to the float-tastic Guadalupe River and minutes from Hill Country wineries and the oldest dance hall in Texas (Gruene Hall). The nearby Gruene Historic District is also worth a visit.
St. Francisville, Louisiana
Alison Gootee
Have a budding influencer or photographer on your hands? With its towering oaks dripping in Spanish moss, fragrant blossoms in a ruins garden (Afton Villa), bayous fit for a Disney Princess and a Frog, and surprising rugged hills and bluffs (Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area), St. Francisville provides plenty of photogenic subject matter.
There are plenty of places to shop—or just browse—in this charming town. Head to District Mercantile on Ferdinand Street for a modern-day take on the old-fashioned general store (it originally opened in 1890). Nearby, you can browse titles and a wide selection of puzzles at Conundrum Books. Grab lunch at Magnolia Café, then check in next door at a 1930s motor court cabin for a memorable stay.
Macon, Georgia
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Smack dab in the center of the Peach State, Macon has made great contributions to America’s favorite pastimes. In spring, the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World” hosts a 10-day festival while it’s pretty in pink. Take your kids out to a ballgame and root, root, root for the home team, the Macon Bacon, whose mascot, a 7-foot-tall strip named Kevin, likes to dance. Its field is often seen on screens big and small (42, Brockmire, The Trouble With The Curve) as are other parts of town, which recently welcomed The Color Purple remake.
The city’s musical roots also run deep. Alabama Vest invented the kazoo here and hometown heroes include Otis Redding, Little Richard, and The Allman Brothers. After taking a Rock Candy music history tour, get a bite to eat at the Downtown Grill where Greg Allman proposed to Cher, or at H&H Soul Food, whose founder Mama Louise went on tour with the ramblin’ men in 1972.
Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi
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Drive back in time on this 444-mile scenic road offering a great combination of outdoorsy pursuits (hiking, biking, horseback riding), educational/cultural stops (Native American mounds, an inn from 1780, Sunken Trace), and natural beauty (Cypress Swamp, Jackson Falls, spring wildflowers). It roughly follows a historic travel and trade route used by foraging bison, Native Americans, Kaintucks, European settlers, soldiers, and famed explorer Meriweather Lewis. It begins just outside of Nashville, ends in Natchez, Miss., and zags into Alabama.
Managed by the National Park Service, the visitor center is in Tupelo but the Trace can be entered at many points. Stay in lovely Natchez, the oldest settlement on the Mississippi and the location of the most antebellum homes in the U.S. Many were converted into bed and breakfasts, or you can spend the night in the reasonably priced Hotel Vue.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Courtesy of RIVERSPORT OKC
It’s more like OK Sea after spending the day at the wet-and-wild adventure park RIVERSPORT OKC, which also happens to be an official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training compound for rowing, kayaking, and canoeing. Located alongside the Oklahoma River in the Boathouse District, RIVERSPORT has a continuous wave for surfing and several manmade rapids courses, on which the whole family can try their luck at whitewater rafting, tubing, and kayaking. If you’d prefer to stay dry, shred on the indoor ski simulator, pop wheelies in the bike park and skills trail, touch the sky on the six-story Sky Trail ropes course, climbing walls, or the zip-line.
The next neighborhood over, Bricktown, has hotels, restaurants, a ballpark, Brickopolis (mini golf, laser tag, arcade), and nightlife as well as water taxi cruises—some have a historic theme while others include a concert in the canal.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
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Finding safe spaces and seeing welcoming faces is key when traveling as an LGBTQ+ entourage, which is why you should consider what CNN called the “Bible Belt’s LGBTQ oasis” and The Advocate dubbed “the gayest small town in America.” Even the streets aren’t straight as none of them cross at right angles. Long known as an artist enclave, Eureka Springs doesn’t limit pride to June, instead throwing three annual diversity weekends. There’s a lot of opportunity to support small queer-owned businesses like Nibbles Eatery, Just Bee Coffee Bar, or Wanderoo Lodge, a modernized motor inn with what’s rumored to be the largest pool in the state and an onsite outfitter to rent kayaks and SUP for the nearby river.
As the name implies, the Ozarks community is also known for natural therapeutic cold springs of which there are about 60 within city limits. Ghost tours, The Great Passion Play, and art walks can fill out your itinerary.
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Photo by Billy Pope via Flickr/Outdoor Alabama
Nine ecosystems are represented in the gorgeous, 6,150-acre Gulf Shores Park. The best way to see all this biodiversity—from alligators to yaupon holly—is along 28 miles of paved trails and boardwalks. The best way to hit those trails is on two wheels and the best way to secure a ride is the park’s complimentary bike share. (Riders need to be 15 and older though children’s cruisers can be rented from Beach Bike Rentals.)
No matter what time of year you roll through, you’ll be rewarded with a variety of wildflowers and birds. A less strenuous way to meet the residents is at the nature center. Littles can learn to fish at the Angler Academy and your family’s favorite fur friend can run free at the Dog Pond. Bunk down in cabins, at campgrounds, or The Lodge at Gulf State Park, which sits on some of the park’s 3.5 miles of coastline and implements numerous earth-friendly initiatives like passive cooling, HVAC condensation collecting, and migrating bird-safe windows.
And when you’re ready to return to civilization, the area offers plenty of restaurants, locally owned shops, a zoo, and the beach, of course.
Birmingham, Alabama
Courtesy Melany B. Robinson
Birmingham, Alabama, is a great city for a family road trip as it’s situated just two hours west of Atlanta, 1.5 hours south of Huntsville, and an hour north of Tuscaloosa. Once you’ve arrived in the Magic City, a car will come in handy as you’ll have plenty of ground to cover. Kids will especially enjoy a Barons baseball game, a trip to The Birmingham Zoo, and an iMax movie or class at the McWane Science Center. For the whole fam, make time for a visit to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and a short hike up to the Vulcan State Park and Museum.
Ready for a break from all that education? Be sure to hit up the local breweries (Avondale Brewery and Back Forty Beer Co. are two Southern Living faves), BBQ joints (Carlile’s has been a staple since 1945), and unique haunts with cheap eats (like the Garage, the city’s original beer garden).
Linville, North Carolina
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Grandfather Mountain is calling and the whole family must go to brave the America’s highest suspension footbridge atop Linville Peak. Built 70 years ago, it swings (ever so slightly) more than a mile above sea level across an 80-foot chasm, sings like a harmonica when the wind blows, and provides spectacular views of the Southern Appalachians. But that’s not the only treasure this UNESCO biosphere reserve holds. The new Wilson Center doubles the size and modernizes the exhibits of the old nature center. Massive wildlife enclosures let you safely observe bears, elk, eagles, otters, and cougars, which sadly are so endangered that they no longer roam these alps, in their natural habitat.
Nearby, the visitor center to the Linn Cove Viaduct, an engineering marvel that was consciously built to preserve the fragile ecosystem that surrounds it, provides a quick engineering and environmental lesson on the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can spelunk in Linville Caverns inside Humpback Mountain where a rare trout species lives in an underground stream. There’s also gorgeous hiking and rock climbing in the fee-free Linville Gorge Wilderness.
Assateague & Chincoteague Islands, Maryland & Virginia
Todd Wright
Horsin’ around these barrier islands is a vacation you and your brood won’t soon forget between the wide windswept beaches, maritime museums where you’ll be regaled with captivating legends of super storms and shipwrecks, picnics heavily seasoned with Old Bay beside salt marshes brimming with birds, clamming hauls, boardwalk strolls under swaying loblolly pines, off-roading in the sand, and ample opportunities to watch the wild ponies the region is famous for prancing in plain view. Every July since 1926, spectators gather to witness saltwater cowboys round up horses and swim them across the shallow channel from one island to the other for auction.
Most of the Maryland side of Assateague is a national seashore presided over by the NPS, while Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is the domain of the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service. Stay in Ocean City, Maryland, or the city of Chincoteague on charming Chincoteague Island when it’s time to settle in for the night, as both provide all levels of hotel.
Sebring, Florida
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Less than three hours by car from Orlando, Tampa, and Miami, The City on the Circle—so nicknamed because of its downtown’s round layout surrounding a circular central park—is dotted with numerous lakes, orange groves, and golf courses. Highlands Hammock, where an elevated boardwalk extends over a cypress swamp and a tram takes older guests around with ease, is Florida’s oldest state park. Lucky visitors might catch a glimpse of the elusive panther.
If that doesn’t get your motor running, spend a day at the track at Sebring International Raceway, North America’s oldest permanent road racing facility and home of an annual 12-hour Le Mans-like endurance race. If your family prefers sipping to speeding, grab a cool treat at Sebring Soda & Ice Cream Works, which organizes a soda festival every April. By day, families can taste around 200 craft and classic sodas, listen to live music, and get their faces painted. By night, adults can pop in to taste cocktails created with spirits and soda.
Avery Island, Louisiana
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Take a road trip to the home of TABASCO which, despite the name, isn’t an island at all. Rather, it’s a large salt dome along the Louisiana coast surrounded by wetlands roughly three miles inland from Vermilion Bay. Avery Island has been the headquarters of the hot sauce since Edmund McIlhenny came up with the original red recipe 154 years ago. Still in the family and made basically the same way five generations later, foodies can tour the museum and factory, the pepper greenhouse, the barrel cooperage (It ages like wine), and a recreated salt mine.
Culinary experiences like cooking demos, Cajun/Acadiana tastings, and a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar further heat up visits. Taste-test all nine varieties at the restaurant and products only found there like TABASCO ice cream and soda at the country store. The compound also includes McIlhenny’s prized gardens and a snowy egret rookery (Bird City).
The Waterfall Trail, West Virginia
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Go chasing waterfalls in the Mountain State, where the first-ever official statewide trail and digital passport makes the jaw-dropping journey easy to complete. (While supplies last, there are even prizes for checking out between three and 20 of the cascades listed.) Though more than 200 waterfalls plunge dramatically in these parts known by locals as “almost heaven,” the official trail encapsulates roughly 40 waterfalls from well-known natural wonders like Blackwater, Campbell, or Sandstone Falls to more secluded hidden gems like Boone County’s Drawdy or Finn’s in New River Gorge National Park (a recent addition to the NPS).
On the way to each, enjoy picturesque country roads, spirited small towns, and the occasional luxury hotel with an infinity pool and its own on-property brewery
(Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown).
Houston, Texas
Birdman photos
Wanna trick the kids into learning something while they’re out of school? Try family-friendly Houston, Texas. First, get plant proficient at the 120-acre Houston Botanic Garden with a variety of workshops (Meditation With Herbs and monthly plant-based cooking classes) or by enrolling in immersive BotaniCamp (for kindergarten through fifth grade). Blast off to NASA’s Space Center Houston where they might be inspired to become an astronaut, especially if you spend the night camped out under a rocket doing STEM activities and tours with experts. The Miller Outdoor Theatre concerts and movie screenings at Historic Market Square Park will give the family a chance to appreciate the arts. Even the Marriott Marquis Houston’s rooftop lazy river in the shape of the Lone Star State can become a geography lesson.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Visit Gatlinburg
Between its homey Appalachian charm and affordable accommodations, Gatlinburg has become a popular basecamp for the Smokies. When you’re tuckered out from hiking in the park, relax at Gatlinburg’s popular pancake houses or wander the candy shops and craft galleries. Two-tiered theme park Anakeesta has a shopping village downtown where you catch a “chondola” lift to the mountaintop, Firefly Village. Up there, you can take in the stunning scenery on canopy walks, zip lines, a mountain coaster, and an observation tower offering 360-degree views of the Smokies from downtown Gatlinburg’s highest point. Tickets for general admission range from free for kids under 3 to $35 for adults.
Another favorite stop (and photo op) in Gatlinburg is the 680-foot-long SkyBridge, with dramatic views over the forested hills. In the surrounding area, there are lots of great places to hike and vistas for snapping photos and taking in the scenery.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
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Travel back in time to Colonial Williamsburg, where soldiers march with fifes and drums and period actors describe life in their bustling colonial town. The world’s largest living history museum frequently offers deals on tickets when you stay at one of the property’s hotels. Then journey back to modern-day Williamsburg to check out Merchants Square, where 100-year-old general stores share sidewalks with contemporary boutiques and trendy taprooms.
Not far from town, the winding, 52-mile paved Virginia Capital Trail follows Scenic Route 5 from Jamestown to Richmond, with views of rolling hillsides, historic sites, and the James River along the way. Rent bikes from Spoke & Art Provisions Co. to explore a section, then enjoy their snacks and sammies when you’ve finished your ride.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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Myrtle Beach is a classic family destination, and no wonder: This beach town has a bustling boardwalk, live music and shag dancing, game rooms, mini-golf, watersports, and a 187-foot-high SkyWheel for entertainment. The Market Common hosts free events during the summer such as Movies Under the Stars, Carriage Rides, and Concerts on the Green. You’ll find there’s no shortage of waterfront dining and restaurants at every price level.
While there are full-service resorts here, you can also find comfortable accommodations a couple of blocks away from the ocean that are more affordable. When the buzz in town gets to be too much, make a quiet escape to Huntington Beach State Park or Brookgreen Gardens.
RVshare, All 50 States
A monthly RV site rental gives you a beautiful view and peace of mind on your travels to and fro.
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Curious about #vanlife but not interested in committing to camper ownership? Try renting one through this large national online community of leisure vehicle owners. RVshare is basically Airbnb for pop-ups, toy haulers, travel trailers, 5th wheels, and class A-C motorhomes. Available in a wide variety of sizes (invite the whole extended fam), luxury levels, and price points, renters can task themselves with driving to and from their destination or have stationary units delivered directly to the campsite of their choosing. Some owners will even let you bring pets along for the ride.
Some good spots to check out: Sun Outdoors near presidential fave Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, historic Route 66 near Tulsa, or the Parrot Head paradise, Camp Margaritaville, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Seriously, that RV park is next level with a dog park, waterslide, duckpin bowling, an arcade, and complimentary cable and wi-fi. The service is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
