Summer Vacation Ideas From Affordable to Extravagant

There are lots of great ways to spend a mini vacation with your husband. The summer is a great time to do it because there is no school to deal with. You can have someone come to your house to watch your kids or drop your kids off at grandmas to stay while you are away. Here are some ideas from the affordable to the extravagant. All these trips can be as short as a long weekend or extended to a longer trip.

A Stay-cation - This is definitely the most affordable option. Take your kids to Grandma's house and stay home. You can go out to dinner, bring dinner in, or buy some lobster and steak and cook it yourself. You can go out to a movie or rent one. Don't forget to visit some of the local places you never go with the kids; a winery, museum, fair, antique shop, or farmers market. Sleep in, relax and enjoy your time with each other as if you were out at a hotel.

Go Camping - Now I know this may not appeal to many women, and it never did to me, but since we have had kids we have gone camping a bunch of times and now I wish we would have done it before we had kids. It can be romantic to be out in nature, picnicking, and cuddling around a campfire. This can be very affordable if you have some equipment. If not then you may be able to borrow a tent from a friend and grab local takeout instead of cooking your own food. Your husband might be into this idea too which can help a lot if he was reluctant to do something before.

Bed and Breakfast - Head out to a local bed and breakfast for a long weekend. This can be a nice quiet getaway. This is also affordable and can be a good option if you have younger children and you don't want to go too far. Look around within a couple hours of your home and you can have a little getaway but know that you can get home if needed.

Hotel in the Big City - Drive to a nearby big city and enjoy some culture. Head out to NY, Vegas, Miami, Niagra Falls, or another big city. Stay in a nice hotel, see a show, do some gambling, or another activity common in that city.

Cruise - If you live near the coast this can be a good option. If you don't live near the coast then you'd have to add in a flight. Some cruises are as short as 4 nights. It can be a great way to get pampered and enjoy some alone time. I have enjoyed several cruises on Royal Caribbean and would recommend them.

Head to the Tropics - There is nothing like a few nights in paradise. Hop a plane to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, or another exotic location. This is one of the more extravagant options but if you can swing it, go for it. There are lots of all inclusive resorts like Sandals that offer luxury vacations and have great sales promotions.

Leaving your kids behind can be a bit stressful if you have never done it before but getting organized for the babysitter can really help. Also, you may feel like its going to be weird spending all that time alone together without the kids. There are lots of great resources and ideas to help you along. Check out our article on great relationships for ideas.

Call grandma and grandpa or a close friend and set up a mini-vacation with your husband soon. No matter what your budget you can find something fun to do together.