‘Your Wallet’: Nebraska family vacations with a low price tag
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – In the second month of summer with the kids at home, you might be feeling a little stir crazy and needing a change of scenery.
And a family vacation or road trip might just be the answer.
One option, just up the road from Lincoln, is Mahoney State Park.
Camping is a great way to stretch your dollars and make memories.
“I’m a huge advocate for camping,” said park Superintendent Michael Townsend. “I think that families should always get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Getting that sunshine on you is going to be the best thing you can do in the summer, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive event.”
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If you’re a first-time camper, Townsend has some advice to help your experience go smoothly.
“For families camping, you don’t need a whole lot,” he said. “I always recommend a tent that’s going to allow for more than your family size. So if you’re a family of four, maybe get a tent that’s the size for 6 or 8 people, gives you a little more space, so you can love your family at the end of your vacation. Also, weather-appropriate gear is always important. Weather changes quickly out here in the campground areas. You could be facing rain in the morning, but then sunshine and hot days in the afternoon.”
Mahoney has a seemingly endless list of activities to fill your day, including an activity center for kids, horseback riding, an aquatic center, miniature golf, hiking, paddle boats and more.
“The parks offer a lot of activities that are not only going to be low cost, but sometimes we also offer free outdoor activities,” Townsend said.
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But if the open road is calling your name, the Nebraska Tourism Commission has got your stops mapped out with its Passport program.
There are 70 unique stops all across the state that are both affordable and fun for your family.
“Anywhere from Chadron to Nebraska City to Ponca to McCook, everywhere in between, there’s lots of always really great and really exciting things to try and visit,” program coordinator Madison Johnson said. “A huge variety of places, so state parks, restaurants, cafes, museums, little roadside attractions, all sorts of good stuff and fun things to do for people of all ages.”
At the stops, you collect stamps and can earn prizes based on how many stops you make.
The commission prints about 55,000 booklets every year, and they’re almost all gone by the end of the summer, or you can just download the app.
Either way, it’s all free.
“It’s a lot of fun for not a lot of money, to be honest with you,” Johnson said. “I mean, the most expensive thing about doing the program is easily the gas. It’s a really great option for families and a lot of retired folks as well.”
