If you are like me, you may be going a little stir crazy with the cold weather. Also as the year gets underway, things like work and school start to take precedence and since there are few holidays to look forward to in the coming months, the natives might be getting restless. So here are some fun winter getaway ideas that will not break the bank while giving you and your family a mini winter vacation.
Since there aren’t too many holidays in the upcoming months you will probably have to fit your vacation into a weekend. Sometimes I like to take the kids to a familiar place, but switch it up by staying the night in a hotel or cabin. If a hotel stay is not in your family budget, you can always take a fun day trip, just try thinking outside of the box and see what you are able to find.
GET OUT IN THE SNOW
If you live in cold weather, you maybe over the snow by now, however, you can still make it fun by doing something a little different, like a family sledding competition or snow ball fight. Try going to a place were there are winter animals or natural events that occur only during the cold season.
Consider visiting a national park and book a reservation for a cabin or stay in a hotel nearby. GORP http://www.gorp.com/ has an easy to use reservation system, that allows visitors to book online. Since most of the parks offer discount rates during off season, this is a great way to book family weekend away.
This is one of the offers that looked fun to me.
Warbler watching in Texas this looked like a fun and exciting trip that could be shared with the family over weekend. The great thing about the GORP site is that you can put in your state and your interests and they will help you find an exciting weekend adventure for the family.
has some great snow vacations on sale, just go here and http://www.fly.com/deal.aspx?id=National011911&Origin=ABQ&Destination=DEN&utm_source=tzoo&utm_medium=t20&utm_campaign=lp
find your spot. The great thing about this site is, you can select all of the discount travel sites to help you find the lowest price on airfare.
GET OUT OF THE SNOW
Maybe you are just too tired of dealing with the snow and indoor recreation is what you are craving. Try going to an indoor water park to get some fun without the sun.
This website: http://www.indoorwaterparks.net/index.htm
Has a list of indoor water parks, categorized by state that will tell you were the indoor water park is located in your area. Again, plan a day at the park and maybe add an overnight somewhere nearby to add to the family fun. You can find great deals on hotels
http://www.travelzoo.com/ Travel Zoo helps scours the internet to find you the very best rates for your vacations. I love looking over their tempting offers and dreaming of the fun my family can have. Since a lot of the rates are really affordable, I am actually considering a winter vacation getaway for us.
Another great family savings website is 
This website http://www.wejustgotback.com/ is great because it is geared toward families especially those on a budget and has been tested and reviewed by people who have been to the places or have taken the vacations listed.
Another family vacation site is 
familygetaway.com just like the We Just Got Back site it offers current getaway deals and gives reviews and alternative ways to save on your family vacation travel.
Lastly, it may be crazy, but this is a good time of year to take a CRUISE, you can find some excellent deals on last minute cruises. Garaunteed, a last minute, surprise may just be the highlight of your children’s childhood, if not, certainly memorable. You can get great deals on the following cruise website.
Visit the 
website to find the most up to the minute and best in cruising with the family. They review cruises, state rooms and give you guidelines for traveling with kids. They also have scoured the internet of the best deals.
