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herlife | travelVacation Destinations ThatWon’t Break the Bankby kathleen m. kruegerEven with a tight economy, we all still need those times to get away and forget about theeveryday stresses. Periodic times of mental and emotional rejuvenation have been recognizedas essential to a well-balanced and truly healthy lifestyle. The director of marketingfor the nation’s leading pay and benefits survey data provider, Compdata Surveys, says, “Bydeveloping a comprehensive time off program, employers are helping their employees achievethis balance, and are often rewarded with increased productivity in return.”In search of some expert advice on vacation destinations that are both affordable andworthy of recommendation, I contacted my friend Beth Blair at the award-winning travel blog,TheVacationGals.com. Beth and her friends at Vacation Gals are frequent travelers who sharerecommendations based on their own first hand experiences.Family Friendly, Budget FriendlyThe National Parks system was Beth’s first suggestion for family vacations that meet thecriteria of high value on a shoestring budget.“Last summer my family took a trip to South Dakota and visited the Badlands and MountRushmore. We stayed in a moderately priced motel in Rapid City that included an indoor waterpark for the kids and was close to many of the local attractions that surround the city.”The entire Rapid City area is filled withwonderful attractions for the family to explore.Watching the fireworks display in the eveningsat Mount Rushmore is nothing less thanspectacular. A drive up through the NeedlesHighway will also not be forgotten, especiallyby the driver of your vehicle who will need tonavigate through some of the narrow pointsin the road that threads its way between thesevertical geological formations.If the dinosaur age is of interest tomembers of the family, then you’ll want totravel a few miles south to Hot Springs andexperience the fascinating live mammoth dig.The whole family will be awed as they watchthe unearthing of the bones of these amazingbeasts right before their eyes.68 HERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM