Laura Rowley Money & Happiness

The spike in gas prices had me wondering if my husband, kids, and I should skip our annual summer drive from New Jersey to visit family in Chicago.

In mid-May, the average price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline hit $3.18, three cents higher than the all-time price record set back in 1981, on an inflation-adjusted basis. That means gas alone will cost more than $250 for our trip (see my blog for tips on how to calculate fuel costs).

Instead of cancelling, we decided to look at fuel in a broader perspective and manage our other vacation costs, such as food, lodging, and entertainment.

If you're planning a getaway this summer, here are five ways to save on your travels:

1. Stock the cooler

Gasoline might cost more than $3 a gallon, but do the math and you'll find that a 16-ounce soda from a fast-food joint equates to about $8 a gallon. Moreover, meals on the road tend to be loaded with fat and salt.

Pack a cooler with healthy snacks, such as fruit, baby carrots, cheese sticks, nuts, yogurt, Goldfish crackers, graham crackers, water, and low-fat milk. Pre-portion the snacks ahead of time rather than handing the kids the whole bag.

Easy lunch options include wholegrain bread, lean deli meats and cheeses, and peanut butter and jelly. Or consider pulling off the road and going to a supermarket for lunch, suggests Erik Torkells, editor of Budget Travel.

"Grocery stores are more like food courts now," he says. "You can buy the deli-type stuff and have a picnic. With kids, you go to any restaurant and it's miserably expensive." Pack a blanket or sheet for a picnic, a couple of sets of plastic utensils and plates, and a serrated knife for cutting fruit.

If you do go to a restaurant, make lunch your main meal of the day, split entrees between two people, and store leftovers in your cooler. Pick up a free guide from the state or city's visitors bureau, which usually offers restaurant coupons. If you're staying in a hotel or motel, aim for lodging with a free breakfast buffet, as well as a mini-fridge and microwave in the room.

2. Go all-inclusive at a family camp

My parents took the 10 of us kids on exactly two official vacations in the late 1960s: We drove from Chicago to a family resort called Pennellwood in Berrien Springs, Mich.

I have vivid memories of the rustic cabins, hayrides, campfire sing-alongs, boating on Lake Michigan, and being summoned to communal meals by a cowbell.

Affordable, old-fashioned family camps are still thriving -- and some cost as little as $1,000 a week, including meals. The American Camp Association, which accredits camps, has a web site where you can search for a family camp by location and price. Budget Travel's 2006 list of the 50 best family camps is free online. And you can search for YMCA Camps by state online.

3. Explore the great American outdoors

From North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway to California's Los Padres National Forest, there are more than 77,000 reservable recreation facilities in 2,000 locations in the United States managed by different government agencies. You can book your place under the stars at this one-stop reservation site.

Search by location or activities, from fishing and boating to biking and hiking. The map search is particularly helpful. When you click on a site, a description and photo of the facility pops up, with details on public lands, trails, bodies of water, roads, and museums within 20 miles.

You can also use the site to book tickets for specific tours, like New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns or Independence Hall in Philadelphia. (To reserve a private campground, check out ReserveAmerica, a service owned by Ticketmaster.)

Maybe you don't want to sleep in the great outdoors, but explore it by day. Check out American Trails, which offers information on 900 different trails in all 50 states. Also check out the U.S. National Parks and Monuments site and a guide to state parks at the National Association of State Park Directors site.

4. Rent a timeshare or vacation home, or swap for free

Before you book a hotel, consider renting an apartment, home, or timeshare from the owner. Torkells suggests that families start with web sites such as HomeAway, Villas International, or Vacation Rentals by Owner. "It's the best deal out there," he says.

Meanwhile, thousands of timeshare owners list their weeks on sites such as the Timeshare User's Group and RedWeek.com. For the week of July 15, for instance, I found a two-bedroom townhouse on Cape Cod with a fully equipped kitchen, private outdoor patio with grill, and kid-friendly amenities (pool, playground, and tennis courts) for $750 for the week.

Just be sure to ask about maintenance fees and taxes (and compare your deal to local hotel costs on another travel site, such as Hotels.com). You can also bid for timeshares on the auction site Bidshares.

If you're comfortable offering your home to a stranger, you can vacation in their pad for free through a home exchange. Home swaps have been around for decades, but the Internet has made it a breeze to find exactly what you're looking for.

Four well-known sites include HomeExchange.com, HomeLink International, Intervac, and Geenee. The exchanges charge a fee ranging from $90 to $100 for a one-year membership (although at deadline, Geenee was offering a limited-time free membership).

5. Search, and search again, for airfare bargains

Nearly 210 million people are expected to travel globally on U.S. airlines between June and August, according to the Air Transport Association -- a 3 percent hike over the same period last year.

Internet searches have made tracking down bargain airfares easier, but which engine do you use? Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, Bestfares, Kayak, SideStep, and (new for international flights) Vayama are just a few options for bargain-hunters. Torkells says most of these sites have similar techniques, so pick a few favorites and start your search. Booking directly on the airlines' home sites will save you the service charge.

If you've got flexibility, sign up directly with the airlines to receive email alerts on cheap, last-minute fares. Also check out Yapta, a new site that tracks fare changes on specific flights, both before and after you purchase your tickets. Yapta lets you know if the price drops below what you paid, which can mean you're eligible for a refund. (You have to contact the airline directly to get the refund.)

Then hit the road. You never know -- your kids may get more than memories out of your cheap vacation. Earlier this year, when Michael Arndt accepted the Academy Award for best original screenplay for his film "Little Miss Sunshine," he thanked his family for the inspiration: "When I was a kid, my family drove 600 miles in a VW bus with a broken clutch," he said. "It ended up being the funnest things we did together."