Five Affordable Outdoorsy Family Adventures

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

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Summer brings a challenge to families looking for that ideal vacation, the one that silences the “mom, I’m bored”s with fun for every age and interest, all while remaining affordable. From zip-lines to golf and picnics to rodeos, here are five affordable outdoor summer adventures with something to please everyone.

Appalachian Mountain Club Huts and Lodges, Maine and New Hampshire

We’re not promising the chance to hike uphill both ways with the family (like you had to when you were young), but a stay at one of Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) dozen or so lodges and huts does offer the chance to unplug and let everyone enjoy some serious outdoors time. Choose between lodges in spectacular mountain settings and backcountry huts spaced a day’s hike apart along the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

New for 2011, AMC has launched lower rates for kids and teens. For instance, for AMC members, the nightly rate for children at the Cardigan Lodge has dropped from $39 to $29. The organization is also offering free programs geared toward kids and kids’ meal choices at huts and lodges. Guided family weekends and family adventure camps round out the offerings. And you can make an outdoor adventure even more affordable with summer deals, such as 10 percent off three-night stays or 20 percent off five-night stays at lodges and huts in Maine and New Hampshire.

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