I’ve been driving around the United States for about six months now and I’ve covered a good portion of the part that lies to the east of the Mississippi River. Because I write about my trip, I get quite a bit of advice from friends, family, and strangers. I’m grateful for most of it, but I’ve also run across a lot of tips that would be great if I wasn’t traveling with two small children. Checking out the honkey tonks in Nashville, for example, isn’t exactly practical for two parents with a 6 and 11 year old in tow.

All this time traveling with my family has changed the way I view a city and given me a new perspective on what I consider family-friendly. Before I give a city the family-friendly stamp of approval, I look for a few important factors.

Is the nightlife the biggest draw?

A place like Las Vegas is amazing – for adults. But I wouldn’t even want to take my kids out of the hotel room after dark for fear of stumbling into a drunken bachelor party. I was surprised to find that Nashville also had very little to offer families when the sun went down – some of the most popular restaurants in town were bars.

Are there free (or very cheap) things to do?

This is a big one for me. When you’re traveling with a family of four, even low admission prices can become budget busters. A $20 attraction ticket becomes an $80 event for us. This was my biggest beef with Myrtle Beach: lots of things to do, but only one (the beach) came without a hefty price tag. I tend to favor cities with great public park systems, historic districts, or really inexpensive museums. Savannah is great for families looking to travel on a budget.

Are there good learning opportunities?

Sure, you might be on vacation, but if my kids aren’t seeing, doing, or learning something they couldn’t do at home – what’s the point? We don’t have to be in a museum to learn. Cities with rich histories or cultural diversity tend to have learning opportunities intrinsically woven into most experiences. A perfect example? Philadelphia’s Chinatown or Reading Terminal.

What do you look for in a city when planning a family vacation?

Photo: Britt Reints

They were on an unavoidable collision course, the immovable object that is Labor Day and the unstoppable force known as rising gas prices.

And now gas got its chocolate in Labor Day’s peanut butter — except that it doesn’t taste nearly as good as that analogy.

With Labor Day weekend on our doorstep it is time to finalize the last-minute travel plans, and possibly find ways to cut some costs. One good way to do that is to utilize public transit in the town you are visiting (or living in if you’re enjoying a staycation). Plan B is walking.

Another good way to save money this holiday weekend is to find a deal — sure, Living Social and Groupon are great, but if you look around the internet you can find the deals that fit your specific needs.

Expedia is offering hotel stays for as little as $31 per night (Plaza Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas) and has deals all over the nation for your overnight needs.

Travel Zoo has Major League Baseball tickets starting at $9, weekend car rentals from $20, and Anaheim stays at $83 per night (hotel with parking, breakfast and shuttle) — that’s where Disneyland lives, people!

The list is endless, it just takes a bit of online time, and let’s face it, you’re there already. Less Facebook (unless it’s UpTake‘s page!), more trip planning!

Be safe, and have a great Labor Day!

Did you miss me? Of course you did. Don’t fret, gentle reader, it’s time to get back on the super information highway and pick up all the travel-related hitchhikers you can carry. Don’t get greedy.

Here’s how this works, over the past week we have “carefully” considered all of the emails (see link in sidebar) and tweets that we have received, and we’ve picked the most interesting (i.e. fewest words for me to type) for you to click on. That, my friends, is how we do it up in here (the virtual here).

And now is the part where we link to the deals and the news and the stuff.

Why travel to the stars when you can travel with them? Lonely Planet drops names.

Hilton has launched the Hilton Huanying program in 13 countries. Did yours make the list?

Travel talk with kids and teens at a Kid’s I View.

Check out the lobby of Disney’s soon to open Aulani Resort in Hawai’i over at Disney by Mark.

Safaris are a trip of a lifetime according to CNN Travel.

Three small towns, three road trips — via Gadling.

Las Vegas has its eye on you, London. And Vegas’s Ferris wheel is even bigger.

Workout in your hotel room! Overhead Bin tells you how.

The Disney Blog gives some good tips on Orlando vacations and weather-related safety.

Real people are sharing real travel stories at TravelerVoice.

Bonjour Paris has news of a hot new vending machine — the heat is from the bread.

Looking for all things cruise-related? Look no further.

There you have it, all of the online travel news that is fit to print (but don’t print it because of the trees and stuff).  Happy travels!

It’s your day, America, and despite a bit of work here and there, you look great — just look at all the room in your belt.

Oh, wait. That’s the St. Louis Arch, but it’s like a belt. It’s the gateway to the west, and that’s pretty cool, too.

There are fireworks going off in every part of the country tonight, from Disney parks to local parks, Las Vegas to Atlantic City. Find a place to celebrate some freedom, America. You deserve it.

Please celebrate safely!

Photo: AddyG via Flickr