The official kickoff to summer is just five days away. Maybe some people have Memorial Day off work, but they might have procrastinated making plans. Consumer expert Amy Davis checked with travel agents for ideas and deals to get people moving this weekend.
While everyone else is headed to the beach, hop in the car and head down I-10 to San Antonio. Houston travel agent Monica Hendricks found hotels slashing room rates by 30 to 50 percent. Travelers can reach Hendricks at 713-829-5506.
Boutique Hotel Valencia, right on the River Walk, is $180 a night, down from $250.
Omni La Mansion is $190 a night.
In Austin, the very luxurious Hotel Granduca, normally $800 a night, is $399 a night this weekend.
Not enough of a bargain? There's still time and sites available to go camping. Lake Houston Wildeness Park in New Caney has cabins and walk-in campsites.
Huntsville State Park is just an hour from downtown Houston. Vacationers can make Brazos Bend State Park a whole weekend trip or just spend the day.
A little too primitive? There is still availability at The Antlers in Kingsland. It's 220 miles from Houston, and the whole family can sleep in a real caboose
Stay closer to home, round up the family and head to Galveston's East beach for the Galveston Family Beach Challenge this Sunday. From tug-of-war to volleyball to sack races, families will compete against each other for a chance to win $2,000 in prizes at the end of the day. Everyone in the family needs to be 8 or older to participate and needs to register online in advance to compete.
