Sherman's Travel

Labor Day, the unofficial end to summer (sniff), also offers a great opportunity for an adventure-oriented getaway. But, if you can’t afford (or stomach) shelling out for an evermore expensive airline ticket, or are stressing over spending too much on travel in general, don’t fret. Here are a few timely tips on how you can still score an affordable adventure this Labor Day – or any other time of year.

Hit up a state park. Many of the country’s most popular national parks, such as Yosemite and Great Smoky Mountains, are mobbed over long weekends, but there are scores of state parks that receive a fraction of the crowds and offer excellent programming and events over holiday weekends. For example, activities over Labor Day at various Tennessee State Parks, which will mark their 75th anniversary this year, include a 5K/10K run, ecology and nature hikes, and a Camper’s Night Light Contest for the most well-decorate nighttime campsite. Some states, such as California, also offer a handy link that shows campsite availability over Labor Day. Read more

Americans are gearing up for Labor Day weekend. According to AAA, 33 million people will travel 50 miles or more – the highest level for this holiday weekend since the start of the recession in 2007. Cars will be the main mode of transportation for holiday revelers. The AAA survey revealed that 85 percent of travelers plan to drive to their destination. If you’re going to be one of those drivers and are dreading the familiar wails of “Are we there yet?” from your young backseat passengers, these handy apps might be the answer to your headache-free road trip prayers. Keep the kids distracted with these car games for your iPhone and iPod Touch:

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Spend Labor Day this year in the Big Apple, when the weather in NYC is comfortable and perfect for travelers. Stay at the elegant Sheraton New York Hotel, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Opened in 1962, this iconic Times Square hotel is offering Labor Day travel rates as low as $196.20 on September 1, a 50 percent savings on normal rates. The package also includes a voucher for two celebratory cocktails in the Lobby Lounge.

Formally known as the Hotel Americana, many high-profile guests have been attracted here over the years, from the Beatles to President Barack Obama. The recently renovated hotel features a luxurious Club Lounge with breathtaking views of New York City, a brand-new fitness center, and newly designed guest rooms.

The central Midtown location of the property offers guests easy access to all that New York has to offer: shopping, theater, restaurants, and more. Within walking distance of iconic New York sights such as Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and Times Square, you’ll never even have to venture down to the subways. During your stay, you will enjoy cable television, a complimentary daily national newspaper, and large windows that overlook the City That Never Sleeps.

To book, call 212-581-1000 and mention the special 50th Anniversary Package.

See our New York City destination guide for more trip-planning information, then use our TravelSearch price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights.

Tucked in the southwest corner of Utah, a quarter-mile from Snow Canyon State Park, is the 4-star Red Mountain Resort, a favorite vacation destination for adventure seekers as well as travelers looking to enhance and restore physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Over Labor Day weekend, the resort will offer the Essential Retreat package, and guests staying three nights between August 31 and September 6 will receive $150 credit. In addition, ShermansTravel.com readers will receive an exclusive 15 percent off! This combination of savings knocks $80 off daily rates, down to just $150 per person, per night! Included in the retreat are three health-based meals per day, daily guided hikes, unlimited fitness classes, healthy life classes, personal discovery activities, and cooking demonstrations! With 7,400 acres of state park surrounding the resort, and the award winning Sagestone Spa onsite, the perfect balance of activity and relaxation is at hand.

THE VALUE: In addition to $150 credit on three night stays, as well as the exclusive 15 percent off, the daily inclusions are valued at over $100 per day!

THE CATCH: This deal and exclusive savings is valid for one week only and must be booked by September 4, 2011!

THE DETAILS: To book your stay, visit www.redmountainresort.com using promo code SHER15.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison to find low rates on flights to Las Vegas, just a two-hour drive from the resort.

Check out our Utah Travel Guide for further inspiration!

Ever wanted to pay .50 cents for a luxury hotel room? Now’s your chance with the Name Your Own Rate sale from Harbor Beach Marriott  Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale. Stay three nights, including a Sunday night, and guests can name their own price for Sunday – with no minimum. Rooms at this newly renovated property normally cost $349 a night on weekends. Plus, this deal is good now through December 22 (including Labor Day weekend) so you can escape to the resort’s 16 acres of private beachfront property for the perfect three-day weekend.

THE VALUE: Save $229 on Sunday nights.

THE CATCH: The “name your own price” is only valid for Sunday stays as part of a three-night stay. Rates for the other two nights start at $229 per night.

THE DETAILS: Visit the Harbor Beach Marriott’s website and enter promotional code DOD.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates and travel deals on flights to Ft. Lauderdale.

For general trip-planning information, see our Florida Travel Guide.

Fly round-trip to Honolulu this fall and save hundreds with this air deal starting at just $353, including tax. Prices are slashed on routes from a number of continental US cities, including New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston and more. Book now and spend Labor Day on the beach. Honolulu, Hawaii’s capital city, is the perfect vacation spot for surfing, snorkeling, and relaxing before the start of winter.

THE VALUE: Flights from the mainland US to Honolulu often cost over $353 each way, so this round-trip deal halves the cost of a usual ticket. These are especially great prices for travel from the east coast, considering that flights from New York to Hawaii often cost as much as $800 round trip.

THE CATCH: These flights will get snapped up fast, so book now for the widest selection of dates. Lowest prices were found for weekday travel.

THE DETAILS: Click here to book your flight online with our Travel Search price comparison tool.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Find the best place to stay in Hawaii with our Hotel Reviews Page, or check out what to do when you get there with our Honolulu Travel Guide.

According to the Elysian hotel in Chicago, hotel bike rentals are so last year. So how do guests of this elegant hotel in the Gold Coast neighborhood get around? A complimentary pedi-cab service of course! Read more

We know how it goes – year after year summer flies by and all those exciting travel plans get lost somewhere between great idea and execution. So before your office’s summer Fridays end and the kids head back to school, pack up your shorts and swimsuits and head out for one last summer hurrah. Here are a few fab deals for the upcoming holiday weekend. Read more

Surrounded by gorgeous white-sand beaches and beautiful bays, the resort town of Naples is an ideal mini-vacation destination on Florida’s southwestern coast. At La Playa Beach and Golf Resort, guests enjoy elegant beachfront accommodations with amenities like an award-winning seafood restaurant, a lavish 4,500-square-foot Asian-themed spa, and an 18-hole championship golf course set amid tropical mangroves and exotic wildflowers. Extend your Labor Day weekend with the resort’s holiday special and receive your fourth night free. Plus, travel anytime through November 14 to save up to 55 percent off the cost of your stay. All guestrooms have wrought-iron furnishings, goose-down pillows, and four-poster canopied beds. Rates are now available from just $193/night.

Situated on the shores of Southern Maine’s largest lake, the Point Sebago resort is the perfect setting for a magical Maine getaway this Labor Day. Guests of this 775-acre family destination will discover a gorgeous marina with private boat rentals, an 18-hole championship golf course, and free kids programs. For the best value, we’d suggest the Labor Day Weekend Package. This 3-night special includes eight buffet meals (with one lobster dinner); daily family activities and games with prizes; unlimited paddle boat, canoe, and kayak rentals; nightly entertainment; and a special 1-hour cruise aboard the canopied Point Sebago Princess. Choose from tent-site accommodations, park trailers, resort cottages, or 2-bedroom vacation homes. Package rates start from $200 per adult. Kids age eleven and under pay just $35.