MASON, Mich — As February draws to a close, families across local neighborhoods are preparing for spring break travel, but rising costs during peak travel times are forcing many to get creative with their vacation planning.
WATCH BELOW: Local travel agent shares tips as peak season prices soar
Mother of two Melody Bennett says her family is on a travel mission with an ambitious goal.
"Our goal as a family is to get the kids to all 50 states by the time our son graduates high school," Bennett said.
With the agenda, Bennett always tries to find ways to save money on travel expenses.
"If we can pair it with, we already have to be someplace for work, then maybe one ticket is paid for," Bennett said.
Local travel agent Kristen Nelson-Garcia notes that prices for traveling during peak and off-peak times are drastically different, with flights being the highest cost.
"Depending on where you go, it could be thousands, of a difference," Nelson-Garcia said.
She says many families are avoiding travel during peak times altogether, but those who do travel during busy periods tend to choose cheaper options.
"I'm getting a lot more cruises this year, those are more budget friendly," Nelson-Garcia said.
However, Nelson-Garcia points out that not everyone has the flexibility to travel during off-peak times.
"For some people, that's there only option," Nelson-Garcia said.
Bennett says she has been able to save the most money while traveling during off-peak times, all while working toward completing the family goal of visiting all 50 states.
"We have 13 left," Bennett said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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