Despite the anxieties of an uncertain economic clime, families will continue to vacation together. But, these days, cost will be more important than ever. In choosing a destination and style of travel, parents need to consider Accessibility, affordability, age-appropriate interests and itineraries that will, ideally, include physical activity, education and sightseeing opportunities. To get the biggest bang for your buck, check out the excellent, highly informative Family Vacation Guides at http://away.com/familyvacations/index.html.

Here are five of www.Away.com's top-rated U.S. destinations for budget-minded family travel:

• Washington, D.C. There's no better way to make learning about history and politics fun than a visit to our nation's capital. Free entry to all 19 Smithsonian museums — including the National Zoo with giant pandas, Sumatran tigers, and baby rhinos — the National Gallery of Art, and to national monuments will definitely help keep expenses down. Hotels can be expensive downtown, but a great public transportation system, the Metro, makes it easier to stay in less-expensive lodging outside the National Mall. Older kids will love the International Spy Museum, while a more somber reflection of history can be had at the spectacular Holocaust Museum. Engrossing day trips for all ages include those to Civil War battlefields like Gettysburg, Bull Run, and Manassas, or visits to Mount Vernon, George Washington's landmark home.

• Las Vegas. Despite its reputation as Sin City, cheap flights to Las Vegas, deep-discount lodging and endless buffets keep costs low for families. Mega-hotels have spent millions, maybe billions of dollars building magnificent family-friendly attractions and you can walk most everywhere along the strip. Kid-pleasers are the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay — home to more than 1,200 species of sharks, rays, tropical, and freshwater fish and reptiles; The Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage with tigers, panthers, leopards, and dolphins; Circus Circus; and Fly Away Indoor Sky Diving. Or hike the cool canyon trails to springs and swimming holes in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

• Palm Springs, Calif. Consider using the Palm Springs area (with eight resort communities) as a base camp for forays throughout Southern California. Desert temperatures can be high, but swimming pools abound, with the 21-acre Knotts Soak City a must. In Palm Desert, most hotels cut prices by 50 percent in the summer. The JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Desert Springs has a Kid's Club, family pool, and lagoons with pink flamingos and black swans. Check out the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert and the 1,200-acre Living Desert Wildlife and Botanical Park. From your desert oasis, you can take a quick trip into Anaheim to visit Disneyland. The drive from Palm Springs is about two hours in good traffic, so spend a night at a local hotel and get a two-day park pass in order to take in the evening fireworks.

• Moab, Utah. This is a great destination for combining camping with a few nights in a motel to clean up. There are easy mountain biking trails (more difficult ones for older kids and parents), plus exhilarating river rafting, jeep trails, and scenic hiking along the Colorado River. Moab is the gateway to two national parks — Canyonlands and Arches — and within one to four hours of the splendors of Capital Reef, Glen Canyon and Zion parks, plus beautiful Lake Powell. A three-hour drive takes you to the iconic mountain towns of Telluride and Ouray with their Wyatt Earp-flavor. Salt Lake City has the closest major airport.

Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.