Ultimate Family Road Trip, on a Budget

Travel Expert Peter Greenberg Suggests National Parks -- Beautiful, and Family and Wallet-Friendly

(CBS)  From sea to shining sea: National parks are seen as great summer vacation destinations for anyone looking to save a few dollars this summer, and it's still not too late to plan to get to one!

Some consider them America's best-kept travel secret, and the ultimate family getaway, all the more so now that $750 million in economic stimulus money has been set aside to spruce them up.

On "The Early Show Saturday Edition," travel expert Peter Greenberg explained how it is that national parks are such a great vacation value -- and named names!

For starters:

Free entry on July 18-19 and Aug. 15-16.

Wonderful deal for seniors age 62 and up: a lifetime pass to the national parks is just $10.

For other travelers who are visiting multiple national parks, consider an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass: At $80 a year, it offers admission to any national park or monument for the pass holder and anyone else in his or her vehicle (for sites that charge per car) or for up to three other adults (for sites that charge per person). Good deal for families.

Camping is usually the cheapest accommodations option, but over the summer, check with your destination to reserve your campsite ahead of time, since the parks fill up quickly. You can do so online at Recreation.gov.

In a recent TripAdvisor survey, 73 percent of respondents said they planned to visit a national park in 2009, up from 62 percent last year.

For plenty of details from Greenberg on specific parks and more, click here.