Not that Myrtle Beach is anything to balk at. We stayed at resort with a pool, beach access and an unparalleled view of July 4 fireworks. But we also got the deal of the century: My sister’s family and mine shared a three-bedroom condo for a total of $500 for four nights.

While there, we splurged on tickets to a theme park, but mostly stayed at the pool and ate a lot of meals at the condo. It was one of the most relaxing vacations, albeit too short, that I’ve had in a long time. I even came back with a tan (shame on me). Total spent on souveniers: 20 bucks for a pair of sandals, another 10 bucks for four, yes, four beach coverups — so cheap I bought one for all the “ladies” on our trip.

When a tough economic year rolled in, the Goins were already used to finding a relatively inexpensive way to enjoy their summer vacation. The family of four from Kernersville spends about six weeks at Jordan Lake in their 31-foot RV.

“I’ve talked to other people out here that have done this instead of their normal routines,” said Fred Goins, a landscaper.

Goins and his two boys, Alex, 11, and Lewi, 14, spend a lot of time fishing on the lake. The family owns a boat and also swims — even the dog likes to paddle — goes water tubing and eats the bass and catfish they catch on their the post-midnight fishing trips.

Sara Goins, a nurse, said she’s talked to friends at work who are cutting vacations short and may even be a bit envious of her family’s camping know-how, given the high unemployment and general economic malaise. “A lot of them always thought about camping,” she said.

And if you’re thinking primitive, think again. The Goins have a kitchen, air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, private bedroom and a lake just steps away from their sliding-glass door.

“This is the way I like to camp,” Fred said.

It may not be The Umstead, but for what they would pay at a pricey hotel, they say they would only be able to stay a few nights versus nearly an entire summer at the lake. The cost for the camp site is $20 a night.

Speaking of The Umstead, the five-star hotel in Cary has packages available for those who want to stick a little closer to home this summer, but still want to feel as if they’ve had a little pampering time. Jeff Benes, who lives in Graham but runs a business in Raleigh, has taken his wife, Cathy, and 4-year-old son, Jackson, there twice for mini vacations. The family eats dinner out, spends the day lounging at the pool, walks around the lake nearby and recently even hopped over to nearby Umstead Park for a hike before heading home. “It’s a special treat for us,” Benes said. Benes said he and his wife don’t travel as much now that they have a child. But they’ve found plenty of fun closer to home. They have a year-round pass to Tweetsie Railroad near Blowing Rock, which they take advantage of on weekends. They ride the rides all day and take the locomotive trip around the mountain. “It’s a full day,” Benes said, adding, “Typically, what we do for vacations is local North Carolina stuff.”

Benes said he, too, hears from his employees and others that they are cutting out the excesses that so many of us have gotten used to in flush times.

But one thing most folks won’t give up: vacation time. Benes said employees at the company he founded, Catalyst Manufacturing Services, “are using their vacation time but not necessarily going to Disney World.”

They’re going to a water park a couple hours drive away, or to Asheville or the beach.

Dawn Smith of Morrisville, who works at IBM, said she’s learning a lot about the area in which she lives by planning day trips right here. She and her neighbor did a “Brews and Booze Cruise” offered by Taste of Carolina, a local tour company. They sampled local beers and toured local establishments, some of which they had never been to before.

“This is what appeals to me,” Smith said. “You’re not just walking around, paying for it and seeing it yourself.”

They enjoyed it so much they’re planning another tour in August, this time one centered around the chocolate exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

Did she say chocolate? Count me in.