5 vacations for under $400: take off for a three-day outdoor getaway that won't break the bank - Ventureout

Shape, April, 2004 by Gina DeMillo

Affordable fitness Kayaks, canoes, paddleboats and fishing boats are free to guests. And other activities are minimally priced: Tennis clinics are included in the Modified American Plan (otherwise, they cost $15 an hour), or you can rent a bike for $5 an hour and ride two miles to the Paul Bunyan Trail, a 100-mile wooded corridor from Brainerd to Bemidji.

Frugal gourmet With breakfast and dinner covered, your biggest decision is what to order. The Dining Room at Grand View offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. A dinner at Sherwood Forest restaurant might include New York strip steak, grilled mahi-mahi, smoked duck or seafood puttanesca.

For lunch, hit the popular Nisswa Grille, an ideal stop along the Paul Bunyan Trail. Or ask for a packed lunch to go if you'd rather eat on the way. Menu options include wraps or sandwiches such as a teriyaki-chicken sandwich ($7.50-$10).

Splurge! Try an hour-long Aveda Indigenous Purifying Stone Massage at the resort's Glacial Waters Spa. The treatment combines the aromatic powers of sage, cedar and sweetgrass with opposing sensations of warm and cool stones ($85).

Keep Your Spending at Bay

Pescadero, Calif., less than an hour south of San Francisco

Grand total $275 (accommodations, $75; food, about $100; fitness activities, about $100)

Budget digs Overlooking spectacular stretches of undisturbed shores and rolling hills along the Pacific coast, Costanoa Coastal Lodge & Camp is adjacent to four state parks and a wildlife reserve (650-879-1100, costanoa.com). "Rough it" in a furnished, heated canvas cabin, or enjoy such creature comforts as showers and fireplaces in the rustic lodge. Prices start at $100 per cabin for up to four people, per day. Stay on the eve of a full moon and you'll receive a half-price discount for one of three nights.

Affordable fitness Costanoa serves as a base camp to 30,000 acres of hiking trails. Take one of the resort's free nature hikes, such as the Franklin Point/Atkinson Bluff Loop, an easy three-mile loop that trails along the beach, cliffs, sand dunes and a marsh with a mild elevation gain. Or ply the calm waters below the rocky cliffs in a rented kayak from Venture Quest Sea Kayaking in Santa Cruz, 25 miles southeast of the lodge ($35 per day; kayaksantacruz.com).

Frugal gourmet Continental breakfasts include fresh baked goods and seasonal fruit. Have Costanoa's general store pack you a sack lunch with a pita sandwich, salad and homemade cookies ($15). Supper fare ranges from macadamia-encrusted mahi-mahi to pesto ravioli ($7-$12 for entrees).

Splurge! The resort hosts an annual yoga retreat, April 30 through May 2, run by Yoga-Nia Adventures. Designed for both yogis and novices, the weekend includes lodging, gourmet meals, a wine and cheese reception, yoga and Nia classes and meditation (from $395 per person in a double-occupancy canvas cabin; www.yogania.com).

Tarzan-Style Savings

Takilma, Ore., less than 15 minutes southeast of Cave Junction, Ore. (near the California border)

Grand total $335 (accommodations, $135; food, about $100; fitness activities, about $100)