…And maybe for your ideal spring break getaway, you start in Miami and head south, as far south as you can go in the United States: the Florida Keys.

The views from Highway 1 are said to be amazing, the fish fresh from the boat. And the accomodations? Many of them are pricey. But here are our top picks for the best budget hotels in the Florida Keys.

Key West is the most famous of the keys, and likewise the most expensive. For a truly budget experience, stay elsewhere and drive down to Key West as a daytrip. The drive from the farthest north Key Largo to the farthest south Key West is about 2 hours, so there’s a lot of ground to cover and explore.

Sunset Cove in Key Largo

Sunset Cove Beach Resort in Key Largo offers a wealth of arrangements, from cottages, suites and single rooms to RVs and Airstream trailers. Amenities include a barbeque pit, canoes and kayaks free for use by guests, and the occasional visit by pelicans and white herons. Rates start at $120 per night.

Bonefish thanks you for being a friend

For a mid-Keys experience, try the family-owned Bonefish Resort, with rooms as low as $89 a night. The rooms resemble Blanche’s decor in circa 1986 Golden Girls, but hey: it’s Florida. Dusty rose is going to happen.

Patio at the Southernmost Point Guest House

If only Key West will do, try Southernmost Point Guest House, a family-owned inn where high season rates range from $125 to $175 a night for a standard room. Unlike many Key West hotels and inns, the Southernmost welcomes children, a boon to traveling families.

If you’re stuck in the late winter chill, Miami probably sounds appealing for your week away. But if you’ve visited before, you know the city of sunshine ain’t cheap. Here are a few budget options for your visit.

Rooms at the Clay Hotel

The Clay Hotel wins Budget Travel’s seal of approval. Coated in pink paint and just steps away from the bustling nightlife of South Beach, this is our top pick if you’re in town, on the cheap, and looking for a party. Budget rooms with shared baths start as low as $62. The related Clay Hostel is even cheaper if you want to mingle with backpackers.

IKEA Showroom or Circa39 Hotel?

With its stenciled seagulls and crisp whites, breezy Circa39 Hotel took a page from the tropical version of an IKEA catalog. Rooms during high season land at around $240 per night, a decent deal for a boutique hotel in this location. Score a 20% discount if you book a March reservation online.

Just outside of Miami in Coral Gables, home of the University of Miami, the Holiday Inn Coral Gables won the budget hotel audience choice award over at Citysearch. Rooms are available for about $125 per night, and probably a good choice if you want to step out of the hustle and bustle of the city when you bed down for the night.

The Top 10 Green Ski Resorts Hotel Report is a look at where to stay if you visit one of the top 10 green ski resorts selected by the non-profit group Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition,

Robert Redford, Sundance Resort, Utah

Sundance Resort is pretty famous because of the celebrity connections — Robert Redford and the Sundance Film Festival. It’s also renown for a dedication to environmental stewardship and preservation, so it’s no surprise it made the Top Ten Green Ski Resorts list.

Guests at the resort can enjoy down hill and cross-country skiing, and snowboarding. You can attend a variety of nature programs, including a class about green practices, a clinic on nature photography, and a privately guided snowshoe tour. I wonder if Mr. Redford is ever the guide — I’m sure lots of ladies wish he would!

Ski at Sundance Resort, Utah

You can shop at the General Store, which is filled with “green” treasures from the Sundance catalog — actually the store inspired the catalog, but now most people think it’s the other way around. You can also get ski gear at the Mountain Outfitters store, or visit the gallery and take home an artistic memento of your visit.

Owl Bar, Sundance Resort, Utah

The restaurants are just as appealing. You can choose from the elegant Tree Room, to the more casual Foundry Grill that looks up at the 12,000-foot Mount Timpanogos, to the Owl Bar (or in Utah lingo, “a private club for members” i.e. you can get alcohol there) which boasts the actual bar from the joint where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid planned all those heists!

With all of these attractions, why would you want to stay anywhere besides at the resort?

Room range from:

Standard: $359/night, or Studio: $379/night

Standard room, Sundance Resort, Utah

• 450 square feet
• queen-sized bed
• coffee maker
• In addition to the above, a studio also has a fireplace and mini-fridge

Sundance Suites: $399/night

Sundance suite, Sundance Resort, Utah

• 700 square feet
• queen-sized bed
• fireplace
• patio
• small sitting area
• kitchenette

Mountain Suites: $399/night

Mountain suite, Sundance Resort, Utah

• 900 square feet
• Queen-sized bed in Master bedroom
• Fully equipped kitchen
• Living and dining area
• Fireplace
• Patio or deck

Mountain Lofts: $559/night

Mountain loft, Sundance Resort, Utah

Same as the Mountain Suites, but with the option of a King sized bed, plus a loft area for sleeping — kids love that!

If that’s not enough for you, there’s the option of moving up to a house which starts at $1359/night.

All photos courtesy of Sundance Resort

The Top Ten Green Ski Resorts

Aspen Mountain Ski Resort – Colorado
Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort – Colorado
Sundance Resort – Utah
Park City Mountain Resort – Utah
Squaw Valley USA – California
Alpine Meadows Ski Area – California
Aspen Highlands Ski Resort – Colorado
Bogus Basin Mountain Resort – Idaho
Mount Bachelor Ski Area – Oregon
Telluride Ski Resort – Colorado

Election year has meant that Washington, D.C. has been an incredilby busy and crowded place. I love the city, though, and I really want to go back and visit again soon. Money’s tight though (not that this problem has ever stopped me from traveling before!), so my next trip will definitely find me sleeping in more modestly priced accomodations. Besides, who spends all of their time on vacation inside of a hotel room? There’s so much to see and do in a new place!

I’ve narrowed down my list of possible choices to these hotels in Washington D.C. Hopefull I have a winner!

15 Squares American Bistro at Renaissance

The name is definitely a mouth full, but your wallet will still be full after a stay here, too.