3 Tips to Help You Save for Your Next Beach Vacation

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Mark Nosowicz

Life can be stressful, which is why you deserve to treat yourself to a nice vacation. There are plenty of mental and physical health benefits of taking a vacation, including decreasing burnout and increasing your mental power. Planning your dream vacation can be exciting, but as we know, it can also be expensive if you’re not prepared.

Many families avoid taking vacations because they believe that they won’t be able to afford to take one. However, if you start saving and organizing your trip now, your plan to take a vacation could come true.

Here are some of our tips to help you start saving for your next beach vacation:

Creating a Budget

One of the first steps to planning a successful vacation is to create a budget. If you don’t establish a budget of how much money you’re willing to spend on your trip, it can be difficult to follow a savings plan. You may want to keep track of how much money you spend each month on bills, groceries, and other expenses on your budget.

Once you establish your budget, you can focus on cutting expenses, finding a way to accumulate a second source of income, and allocating your money towards a savings goal.

Start Saving Your Money

Between flights, reservations, and setting aside money for food and activities, you can expect a vacation to cost anywhere between a few hundred to a couple of thousands of dollars, depending on where you want to go. Although your vacation’s initial cost can look intimidating, it can be an achievable goal as long as you take the right steps and give yourself enough time to save.

Many families have found that opening a separate savings account and naming it can be great motivation!

Planning Your Airfare and When You Want to Travel

When you’re taking a vacation, there are times during the year that are more expensive to travel than others. For example, early June or late August is typically a great time to travel because not all students are on summer vacation. However, you’ll notice that holidays and weekends are more expensive times to travel. Do your research and plan accordingly!

Are you looking for the perfect place to relax? Stay with us at Sands by the Sea! Located in York Beach, ME, we are proud to be one of York Beach’s most beloved motels. Contact us today to start planning your visit!

Top Things to Do in York Beach, Maine

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Tate

York Beach, Maine, should be your next vacation destination! It’s one of the oldest towns in the United States, it offers a quaint, noncommercial atmosphere with cozy inns, delicious restaurants, wonderful family amusements and stunning natural scenery.

Here are the top things to do in York Beach, Maine:

Amusements

If your children keep saying ‘I’m bored!’ it might be time to swing into York’s Wild Animal Kingdom or Fun-O-Rama. York’s Wild Animal Kingdom is a family aimed zoo and amusement park located in York Beach, Maine. With over 250 rides and games, Fun-O-Rama is also a great option for families. This awesome amusement park is located right on Short Sands, so what are you waiting for?

Visit the lighthouses

You’ll find two historic lighthouses in York Beach. Chances are the Nubble Lighthouse on Cape Neddick will look familiar to you, even if you’ve never visited the area before. That’s because its gleaming white walls and crisp red trim, set against a stunning blue sea, have made it the subject of countless postcards and paintings. The Nubble Lighthouse is still the most photographed lighthouse in America. The Boon Island Lighthouse, visible in the distance six miles offshore, is the state’s tallest at 137 feet.

York Beach Lighthouses

Hit the beach

The York Beach area has a number of beaches to enjoy. Some are sandy, but others are rocky, so bring sturdy shoes! Families will love Long Sands Beach and Cape Neddick Beach is known for its tide pools. York Harbor Beach is off the beaten path and is one of the most scenic in the area. The best beach of all? Short Sands Beach! It’s the only beach in York that is centrally located and has tons of dry sand (unlike all the other beaches) and it’s walkable to most of the greatest things to do in York ME, including the Nubble Lighthouse.

It’s an excellent beach to look for sea glass and spend quality time with your loved ones. If you’re really lucky you could witness a 250-year-old schooner shipwreck that unearths itself from under the sand from time to time after a storm. Short Sands Beach is close to the shops and places to eat, plus you can jaunt across the street and visit us here at the Sands by the Sea Motel!

Try some delicious local food

One of the things you absolutely must do when you visit York, Maine is to stop by the York Beach Bucket, a beachy, modern-day general store and pizzeria. At this must-stop location, you’ll find authentic handmade dough and fresh, made in house pizza sauce. Top off your pizza or sandwich with a cold beer or a refreshing glass of wine while watching people stroll by on the patio. The York Beach Bucket also offers a wide variety of deli meats, breads, dairy products, espresso, gelato, beer & wine, sundries and more!

What to do in York Maine

Looking for something sweet after your yummy meal at York Beach Bucket? If the Gelato just isn’t your thing, then head over to The Goldenrod for salt water taffy and homemade ice cream. This Short Sands must-stop location has been in business for over 150 years and it’s a real draw for kids and adults alike.

Visit Old York

Get your history fix with a guided tour through Old York buildings and check out the Museums of Old York and the Virginia Weare Parsons Education Center, which features an 18^th century one-room schoolhouse complete with period graffiti an old jail, historical cemeteries and so much more.

Get your steps in at Mt. Agamenticus

Looking to exercise, bond with your loved ones, see beautiful views of the summit and just breathe a bit? Check out Mt. Agamenticus, which is located right in York, Maine. There are many hiking and mountain biking trails on the mountain and at 692 feet above sea level, you’ll be able to see the skyscrapers of Boston to the south on a clear day.

Things to do in York Beach, ME

If you’re planning a visit to York Beach, Maine, book a room at the Sands by the Sea Motel. Nestled on one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in southern Maine, we’re the perfect home base for your next Maine getaway! Call 207-363-2211 or contact us online today!

Advantages of Staying at a Locally Owned Motel

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Tate

When you take a trip to a place like York, Maine, you’ll have the option of staying at a chain motel if you’d like. But if you really want to experience everything that a place has to offer, you’re much better off booking a stay at a locally owned motel.

Here are several advantages of going with a locally owned motel over a motel that’s part of a chain:

Locally owned motels will give you a more local feel

There is so much to see and do in a city like York, Maine. From kicking back and relaxing on the Short Sands Beach to walking through all the shops in York Beach, you’ll be able to do a little bit of everything during your visit. And staying at a locally owned motel will enhance this experience since you’ll be right in the middle of the action. A hotel like Sands by the Sea is conveniently located right near the Short Sands Beach, just steps from amazing dining options, shops, a gorgeous harbor, and more. You’ll really feel like a local when you stay at Sands by the Sea when you’re in town.

Locally owned motels will provide you with more personalized customer service

Whether you stay at a chain motel in York, Maine or a chain motel in York, Pennsylvania, you can expect to get the same level of standard customer service. But when you go with a locally owned motel like Sands by the Sea instead, you’ll get customer service that goes above and beyond what you would normally expect. You’ll be able to ask for restaurant recommendations, learn about some of the things you have to see when you’re in town, and interact with the motel managers on a regular basis at a locally owned motel. You won’t usually have these same opportunities at a chain.

Locally owned motels will offer you and your family better accommodations

If you’ve been in one chain motel, you’ve been in them all! They usually have the same exact room setups regardless of location. But a locally owned motel like Sands by the Sea understands the need for different room configurations. It’s why we offer 60 rooms and vacation rentals that come in many shapes and sizes. Whether you’re a couple planning an anniversary getaway or a large family looking for a place to host a reunion, we can offer better accommodations than any chain motel would.

There are also many other benefits that come along with staying at Sands by the Sea

You can get to the beach within just a minute or two from any of our rooms. You can also lounge by our heated outdoor pool, which will have food and drink service courtesy of the York Beach Bucket beginning in 2019. And if you want to go out and explore, we’re not far from a number of attractions, including a zoo, an amusement park, an arcade, a bowling alley, a mini-golf course, and so much more. Call us at 207-363-2211 today to reserve a room for your York, Maine vacation.