You've just signed up for vacation, and the kids will be out of school soon. What are you going to do this summer?

A. Take out a loan to buy some gas.
B. Let the kids run through the sprinkler and pretend they're at a water park.
C. Take your vacation as usual after reading this article.

If you said C, you're correct.

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Chart & Map: Comparing vacation alternatives

By now you've heard, read and seen beaucoup stories about rising gas prices. The average price for a gallon of gas in the Pittsburgh region is $2.89, according to AAA. Prices at some local stations, however, have reached $3 per gallon. AAA is predicting that prices will exceed that before summer's end.

The highest recorded price in the region for regular unleaded was $3.13 last September, when prices soared in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

However, all that hand-wringing about high gas prices doesn't mean folks will be spending their vacation in Porchville.

"We've been hitting record-high gas prices for the past few summers, and people traditionally have been continuing to take their summer travel trips," said Bevi Norris, spokeswoman for AAA East Central, which covers a five-state region including Pittsburgh.

One of the reasons for that, Ms. Norris said, is because even though gas costs make the pump a pretty painful place, they are still a small portion of a family's vacation budget when compared to lodging, meals and amusement park tickets. And traveling by car -- especially for a family -- is still far cheaper than any other mode of transportation.

Information on AAA

For more information on AAA, visit www.aaa.com. Among other services, members have access to a fuel calculator that will calculate the cost of gas for trips between major cities when you plug in the make and model of your vehicle.

Nevertheless, some folks will take the price of gas into consideration when planning their summer excursions.

"Even though people continue to travel, if they're driving they may not travel as far from home as they may have done in the past," Ms. Norris said.

Maybe instead of taking that looong drive to Florida, a family may opt for Norfolk, Va., or Virginia Beach. For an even closer beach experience, Rehoboth Beach in Delaware is also an option.

Rehoboth is a seven-hour drive, while Virginia Beach/Norfolk will add a couple of extra hours and about 140 more miles to the trip.

Another factor in vacation planning is the kind of getaway a family wants.

"We typically find for people who are looking for a more historical type of vacation may look toward places like Gettysburg and Washington, D.C., which are all relatively close to Pittsburgh from a driving standpoint," said Jim Lehman, senior vice president for AAA East Central.

Those looking for an amusement park alternative to our revered Kennywood or making the long trek to Disney World have their pick of a number of places in Ohio, from Geauga Lake, near Cleveland, which is about a two-hour drive, to Cedar Point in Sandusky, a three-hour drive, to Paramount King's Island near Cincinnati, about five hours away.

The Sandusky/Erie area is also home to several indoor water parks: Kalahari and the Great Wolf Lodge are in Sandusky; Erie has Splash Lagoon.

For adults looking for a quiet getaway, Mr. Lehman recommends the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, W.Va., which boasts an Arnold Palmer golf course, dinner cruises on the lake, a spa and other activities.

"It's a nice place for people who may want a little quieter type of destination," he said. It's also only about a 2 1/2-hour drive from Pittsburgh.

For those who enjoy slots, blackjack and big dinner buffets, Las Vegas is a popular destination. Most folks would probably fly there, but for those who don't want to take the flight or the drive, Atlantic City, Detroit and Niagara Falls might work.

Of course, you won't get the Celine Dion special theater extravaganza, but A.C. gets its share of Vegas entertainers and it's a lot closer.

A drive to Atlantic City is about 7 hours, and vacationers can enjoy the casinos as well as the boardwalk or they can drive to any number of nearby beaches in Jersey. It's also much cheaper to drive to AC than it is to fly. Niagara Falls and Detroit both are about five hours from Pittsburgh.

A quick check on Travelocity. com for airfares from Pittsburgh to Atlantic City, selecting a week in June and one in July, yielded a price of $684 round trip for June and $678 for July. Yikes.

Of course, exploring our home state could provide some interesting summer fun.

If you can't make it to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Pennsylvania's own version might suffice. Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is located near Wellsboro, Tioga County, in Tioga State Forest.

The maximum depth of the canyon is 1,450 feet. Visitors can take a covered wagon ride through the canyon or take a horseback ride through the nearby wilderness.

The Mountain Trail Horse Center conducts wagon rides from May 27 to Oct. 29. Wagon rides are $10 for children 4-12 and $20 for ages 13 and up during the summer. Fall rates are $12 for kids and $25 for adults.

Half-day trail rides cost $80 per person on weekdays and $90 on weekends/holidays. Full-day rides are $125 per person weekdays and $145 for weekends/holidays. Mountain Trail Horse Center (www.mountaintrailhorse.com) also does overnight expeditions and specialized adventures.