With a summer full of high gas prices and rising hotel prices, there’s a lot to be said about visiting national parks or even state parks this summer. But I’ll go one step further: Visit a national seashore instead.

For my money, few places are better than Fire Island, New York.

Imagine a place a hour east of Manhattan by train or car, then a short 30-minute ferry ride across the Great South Bay. It’s 32 miles long, never gets more than a half mile wide. It has 19 communities, and, with the notable exception of fire trucks and emergency vehicles, there are no cars. You get around by walking along the beach, bicycling or swimming.

It’s a great and affordable day trip. You can either drive your car across the bridge on the west end of the island to the Robert Moses State Park and then begin your walk along the beach. Or go further east on Long Island to Bay Shore and catch a ferry to any number of communities.

The most commercial community, Ocean Beach, has the majority of restaurants and stores. Further east, from Sayville, you can catch the ferry to the Sunken Forest, which run by the U.S. Park Service.

It’s a easy, simple, affordable day or weekend trip. And once on the island, you won’t have to walk far to find your own secluded stretch of beach.

Photo of Fire Island, NY via Flickr user greenbk. 

An alternative to the standard vacation, a volunteer vacation can allow travelers to make a real difference and take home a lifetime of memories. Not all volunteer vacation opportunities are tied to a tragic event. There are programs year-round for do-gooders who want to give back while learning first-hand about the communities they are helping.

But before deciding upon a volunteer vacation, it’s important not only to do your research, but also to have a good idea of the type of work you are interested in doing.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before going:

What should I ask?

1. How many days am I willing to commit to work?

There’s a big difference between donating a few hours of volunteer work on your vacation and dedicating an entire trip to a volunteer project. Figure out your ideal  balance between labor, relaxation and sightseeing — and don’t be afraid to ask the sponsoring organization questions about how many days and what hours you are expected to work.

With Habitat for Humanity’s Musicians Village in New Orleans, volunteers are welcome to work one-day shifts, so you can fit a day of volunteering into your vacation. Programs like Earthwatch Institute involve longer-term, more intensive expeditions along with lectures and educational programming. Globe Aware tends to incorporate more cultural excursions and sightseeing into its volunteer programs.

2) Is my program reputable?

When researching a volunteer organization, find out if they already have a presence in that destination, and for how long. This is particularly important in disaster-ridden countries like Haiti–although there are many well-meaning groups out there, some can do more harm than good by showing up without having any familiarity with the area.

You want to work with an organization that already has contacts on the ground and knows the lay of the land.  Ask what the program’s short, medium and long-term goals are. The more clearly defined the plan, the more they can assign specific roles and prepare.

Don’t be afraid to ask to speak with former volunteers about their experience, and what they liked and didn’t like about the program.

Unfortunately, there is no accrediting body that can vet organizations for you. However, a helpful resource is CharityNavigator.org, which evaluates how much of the organization’s money goes toward programs versus administrative costs.

3) What kind of work is right for me?

There is more than one way to serve, so don’t feel as the only jobs out there are digging trenches and building houses. If you’re not in top physical shape, don’t worry. Communities need coordinators, organizers and experts to share their knowledge. Just be sure to do your homework and find a program that fits your strengths and it will be a win-win situation for all.