Escapes Under $500: Where to find Columbus Day deals

— -- Columbus Day celebrates the arrival of a great explorer, and the resulting three-day weekend encourages many to get out and do a little exploration on their own. With fall foliage ablaze, good hiking weather, and one last chance for a mini-vaca before the holidays start, who wouldn't want to? And that's the problem. Because of high demand, getaways tend to be more expensive around Columbus Day than any other fall weekend, and many of the best deals come with blackout dates.

Nevertheless, don't let the idea of a challenge dampen your prospects. While more difficult than normal, my search for deals yielded some good results in city and country destinations across the U.S. Here are a few strategies for fitting the upcoming long weekend into a $500 budget.

Online agencies

For just about every major holiday, big online agencies compile deals and are some of the best places to start looking. For example, Orbitz has a list of low-priced flights (including taxes and fees) departing on October 10 and returning on October 13. Sample round-trips include Las Vegas to Salt Lake City for $120, Ft. Lauderdale to New Orleans for $156, Denver to Houston for $188, and Philadelphia to Boston for $216. Many more cities are represented. Pair one of these fares with a hotel for around $100 or less per night (based on double occupancy), and you'll easily pay less than $500 per person for the whole weekend.

Expedia's promo is less extensive, but has a handful of good destinations with a 25% discount on air and hotel (or just hotel). Head to Las Vegas, Houston, or San Antonio, where rates start at $222 (before taxes and fees) for three nights. Hotel alone starts at $27 per night.

Since Columbus Day is fast approaching, also check for "Last Second Deals" on lastminute.com, where you can book air-and-hotel or air-and-car packages at a discount a week or two in advance. Among the many getaway options to choose from, there's a trip from San Francisco to Seattle for $283.88 (including taxes and fees) per person for air and hotel. And, if you're flexible and need to plan at the very last minute, don't forget to check SmarterTravel.com's database of last-minute fares, posted every Wednesday before the upcoming weekend.