With more Americans putting their money away in savings accounts, it seems like a fitting time to remember that you don t have to spend a lot to honor your country even while on vacation.

Many hotels near patriotic sites have rolled back their prices to draw out tourists who might be setting aside less money for leisure in the midst of the recession. As the American wallet tightened, these businesses did not have much choice. Consumer confidence took a step back in June and remains at a level economists consider unhealthy -- and while Americans are spending, their dollars are not necessarily going toward travel. AAA predicts nearly 2% fewer Americans will travel over the July 4 weekend, and a Mintel survey of vacationers habits conducted earlier this month found that 60% of respondents chose to drive their own cars rather than fly during their last vacation.

6 Patriotic Summer Trips for Less

With cities desperate to attract tourists, patriotic-minded travelers can find a host of deals in cities with rich histories and notable attractions. Already-struggling hotels have incentive to pull in more travelers over the long weekend. Those deals, coupled with inexpensive historical sites, can add up to road trips that won t break the bank, especially with gas prices down sharply from a year ago. Travelers can find deals at sites that stretch across the country, from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains and from New England down to the Mid-Atlantic states.

SmartMoney.com talked to historians and travel experts to find deals on all-American attractions. Check out six historic -- and economical -- cities to visit this summer:

Follow in the footsteps of the founding fathers and declare your financial independence with a visit to this historic city. Fourth of July hotel rates are down 19% from last year, says Genevieve Brown Shaw, a spokeswoman for Travelocity. For example, four-star Sofitel Philadelphia is offering a night free with a reservation of at least four nights this summer, pushing the daily rate (regularly $205 and up) to an average $154. Shaw s must-visit sites for first-time visitors -- the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the Betsy Ross House -- are more economical. Admission to the first two is free, although you ll need timed tickets to avoid the crowds. Entry to the Betsy Ross House runs $3 for adults and $2 for kids.

Vacationers voted Washington the city with the best free attractions in a June survey by travel review site TripAdvisor.com. The list of patriotic freebies is exhaustive. The National Mall & Memorial Parks include the Lincoln Memorial, the National World War II Memorial and the FDR Memorial. Ford s Theater distributes free tickets for timed tours of the historic theater where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and plays are still performed. Lincoln fans can also check out exhibits this year at the Smithsonian Institute s museums (free) celebrating the bicentennial of his birth. If you stay in nearby Arlington (site of the Arlington National Cemetery, another free attraction) at the Westin Arlington Gateway, you ll save 35% on a room with a three-night stay. You ll pay $123 a night, down from $189.

An Independence Day trip to the Big Apple will offer a rare view of the Manhattan skyline this year. Starting July 4, visitors can once again climb the steps of the Statue of Liberty to its crown. The crown had been closed since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and will be closed again shortly after the holiday for a two-year renovation. You can also head to Ellis Island, where you can conduct a search for your ancestors. Both attractions are free, though you ll pay $12 for adults and $5 per child for the ferry ride over, plus a $3 fee for a trip to the Statue s crown. Get the full immigrant experience with a trip to the New York City Tenement Museum ($17 adults, $13 kids). You have to go [there] to complete the story, says Edward O Donnell, associate professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Most immigrants spent decades in tenements and only a few hours on Ellis Island. Expedia lists many deals on accommodations, too. Rates at the three-and-a-half-star Bentley hotel are now down as much as 30%. Sale prices start at $154 per night.

Hike the Presidential Trail to the base of Mt. Rushmore, and listen to a free talk about how the four presidential heads were carved into the mountain face using dynamite. Entry to the memorial is free, and parking is $10. Time your summer visit to coincide with one of the U.S. National Park Service s free weekends on July 18-19 and Aug. 15-16, and you can camp out in nearby Badlands National Park, a fossil-rich park about two hours away by car. (If you stay another time, it s still a bargain at $15 for a seven-day vehicle permit.)

You can easily spend an entire day exploring the Gettysburg National Military Park, site of the battle that turned the course of the Civil War, says Allison Lockwood, project manager of travel information for AAA, who devised a nine-hour driving tour of Civil War sites. Entry to the park is free, but trading up to a guided tour is affordable. A two-hour car tour for up to six people with one of the park s battlefield guides costs $55, while admission to the museum starts at $6 for adults and $4 for kids. Even the drive to the park can be a draw for history buffs. You re on some of the roads the troops traveled on, Lockwood says. If you plan to stay overnight, the nearby two-star Chambersburg Travelodge is offering 15% off a stay of two nights or more for Expedia customers, which lowers the $85 weekend rate to $72.

"Boston's Freedom Trail is an easy way to see many of the city's historical sites, like the Paul Revere House, the Old North Church and Faneuil Hall, Travelocity s Shaw says. There are 16 sites along the red-brick trail, but you can pick and choose the ones that interest you the most. Most carry nominal admission fees -- for example, the Paul Revere House costs $3.50 for adults, $1 for kids -- so visitors who plan to explore them all might pick up a Go Boston card, which offers free access to more than 70 tours and attractions around the city. Prices for a one-day pass are $55 for adults and $38 for kids and scale up for additional days. Hotels rates for the July 4 weekend are down 7% from last year, according to Travelocity. The three-and-a-half-star Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers is knocking 20% off its rates, with sale prices starting at $164 per night.