• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, May 27, 2008

Next month, Motel 6 plans to add circuits through California's wine country, historic American sites along the Eastern Seaboard, and bird-watching territory in south Texas.

Long known for its low prices and folksiness ("We'll leave the light on for you"), Motel 6 is on the bandwagon of marketers who are making lemonade out of the lemons they've been handed by the oil industry with a promotion that seeks to make car travel affordable for many.

At a newly created Web site, Goin6.com, visitors can plan what Motel 6 calls a "one-tank trip," including an exploration of America's national parks. The Motel 6 National Parks Tour, which was posted last week, features some of the most magnificent and family-friendly national parks in the Western U.S., including Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park.

At the site, visitors can see a map of a circuit that takes them from one park to the next throughout Arizona, Nevada and Utah. The site guides travelers through canyons, lakes, trails and mountain peaks and feature highlights and activities in and just outside each of these parks like hiking, rock climbing, and white-water rafting.

At each stop, visitors can locate the Motel 6, and find restaurants and things to do. Hotlinks take them to those sites to make reservations and inquiries.

The parks tour follows the recently announced Jazz Journey that traces the roots of jazz music from Chicago to New Orleans. The Web site currently features video and audio clips from Kahil El'Zabar about each interesting stop with lists of jazz venues for each city on the circuit.

Next month, Motel 6 plans to add circuits through California's wine country, historic American sites along the Eastern Seaboard, and bird watching territory in south Texas.

"Travelers can save big on their lodging costs--usually as much as $40 to $60 per night," said Jeff Palmer, SVP/sales and marketing for Motel 6 and Studio 6, in a statement. "These savings can buy a few more tanks of gas and make that summer vacation last just a bit longer."